Center Field Shot 

* Earliest known TV coverage, 1931, Japan

* First U.S. TV coverage, May 17, 1939, Columbia vs. Princeton

* First MLB game, August 26, 1939, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds

* First minor league game on TV, March 30, 1940, Hollywood Stars vs. Seattle Rainiers

* First televised MLB opening game, April 19, 1940, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. NY Giants

* First televised night game. June 11, 1941, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

* First day of commercial television in U.S. features MLB game, July 1, 1941

* First televised World Series, 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees

* First televised All Star Game, 1948, St Louis, MO

* First MLB color TV game, August 11, 1951, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Boston Braves

* First coast-to-coast televised game, October 1, 1951, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. NY Giants

* Johnson Hearings on the impact of MLB broadcasts on the minors, 1953

* Game of the Week starts on ABC, 1953

* Game of the Week switches to CBS, 1955

* First World Series game in color, 1955

* NBC starts Saturday game of the week, 1957

* Celler MLB Antitrust Hearings, 1957-58

* CBS starts Sunday game of the week,  1958

* ABC offers game of the week, 1960

* Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 allows professional leagues to package TV rights

* Charlie Finley proposes that the World Series be telecast at night, 1963

* First comprehensive national TV contact (ABC), 1965

* NBC takes over national TV contact, 1966

* First All Star Game at night, 1968

* First World Series game at night, 1971

* Monday Night Baseball begins on ABC, 1976

* ABC/NBC start o share national contract, 1976

* First exclusive national broadcast contract, ABC/NBC, 1984

* USA network gets first national cable contract, 1981

* ESPN begins MLB coverage, 1990

* CBS gets national broadcast contract, 1990

* The Baseball Network created by MLB begins operation, 1994

* FOX begins MLB coverage, 1996

* First HDTV MLB game, 1997

* MLBAM created, 2000