FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sun Sports will produce and televise 150 Tampa Bay Rays games in high definition during the 2012 Major League Baseball season.
Coverage begins on Opening Day when the Rays host the rival New York Yankees on Friday, April 6 at 3:10 p.m. ET. For the first time ever, both home and away game telecasts will feature half-hour Rays LIVE pregame shows and all will offer extended post-game coverage from site.
Home games' Rays LIVE will originate from Tropicana Field, while away games' will air from the new FOX Sports studio in Fort Lauderdale.
Dewayne Staats returns this year for his 15th season as play-by-play announcer for Tampa Bay Rays baseball on the regional network and will be joined in the TV booth by former MLB player Brian Anderson. Staats enters his 35th year broadcasting baseball, while Anderson enters his 4th season providing analysis on Sun Sports.
Also in his 15th season, Todd Kalas serves as host for Rays LIVE pre- and postgame shows at Tropicana Field, while Barry LeBrock will anchor away games from the FOX Sports studio. Orestes Destrade and Laura McKeeman round out the television talent lineup for Rays baseball on Sun Sports in 2012, appearing on and providing feature reports for Rays LIVE.
Going beyond just coverage of games, Sun Sports' partnership with the Rays provides fans with more opportunities to get to know the team and its players.
Nine 30-minute HD episodes of Sun Sports popular Inside the Rays are planned this year and will include player profiles, with rare behind-the-scenes stories and interviews, plus episodes offering inside access to other aspects of the team and its operations — all designed to bring the fans closer to their favorite team. To help fans get ready for the upcoming season, Sun Sports will produce its annual Tampa Bay Rays Season Preview, premiering Sunday, March 25, at 4 p.m. ET on Sun Sports.
