The USA Thursday Game of the Week

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The USA Thursday Game of the Week is a former television program that broadcasted Major League Baseball games on the USA Network.

Contents 1 Background 2 Coverage history 2.1 Memorable moments 3 Announcers 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Background

In 1980, 22 teams (all but the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals) took part in a one-year cable deal with UA-Columbia (then owners of the USA Network). The deal involved the airing of a Thursday night Game of the Week in markets at least 50 miles (80 km) from a major league park. The deal earned Major League Baseball less than $500,000, but led to a new two-year contract for 40-45 games per season.^[1] The program ran through the 1983 season.

[edit] Coverage history

The series began April 26, 1979 with a doubleheader: Cleveland at Kansas City^[2] (Jim Woods/Bud Harrelson) followed by Baltimore at California^[3] (Monte Moore/Maury Wills). The second game of the night was typically, based out of the West Coast.

From 1980-1981, Jim Woods and Nelson Briles (replacing Bud Harrelson) did the early games (except for a game at Montreal on October 2, 1980 which reunited Jim Woods and Ned Martin) while Monte Moore and Wes Parker (replacing Maury Wills) called the late game.

In 1982, doubleheaders did not start until June 17. Prior to the doubleheaders starting, Monte Moore and Wes Parker did the individual game until then. When the doubleheaders finally began, Moore and Parker moved over to the late game for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, Eddie Doucette (replacing Jim Woods) and Nelson Briles were assigned to call the early game.

USA continued with the plan of not starting doubleheaders until June in the final year of the package in 1983. Steve Zabriskie and Al Albert filled in for Eddie Doucette in September 1982 (Steve Grad also occasionally substituted) while Albert replaced Doucette for a game or more in 1983.

[edit] Memorable moments

One particular game of note was a Los Angeles Dodgers/St. Louis Cardinals game in 1981 (the last game before the strike)^[4]. The game in question featured Fernando Valenzuela picking up his eighth consecutive win to start the season. Valenzuela gave up a home run in the ninth to tie the game 1-1, but Pedro Guerrero hit one himself in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

[edit] Announcers

• Al Albert (1982-1983)
• Nelson Briles (1980-1983)
• Eddie Doucette^[5] (1982-1983)
• Steve Grad^[6]
• Bud Harrelson (1979)
• Ned Martin (1980)
• Monte Moore (1979-1983)
• Wes Parker (1980-1983)
• Maury Wills (1979)
• Jim Woods (1979-1981)
• Steve Zabriskie^[7] (1982-1983)

[edit] References