Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports, the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason (including the World Series) from 1976 to 1997.

History Historically, the sports coverage now produced by Westwood One was branded as CBS Radio Sports and, like the news features, associated with the CBS Radio Network; however, after CBS began managing the original Westwood One in the mid-1990s, the sports broadcasts would come under the Westwood One banner (with both identities used in the late 1990s), a practice that would continue even after CBS stopped managing Westwood One in 2007. CBS launched a 24/7 sports radio network, CBS Sports Radio, in fall 2012 through Cumulus Media Networks, owned by Cumulus Media (Cumulus Media Networks was merged into Westwood One in 2013, following Cumulus' acquisition of Westwood One).

Contracts CBS first broadcast Major League Baseball in the early days of network radio, sharing World Series coverage with NBC beginning in 1927 and All-Star Game coverage beginning in 1933. Mutual joined them in ; the three networks continued to share coverage of baseball's "jewel" events through , with Mutual gaining exclusive rights to the World Series in and the All-Star Game in . NBC, in turn, would have exclusivity for both events from 1957 through 1975.

In , CBS Radio carried Saturday regular-season Brooklyn Dodgers home games played at Ebbets Field, simulcasting the team's local WMGM radio broadcasts with Red Barber and Connie Desmond announcing. The CBS simulcasts, which were sponsored by General Foods, were blacked out in major league cities but otherwise aired nationally.

From –, CBS Radio paid US$75,000 per year for rights to the World Series, All-Star Game, and League Championship Series. In the network added regular-season Saturday Game of the Week broadcasts.

By , CBS Television would get into the Major League Baseball broadcasting business (having last done so in ). This particular partnership would last through the season. Meanwhile, CBS Radio would pay Major League Baseball US$50 million for 1990–1993 radio rights to the Game of the Week and Sunday Night Baseball as well as the All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and World Series.

Following the season, CBS Radio signed a six-year contract worth US$50.5 million. Following the 1994 strike and the dissolving of "The Baseball Network" (a planned six-year-long television joint venture involving ABC, NBC and Major League Baseball), the television contracts had to be realigned. Ultimately, Major League Baseball on CBS Radio would last through the season before being succeeded by Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio.

The Game of the Week In , CBS Radio started broadcasting a weekly Game of the Week. CBS Radio usually did two games each Saturday, one on the afternoons and another during the evenings. Typically, CBS' markets aired only the afternoon broadcasts. The games covered varied from the ones NBC-TV were offering at the time to games outside of NBC's sight.

One notable exception was KCBS in San Francisco, which almost always carried the evening games. In , just before the strike, KNBR carried the broadcasts in San Francisco and finally aired some of CBS' afternoon games. However, following the strike, KNBR dropped CBS' regular season broadcasts, and with the exception of , when all playoff games were played at the same time, they usually only carried one or two Division Series games on days when there were three games played.

As previously mentioned, CBS Radio would also eventually follow ESPN television's suit, and broadcast Sunday night games (something ESPN started in ). John Rooney and Jerry Coleman usually called these games while Jim Hunter hosted the pregame show entitled Inside Pitch.

CBS Radio's local coverage

CBS Radio was the largest broadcaster of local Major League Baseball broadcasts. In 2005 and 2007 respectively, CBS dropped the St. Louis Cardinals from KMOX and the Pittsburgh Pirates from KDKA, ending two long relationships between the teams and their flagship stations. However, KMOX reacquired the Cardinals' broadcast rights in 2011, and KDKA's FM sister all-sports station acquired the Pirates' broadcast rights in 2012, in addition to New York Yankees games being renewed on WCBS after the conclusion of the 2011 season, they would have the rights until the end of the 2013 season.

CBS's WFAN is the flagship station of the New York Yankees (they had broadcast the Mets until 2014) and WSCR is the flagship station of the Chicago Cubs. In Philadelphia, WPHT, a frequency that had been the longtime home of the Philadelphia Phillies before parting ways after the 2001 season, reacquired the team's broadcast rights in 2005. As of 2012, those games are now simulcast on sister station WIP-FM. KRLD-FM in Dallas was the flagship station for the Texas Rangers before the 2011 season.

In 2015, the Chicago Cubs moved its radio broadcasts to CBS property WBBM (AM) from its longtime home of WGN (AM). That same year, the Baltimore Orioles began its second stint on all-sports WJZ-FM, four years after it was moved back to its traditional home of WBAL (AM). In 2016, the Cubs rights moved to sister station WSCR as part of a pre-arrangement in the 2015 agreement where WSCR would take over airing games after letting the rights to the Chicago White Sox go after the 2015 season (which now broadcast on WGN (AM)).

During the 2010s, at least seven teams were on stations owned by the company: Chicago White Sox (WSCR) Detroit Tigers (WXYT-FM) New York Mets (WFAN) New York Yankees (WCBS) Philadelphia Phillies (WPHT, but expected to move to WIP-FM as of 2012 season) Pittsburgh Pirates (KDKA-FM as of 2012 season, returning games to CBS Radio, but to a different station than longtime flagship KDKA) St. Louis Cardinals (KMOX; returned in 2011 after a two-year absence)

In addition, three teams had been on CBS-owned stations until the 2010–11 "hot stove" period: Baltimore Orioles (left WJZ-FM for WBAL) Oakland Athletics (left KFRC-FM for KYCY, then for non-owned KBWF/KGMZ just before Opening Day) Texas Rangers (left KRLD-FM for KESN)

Commentators

The Game of the Week From –, the two announcers calling the games at hand split play-by-play duties. From until the end of its coverage in , CBS Radio used Jeff TorborgTorborg became a baseball analyst for CBS Radio and Television in 1994...Covered the League Championships Series and World Series for CBS Radio in 1995, 1996 and 1997 with Vin Scully... and Al Downing (as well as Rick Cerone in 1997) as color analysts paired with the play-by-play announcers.

