Monday Night Baseball

In 1976, ABC Sports took over Monday Night Baseball from rival NBC. The schedule usually consisted of about eighteen telecasts, usually with two games airing simultaneously on a regional basis. Like Monday Night Football, they had a three-man booth. The original main booth consisted of Bob Prince, Bob Uecker, and Warner Wolf. However, Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and guest analyst Reggie Jackson replaced them for the 1976 ALCS. Wolf joined then Cincinnati Reds announcer Al Michaels and guest analyst Tom Seaver for the NLCS. ABC alternated with NBC coverage of the All Star Game, League Championship Series, and World Series. In even numbered years, ABC televised the All Star Game and the two League Championship Series; in odd numbered years, the World Series. Memorable post season moments on ABC included Chris Chambliss' pennant-clinching home run in 1976, Reggie Jackson's three-home run game in the 1977 World Series, the Red Sox' miracle comeback in the 1986 ALCS, and the earthquake Series of 1989. By 1983, it finally occurred to ABC that Keith Jackson was... a football announcer, and Michaels was given the primary announcer reins. In 1985, ABC had finally had enough of Cosell and settled upon the team of Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver. This would be the primary crew for the remainder of ABC's contract. By 1986, ABC only televised thirteen regular season games. Monday Night Baseball's run came to an end after 1988. For the 1989 season (the last before ABC and NBC lost baseball to CBS), ABC switched to Thursday nights. Michaels said that losing baseball was 'tough to accept.' In 1994, ABC and NBC would embark in an ill-fated partnership with Major League Baseball: The Baseball Network. TBN called for games to be aired regionally on Friday and Saturday nights under the banner, 'Baseball Night in America.' After the 1994 players' strike nixed these plans, TBN was brought to an abrupt end. In an awkward arrangement, ABC and NBC split coverage of the 1995 World Series (ABC televised Games 1, 4, & 5, NBC 2, 3, & 6). To date, this was the last time ABC televised Major League Baseball.