Major League Baseball on Mutual

History of coverage

Mutual started its baseball coverage in , when the network joined NBC and CBS in national radio coverage. The three networks continued to share coverage of baseball's "jewels" (the All-Star Game and World Series) in this manner through , with Mutual gaining exclusive rights to the World Series in 1939 and the All-Star Game in . In 1949, Commissioner Happy Chandler negotiated a seven-year, US$4,370,000 contract with the Gillette Safety Razor Company and the Mutual Broadcasting System for radio rights to the World Series, with the proceeds going directly into the pension fund. In , NBC replaced Mutual as the exclusive national radio broadcaster for the World Series and All-Star Game.

Following the lead of the rival Liberty Broadcasting System, Mutual also aired regular-season Game of the Day broadcasts (a precursor to television's Game of the Week concept) to non-major-league cities throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Attempts at television coverage

In 1950, Mutual acquired the television broadcast rights to the World Series and All-Star Game for the next six years. The network may have been re-indulging in TV network dreams or simply taking advantage of a long-standing business relationship; in either case, the broadcast rights were sold to NBC in time for the following season's games at an enormous profit.

Announcers

''Game of the Day''

• Rex Barney (1956)
• Bud Blattner (1952; 1954)
• Dizzy Dean (1951–1952)
• Don Dunphy (1944–1959)
• Gene Elston (1958–1960)
• Bob Feller (1958)
• Bob Fulton (1954)
• Art Gleeson (1950–1958)
• Al Helfer (1950–1954)
• Gene Kirby (1950–1952)
• France Laux (1939–1941; 1944)
• John MacLean (1955–1960)
• Bob Neal (1955–1956)
• Mel Ott (1955)
• Van Patrick (1960)
• Hal Totten (1945–1950)
• Joe Wilson (1952, 1959)
• Bob Wolff (1950–1951)

World Series

Main article: List of World Series broadcasters

1950s

1940s

Mutual also broadcast the 1948 American League tie-breaker game nationally. However, the network's coverage did not air in Cleveland due to Indians owner Bill Veeck refusing to grant permission to Mutual affiliate WHK after MLB commissioner Happy Chandler selected Mel Allen for its Series coverage instead of either Cleveland announcer. Indians flagship WJW originated coverage of its own for the tie-breaker game.

1930s

All-Star Game

Main article: List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game broadcasters

1950s

1940s

Two nights following the 1942 All-Star Game, the American League All-Stars traveled to Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, to play a special benefit game against a team of players from the U.S. Army and Navy. The contest, which the American Leaguers won 5–0, attracted a crowd of 62,094 and netted $70,000 for the Army Emergency Relief Fund and the Navy Relief Society. Mutual Radio broadcast the second game, with Bob Elson, Waite Hoyt, and Jack Graney announcing.

1930s

References

References

1. Walker and Hughes, James R. and Pat. (1 May 2015). "Crack of the Bat: A History of Baseball on the Radio". U of Nebraska Press.
2. "Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler: Second Commissioner of Baseball". MLB.com.
3. (October 3, 1944). "Radio Review". The Telegraph-Herald.
4. "2006 Ford Frick Award nominees". MLB.com.
5. (March 1, 1952). "Champs Seek 11th Victory in Title Drive". Chicago Tribune.
6. (April 9, 1959). "WNDB To Air Major League Ball Games". Daytona Beach Morning Journal.
7. Shea, Stuart. (7 May 2015). "Calling the Game: Baseball Broadcasting from 1920 to the Present". SABR, Inc..
8. (October 4, 1948). "2 Networks Will Broadcast Game". [[The Boston Globe]].
9. Fullerton, Jr., Hugh. (October 6, 1948). "Sports Roundup". [[Daily Record (Morristown).
10. (2001). "Veeck As In Wreck: The Autobiography of Bill Veeck". [[University of Chicago Press]].
11. Steinhauser, Si. (October 1, 1948). "Chandler Names Announcers for World Series: Britt and Allen Get the Nod". [[The Pittsburgh Press]].
12. Nichols, Kenneth. (October 5, 1948). "They Did It! 'War Of Nerves' Finally Ends For Akron Fans". [[Knight Ridder.