All the bases, all of the time

The MLB Network launched Jan. 1 from its studio in Secaucus, N.J. And then, in many ways, the wait began. It will finally end today. "This is kind of what we all came here for," studio host Matt Vasgersian said. "Opening Day is going to start a different process for us, a different feel around here."

That's in large part because the network will debut its regular-season version of "MLB Tonight" at 3 p.m. today. The program will remain on the air providing updates and live look-ins from all 12 games until the final out is made in Anaheim around midnight. Two dedicated cameras in each ballpark also will provide the ability for quick interviews and a chance to see what's going on at various stadiums before games start.

And that will be only the appetizer for fans.

Although the MLB Network already has produced documentaries and studio shows and will carry a game each Thursday night, there is little doubt that "MLB Tonight" is going to be its centerpiece. Its regular start time will be 5 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and it will run until all games are complete. Sunday evening's show will emphasize highlights because there is only the ESPN game that night.

"It's definitely going to be a massive undertaking," said Tony Petitti, the network's president. "But this is really the way we sort of built the place, to be able to accommodate this program. That was always what we thought was going to be the most important programming we had on our air. We obviously are going to do some games as well, but we really felt that differentiation point for us was going to be 'MLB Tonight.' ... Given everything we've seen so far we're pretty confident that we have the right plans."

Petitti, the former executive vice president of CBS Sports, and other executives at the network seem to have made few, if any, missteps to date with the new venture. Baseball was a bit behind in the start-your-own-network craze of professional sports leagues, launching after the NFL, NBA and NHL all had their own channels.

But while the NFL still struggles to get distribution on cable systems, the MLB Network was in about 50 million homes on the day it launched -- or about 8 million more than the 5-year-old NFL Network. That figure exceeded any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million.

The key for MLB was that it worked a deal in 2007 that enabled DirecTV and iN DEMAND, which represents several major cable operators, to invest in the channel. That means cable systems such as Comcast, which serves much of the Twin Cities, was willing to carry the MLB Network on its digital level of service and not on a more expensive sports and entertainment tier.

The fact executives at MLB knew they would be getting significant distribution from the start helped enable them to move into MSNBC's former studios in Secaucus and pour $50 million into the venture. "This place would not have been built out the way" it was without the distribution, Petitti said. "We look to be a fairly mature network, with what I would call national level production values. It's because we have those level of homes that supports that business model."

Included in the investments have been building two sets, one named Studio 3 after Babe Ruth's number and the other Studio 42 for Jackie Robinson. The latter is home to a miniature ballpark where an analyst roster that includes former big-leaguers Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Harold Reynolds and Barry Larkin can do demonstrations.

The MLB Network's biggest addition so far might not be a former player, but rather NBC's Bob Costas, who is expected to do play-by-play of eight to 10 Thursday night games. "The idea that Bob put his confidence in us to put him in an environment where he can be successful was great for us," Petitti said. "It gave us incredible credibility."

Petitti is hoping "MLB Tonight" will give his network the type of credibility that will cause fans to choose the MLB Network over competitors, such as ESPN's long-running "Baseball Tonight."

"Obviously, ESPN is an incredibly important partner of baseball and 'Baseball Tonight' has done a great job," Petitti said. "[But] I think the consistency of the schedule will allow us to approach it from a different perspective. There will be times when we're on the air at the same time as [Baseball Tonight] but there will be huge chunks of time when ESPN is doing other programming and we're still going to be doing baseball programming.

"What we're trying to accomplish is that we want to be a place where fans can supplement the way they watch their local baseball. Most fans come to the game on a nightly or daily basis to follow their team. What we want to do is be a place where they can come to get information on all 30 teams. That's what we're going to be about."