Close Races in Both Leagues To Be Determined in Final Days of All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot Exclusively on MLB.com
Every single vote will matter in each League’s tightest races — Teixeira, Youkilis or Morneau? Pedroia or Kinsler? Hamilton, Hunter or Crawford? Molina or McCann? Ramirez or Rollins? Beltran or Soriano? — as fans cast their final ballots exclusively online via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot on MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball.
Online ballots for the 16 starting position players in the 2009 All-Star Game will be available through 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 2.
Entering the final week of balloting, MLB.com has recorded 163 million votes in the All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot, a 15 percent increase over the comparable 2008 vote total. With millions of votes coming over these last days, fans will determine which players will earn the title of All-Star starter for the 80th Midsummer Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 14.
“With fans casting votes on MLB.com at a record pace, we look forward to a historic and exciting conclusion to this year’s All-Star balloting for the elected starters,” said Dinn Mann, Executive Vice President, Content, MLB.com.
“These close races have been fascinating to watch each week and leave us eagerly anticipating the second leg of online balloting when the final roster spots for each All-Star Team will be determined exclusively on MLB.com.”
Source: MLB.com
Major League Baseball to begin in-market online streaming of live games in two markets beginning in July
Yankees on YES to launch with Yankees-Twins game on Wednesday, July 8
Major League Baseball announced it will launch this July a landmark pair of in-market subscription products, including Yankees on YES, to deliver live games online within their respective home broadcast territories. Upon launch, these will be the only live in-market streaming products in professional sports to include games with local broadcast television deals.
“These agreements are an important part of our global effort to give fans greater access to our game,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “It is important that fans in local markets have portable flexibility to stay connected to their favorite team if they can’t be at the ballpark, and I believe this represents a significant step in that direction.”
MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, has entered into a partnership with the YES Network and Cablevision to provide eligible Cablevision customers throughout the Yankees home broadcasting territory with access to YES Network Yankees telecasts live on their computers. The offering, which will be implemented through an authentication process managed by Cablevision and MLBAM, will be available exclusively to Cablevision customers who subscribe to the Family Cable (expanded basic) level of television service and Optimum Online.
The Yankees on YES package, available for a one-time fee of $49.95 for the remainder of the season or $19.95 for any 30-day period, is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) with the YES Network’s Yankees-Twins broadcast. Beginning immediately, eligible Cablevision subscribers can review FAQs for the product and purchase Yankees on YES at Yankees.com, YESNetwork.com and Optimum.net.
Major League Baseball became the first professional sports league to make every game available online for out-of-market fans in 2003 and since that time has delivered over 250 million live video streams. It now is also the first to make this number of live games available online for fans living in a home team territory such as the Yankees.
A second in-market live game streaming product is expected to be announced the week of June 29.
Source: MLB
New York Fans Can Stretch the Baseball Season With MSC Cruises Themed Sailings
Former Yankees, Mets Featured on Select 2009-2010 Caribbean Cruise Itineraries
New York baseball fans looking to stretch the baseball season into the winter months can enjoy the warmth of the Caribbean with some of their favorite former New York Yankees and New York Mets players on select sailings of MSC Cruises’ MSC Poesia.
In addition to visiting some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful locations, each “Baseball Greats” cruise includes free interactive guest/player activities, including a player-hosted trivia game in which guests can test their baseball knowledge, question-and-answer sessions with the players, a guest pitching contest and a lively story-telling session in which the players share candid revelations about some of the “characters” of the game. Baseball players will also host pitching, hitting, fielding and base running clinics.
New York fan favorites Frank Howard, Stan Bahnsen, Hector Lopez, Ken Griffey, Sr., Jeff Torborg and Ed Kranepool are in the lineup of baseball greats scheduled to sail Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale this winter:
- Nov. 20, 2009: Frank “Hondo” Howard (who coached for both the Yankees and the Mets) and Bahnsen will be joined by Hall-of-Famer Bob Feller, Toronto Blue Jays Manager Cito Gaston and Bill Russell on the 10-night “Dazzling Dutch Caribbean and the Panama” itinerary.
- Jan. 16, 2010: Hector Lopez (who played on five Yankees championship teams and is now a minor league instructor with the Bombers), Jeff Torborg (who coached with the Yankees and managed the Mets), former Yankees slugger Ken Griffey, Sr., and Cookie Rojas (who coached for the Mets and is now an announcer for the Florida Marlins) will join Bahnsen on the 7-night “Island Treasures & Ancient Temples” itinerary.
- Feb. 6: Bahnsen will be joined by fellow former Yankees Rudy May, and former Mets Jim Fregosi (who was traded to the Mets for Nolan Ryan) and Ed Kranepool, as well as Tony Oliva on the 7-night “Island Treasures & Ancient Temples” itinerary.
- March 6, 2010: Bahnsen will be joined by Amos Otis, Rennie Stennet and two additional players (to be named) on the 7-night “Eastern Caribbean Enchantment” cruise.
- April 3, 2010: Bahnsen, Tony Taylor, Randy Hundley and two additional players will be on the 7-night “Eastern Caribbean Dream” cruise.
Caribbean cruise-only rates begin at $549 per person, double occupancy (government fees/taxes additional). As on all MSC Cruises’ sailings, kids ages 17 and younger sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults.
To review more information about MSC Cruises and its theme cruises, visit msccruisesusa.com/specialcruises/theme-cruises or a local travel professional.