The 2014 regular season officially began with a two-game stint featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia on March 22-23, but the sport’s more traditional Opening Day is set for Monday and MLB Network will help viewers keep up with the action.
MLB Network begins its Opening Day programming earlier than ever this year, tossing out the first pitch on its coverage at 9 a.m. (ET) on March 31, with The Rundown, during which hosts Lauren Shehadi, Matt Yallof, Peter Gammons and Al Leiter will preview the 13 games scheduled for play throughout the day.
Monday also marks the debut of the MLB Network’s newest daily show, High Heat with Christopher Russo, which premieres after The Rundown at noon. Russo, the host most well-known for his “Mad Dog” persona on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, will bring his signature style of analysis to a one-hour live talk show weekdays on the MLB Network. Russo will be joined by the network’s Kristina Fitzpatrick.
Following Russo’s program, the network will air 12 consecutive hours of MLB Tonight, providing live look-ins at games in progress, as well as additional news and analysis from an array of hosts and personalities. MLB Network's Opening Day lineup will conclude with the return of Heidi Watney’s show Quick Pitch at 1 a.m.
In addition to its regular programming, MLB Network is scheduled to air nine games during Opening Week. The games, from April 1 to April 6, include the home opener of the Boston Red Sox on Friday, April 4, when the reigning World Series champions host the Milwaukee Brewers.
