Comcast Hometown Network To Televise 30 LIVE Minor League Baseball Games In 2014

LIVERMORE, Calif., March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Hometown Network Channel 104 (CHN) (http://comcasthometown.com), Comcast's regional cable network covering Northern and Central California, today announced that it will televise 30 LIVE minor league baseball games from the California League (www.californialeague.com) and the Pacific Coast League (www.pclbaseball.com) in 2014. The telecasts will begin on Thursday, April 10^th at 7:00 p.m. with the San Jose Giants home opener against the Bakersfield Blaze (see complete schedule below). 

In addition, four of the games that CHN is producing and televising in California will also be simulcast in Colorado on Comcast Entertainment Network (CET).  The Fresno Grizzlies contests against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on August 16, 17 (doubleheader) and 18 will also be shown in the Denver and Colorado Springs area as well as Fort Collins, Pueblo, Vail, Aspen and Steamboat Springs on Channel 105. 

All of the Comcast Hometown Network games will originate LIVE from either Chukchansi Park (home of the Fresno Grizzlies www.fresnogrizzlies.com) or San Jose Municipal Stadium (home of the San Jose Giants http://sjgiants.com/).  The telecasts will be available on Channel 104 to all Comcast digital cable customers.

"It is going to be another great season for baseball fans throughout Northern and Central California," said Jeff Giles, General Manager of Comcast Hometown Network. "Comcast Hometown Network is proud to be the broadcast partner for an exciting roster of teams from the California League and Pacific Coast League, and to add simulcast games in Colorado to our telecast mix this year."

Play-by-play duties for the games originating from San Jose Municipal Stadium will be handled by San Jose Giants radio announcer Joe Ritzo.  For games at Chukchansi Park, Fresno Grizzlies radio announcer Doug Greenwald will do play-by-play.  Veteran minor league baseball announcer and MLB Network reporter Joe Castellano and San Jose Giants analyst Rocky Koplik will provide color commentary for the Comcast Hometown Network baseball telecasts.  In-game reporting for San Jose Giants contests will be provided by Amanda Blackwell from the WCC and Kate Scott from sports radio station KNBR 680 AM, and Anna Kagarakis will handle in-game reporting for Fresno Grizzlies games.

The LIVE games will be replayed on Comcast Hometown Network (Channel 104), and will also be available any time of the day or night via Comcast's popular ON DEMAND platform, which is free to Comcast digital customers. 

The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California.  Comprised of 10 teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball teams such as the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, the California League is divided into a Northern Division and a Southern Division.  The Southern Division features five teams from the sprawling metropolitan areas of Southern California, and the Northern Division features five teams in California's growing Central Valley as well the San Jose Giants in the Bay Area.

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Triple-A minor baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The PCL consists of the American Conference (featuring the Albuquerque Isotopes, Iowa Cubs, Memphis Redbirds, Nashville Sounds, New Orleans Zephyrs, Oklahoma City RedHawks, Omaha Storm Chasers, and the Round Rock Express) and the Pacific Conference (featuring the El Paso Chihuahuas, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Fresno Grizzlies, Las Vegas 51s, Reno Aces, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers and the Tucson Padres).

About Comcast Hometown Network
Comcast Hometown Network (CHN) is a regional cable network produced by Comcast and available in Northern California, Central California and Santa Barbara County on Digital Channel 104.  Available to more than 2 million homes in California as a part of Comcast's commitment to the communities that it serves, Comcast Hometown Network is a 24/7 channel that includes original regional programming and unique local content that you can't get anywhere else.  CHN televises key high school football, basketball matchups and minor league baseball games from the California League and the Pacific Coast League.  Comcast Hometown Network is a sister network to NBC Sports Regional Networks Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet California. Visit http://comcasthometown.com for more information.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About the San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a professional baseball team in the Class A Advanced California League.  The team has been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants since 1988 and has boasted one of the best records in the minor leagues after partnering with the big league club, going 2025-1606 (.558). San Jose has won six California League Championships as a Giants affiliate (2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2001 and 1998) and eleven overall.  In 26 seasons, the San Jose Giants have graduated 163 Major League players, 117 of whom have played or currently play for the San Francisco Giants. The San Jose Giants have played in historic Municipal Stadium for over 70 years. The Giants won back to back league championships in 2009 and 2010 and are also the first team in California League history to have won four titles over a six-year span.  For tickets please contact the San Jose Giants box office at (408) 297-1435 or visit us online at sjgiants.com.

About the Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies enter their 17^th season as the Class AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. A member of the 16-team Pacific Coast League, the Grizzlies play their home games at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno. Since the Grizzlies' inaugural season in 1998, 207 players have worn both a Grizzlies and Giants uniform in their careers, including Farm Grown stars Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey. The organization has been consistently recognized as not only a development stage of championship talent to the Giants, but also a supplier of award-winning entertainment and promotions for all ages. For information on tickets, please call (559) 320-TIXS or visit http://www.FresnoGrizzlies.com.

SOURCE Comcast Hometown Network