SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The Mariners could be lurching toward a 101-loss season as they were late last summer and Harold Reynolds would still want his game highlights.

Seattle's former All-Star second baseman figures many fans are like him, loyal to their favorite team whether it's in first place or last, and hankering to see what happened each night as quickly as possible.

The MLB Network is set to launch Jan. 1, and it might seem that a 24-hour channel is aimed at fans who passionately follow the entire league. But as their numbers dwindle, they aren't the viewers president and CEO Tony Petitti is relying on to sustain the network.

The reality of TV sports today is that World Series ratings fluctuate greatly from year to year depending on who's playing. Still, many teams draw large audiences in their home markets. So while the MLB Network is national, Petitti likes to think of it as a conglomeration of regional interests.

"We want to complement the way fans watch their local team," Petitti said during a Dec. 17 tour of the network's studios.

For the first year at least, the network will be more focused on highlights and analysis than live games. It will air only 26 regular-season matchups, but will broadcast an eight-hour highlight show six nights a week. The lengthy time slot will require two shifts of commentators.

Matt Vasgersian and Victor Rojas will serve as hosts, with former players Reynolds, Al Leiter, Joe Magrane and Dan Plesac as analysts.

Petitti hopes that fans seeking an update on a particular game will learn to automatically flip to MLB Network, confident they will be quickly rewarded. The network will be able to do live look-ins and show highlights while the game is still going on.

"If we establish a pattern, we've done a good job," he said.

It's no secret the program's main competition will be ESPN, specifically its Baseball Tonight franchise. The new network's highlight show is even similarly named: MLB Tonight.

Petitti diplomatically notes that because MLB Tonight lasts so much longer than Baseball Tonight, a different structure is inevitable. But it's also clear the new network seeks to capitalize on the perception, fair or not, that ESPN spends most of its time focusing on a few teams.

So Petitti is promising an egalitarian approach. Pennant chases and major controversies will get plenty of coverage, of course, but fans of every team can expect regular and complete highlights no matter how small the club's market or poor its record.

Petitti, a former CBS Sports executive, compares the balancing act to airing the early rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, something he was quite familiar with at his old job.
MLB Network will initially be available in about 50 million of the country's approximately 114.5 million homes with televisions, through deals with DirecTV and major cable companies. That's the most households in which a new cable channel has ever made its debut.
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The network will launch at 6 p.m. ET on New Year's Day with an edition of Hot Stove, its offseason studio show. The original broadcast of Don Larsen's perfect game from the 1956 World Series will follow.

MLB Network is spending more than $50 million to hire staff, build sets and renovate its facility. It's housed in the former MSNBC studios, a 140,000-square-foot building in a quiet office park a few miles west of Manhattan. The network scrapped plans to move its headquarters to a new office in Harlem.

One of the two main studios -- named No. 42 for Jackie Robinson -- is designed as a replica ballpark, with a half-scale infield and details down to a fake bullpen phone and "No Pepper" painted on the brick wall. The mound can be moved to regulation distance should analysts want to demonstrate techniques.

Petitti expects to eventually have about 250 employees. The number was nearly 165 in mid-December; it was 60 at the start of November and fewer than 10 at the end of July.

"It was like Jack Nicholson from The Shining, basically," Petitti said of walking around the studios back then.

Baseball joins the NFL, NBA and NHL in launching its own channel. As the network looks to fill hour after hour, it enjoys the advantage of a sport in which teams play nearly every day, creating new highlights and developments to constantly air and discuss.

"If you look at sports and who should have a 24-7 network," Petitti said, "baseball is pretty much the obvious one that would work."

Jimi thanks for the Interesting note.I was in Ft.Knox,Ky,for basic training in US Army on Oct 8,1956 so I never got to see the game.I can't wait to see it 52 years later.One thing no one ever mentions is the Dodger line-up:Gilliam,Reese,Snider,Robinson,Hodges,Amoros, Furillo,Campanella & Maglie & Dale Mitchell P.H. 4 Hall of Famers & not an easy out in the line-up except Maglie.Without a doubt the greatest game ever pitched.

It was a masterpiece by Larson. Just two years earlier ('54) he posted a 3-21 record for the Orioles. His lifetime record was 81-91.

The countdown is on to the debut of the MLB Network.

Touting the largest launch in the history of cable television, the MLB Network on Tuesday began a New Year's Eve-style, 10-day countdown to its 6 p.m. ET debut on Jan. 1, with a new tidbit of news to come each day.

That countdown began with confirmation that former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin was leaving the Washington Nationals' front office to join the MLB Network's growing stable of on-air talent. Larkin will be a studio analyst on shows called "Hot Stove" and "MLB Tonight," among other duties.

Other talent already in place includes Matt Vasgersian, Victor Rojas, Trenni Kusnierek, Hazel Mae and former Major Leaguers Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Dan Plesac and Harold Reynolds.

"I'm excited to join my new team," Larkin said in the Network's statement. "It's great to be part of something from the development stages, and I'm looking forward to working with the group to build a great program."

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported Larkin's intention to join the MLB Network on Monday. The 44-year-old Larkin spent four seasons as an assistant to Washington general manager Jim Bowden and at one point was offered the team's first-base coaching job, but declined because of family commitments and interests outside of baseball.

Larkin said he also had an opportunity to return to the Reds, but instead chose the MLB Network.

Larkin will be part of the first broadcast, which will go on the air at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 with a live, one-hour Hot Stove studio show. Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series will follow, airing for the first time since its original broadcast and featuring new commentary by Larsen and Yogi Berra.

The MLB Network is projected to launch in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million. It will feature live games, original programming, highlights, classic games and coverage of baseball events.

Larkin is considered one of the best shortstops in Reds history, collecting 2,340 career hits with a lifetime batting average of .295. Larkin also won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1995 and three Gold Gloves.

He will bring his insight to a pair of the Network's key programs. MLB Tonight will air live on Monday-Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. ET until the final MLB game of the night ends, and will be based out of MLB Network's headquarters in Secaucus, N.J. The program will feature live look-ins of games in progress, updates, highlights, reporting and analysis.

Hot Stove will air during the offseason at 7 p.m. ET from Monday-Friday and will feature news, reports and analysis of the moves clubs are making and planning in preparation for the upcoming season.

He became a better pitcher when he went to the no wind up.Of course being traded to NY didn't hurt.

Looks like it will cost 5 bucks a month on DirectTV

After posting last night I decided to look and see what channel it will be on Comcast. I went to search, sports, then Baseball. I clicked it on and WOW, it was already going!
It hasn't really started yet, but they have previews going and these previews are great!! I couldn't turn it off!!!
I'm thinking since we have the full package that it will be included, at least that's what it looks like.

This could be a problem in the Nix household. My wife loves Baseball, but I'm not sure she wants 24/7 of Baseball. I already have 24/7 XM Radio Baseball, and I do spend a little time here on the computer with Baseball, now the TV!
I'm an addict, and Baseball is my drug!!

JAMES NIX is being investigated for ESBU, excessive steroid baseball use.If found guilty may have to forfeit last years championship.Signed confession is irrefutable.