The Home Town Inning The Home Town Inning, traditionally featuring a visiting team announcer calling the top of the fifth with the home team announcer calling the bottom of the fifth, was featured on CBS Radio postseason games from – and on regular season games from –.

Full list of commentators Play-by-play commentators included: Sparky Anderson (–) for the World Series Johnny BenchJohnny's national broadcasting background includes nine years with CBS Radio broadcasting the National Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, the League Championship Series and the World Series as well as play-by-play on Reds' television. (–) Marty Brennaman () for the World Series Jack Buck (–) for the World Series Joe Buck (–) Steve Busby (–) Gary Cohen (; –) Jerry Coleman (–) Win Elliot (–) for the World Series Gene Elston (–) Steve Garvey (–) Curt Gowdy (–) Hank Greenwald () Ernie HarwellWestwood One Radio's Statement on Ernie Harwell (–) Jim Hunter (–) Frank Messer (–) Bob Murphy (–; ) Brent Musburger (–) Lindsey Nelson (–) Ross Porter (–) for the World Series John Rooney (–) Vin Scully (–; –) for the World Series Jeff Torborg (–) for the World Series Bill White (–)

Other commentators (roughly in order of first appearance) included: Dick Stockton Howard David Ted Robinson Charlie Slowes Tom Kelly Joel Meyers Tommy Hutton Ron Fairly Joe Torre Lee Mazzilli George Grande Jerry Trupiano – Trupiano called three games on the CBS Radio Game of the Week in 1991 Joe Magrane Billy Sample Spencer Ross Al Downing Rick Cerone Steve Mason

All-Star Game commentators

1990s YearPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Venue/Host team1997John RooneyJerry Coleman and Jeff TorborgJacobs Field, Cleveland Indians1996John RooneyJim Hunter Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Phillies1995John RooneyJerry Coleman and Jeff TorborgThe Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers1994John RooneyJerry Coleman and Jeff TorborgThree Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pirates1993John RooneyJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchOriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles1992John RooneyJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchJack Murphy Stadium, San Diego Padres1991John RooneyJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchSkyDome, Toronto Blue Jays1990John RooneyJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchWrigley Field, Chicago Cubs

1980s YearPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Venue/Host team1989Brent MusburgerJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchAnaheim Stadium, California Angels1988Brent MusburgerJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchRiverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Reds1987Brent MusburgerJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchOakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland Athletics1986July 15, 1986 The first stereo venture for news, sports on CBS Radio is the 57th All-Star Game. Brent MusburgerJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchAstrodome, Houston Astros1985Brent MusburgerJerry Coleman and Johnny BenchHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minnesota Twins1984Brent Musburger Jerry Coleman and Johnny BenchCandlestick Park, San Francisco Giants1983Brent MusburgerDuke Snider and Brooks RobinsonComiskey Park, Chicago White Sox1982Vin ScullyBrent MusburgerOlympic Stadium, Montreal Expos1981Vin ScullyWin Elliot and Herb ScoreCleveland Stadium, Cleveland Indians1980Vin ScullyBrent MusburgerDodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers

1970s YearPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Venue/Host team1979Vin ScullyBrent Musburger and Jerry ColemanKingdome, Seattle Mariners1978Vin ScullyBrent Musburger and Jerry ColemanSan Diego Stadium, San Diego Padres1977Vin ScullyBrent MusburgerYankee Stadium, New York Yankees1976Jack BuckBrent Musburger and Andy MusserVeterans Stadium, Philadelphia Phillies

Tie-breaker game commentators YearPlay-by-playColor commentator1978 AL EastErnie HarwellWin Elliot1980 NL WestLindsey NelsonJerry Coleman1995 AL WestErnie HarwellAl Downing

Division Series and League Championship Series commentators

Johnny Bench (–) Jack Buck1980 NLCS | Game 3 (–) Gary Cohen (League Championship Series: –; 1995-; 1996 American League Division Series (Yankees–Rangers)) Jerry Coleman (–; , –; –) Gene Elston (–) Curt Gowdy (–; ; –) Ernie Harwell (American League Championship Series: –; –; ; American League Division Series: –) Ralph Kiner (–) Hank Greenwald () Harry Kalas () Ned Martin (–; ) Denny Matthews () Brent Musburger1986 NLCS | Game 11986 NLCS | Game 6 () John Rooney (League Championship Series: –; –; Division Series: –) Ross Porter () Jeff Torborg (League Championship Series: –; Division Series: –) Bill White (–; –; –)

Jim Hunter called the American League Championship Series alongside Johnny Bench from 1990–1992. In , Hunter teamed Ernie Harwell to call the ALCS. And in and respectively, Hunter called the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series alongside Jerry Coleman. In , Hunter called the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers with Gary Cohen.

Ernie Harwell was also on the call for the 1995 American League Division Series between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees alongside color commentator Al Downing. The following is Harwell's description of the game winning double for the Mariners as hit by Edgar Martínez in Game 5.

World Series commentators

1990s