More details on the January 1, 2009 launch of the MLB Network were revealed today during a conference call to introduce the four new on-air talent additions joining Matt Vasgersian who last week was named studio host and anchor of MLB Tonight, the Network’s live, nightly studio show that will be the signature program of the new network and Hot Stove, the Network’s live, nightly off-season studio show. 

Baseball veterans Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds were named as studio analysts and Trenni Kusnierek and Hazel Mae were added as reporters.  All of the on-air talent additions will be featured on both MLB Tonight and Hot Stove.  During the season, the Network plans to air live, nightly coverage for six to seven hours per night.

In addition to the announcement of the on-air talent, more details were revealed in regards to what the 50 million homes — the largest network debut in cable history — can expect when the MLB Network launches at the beginning of the year.

The Network plans to broadcast 16 World Baseball Classic games, some Spring Training games and a series called “30 Clubs in 30 Days” where the Network plans to provide coverage of each team from their Spring Training location.  The Network also plans to provide unique programming utilizing Major League Baseball’s archives and their nightly studio show, Hot Stove.

During the season, in addition to the six-plus hours of nightly, live studio coverage provided by MLB Tonight, the Network plans to telecast 26 regular season games as a Game of the Week although that day has yet to be determined.

Beyond ‘09, the Network has considered the possibility of coverage of the Arizona Fall League, the Caribbean World Series and other international baseball action according to Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network.

MLB Tonight will air live beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern until the final MLB game of the night ends between Monday and Saturday.  The show, based out of MLB Network’s headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey, will feature live look-ins of games in progress, updates, highlights, reporting and analysis.

More information on on-air talent additions from Press Release:

Leiter plans to continue his relationship with the YES Network where he spent his last three years as the color commentator for the New York Yankees.  Prior to YES, Leiter worked as a postseason game analyst with FOX Sports and did work for ESPN.  He played 19 years in the Majors with four different teams and was the first pitcher to earn a victory against all 30 Major League teams.

Reynolds was a color commentator for MLB.com in ‘07 and ‘08 and did studio work for SportsNet New York and was a game analyst for TBS for its Sunday baseball telecasts as well as the 2008 MLB Postseason.  Before that, Reynolds spent 11 years with ESPN.  During his playing days, Reynolds was a two-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves during a 12-year career.

Kusnierek worked as a member of the Brewers broadcast team in ‘08 on FSN Wisconsin after spending five years in Pittsburgh as a sports anchor/reporter with FSN Pittsburgh.  She is a native of Milwaukee and has covered the Super Bowl, two BCS National Championship Games, two MLB All-Star Games and two U.S. Golf Opens.  Kusnierek also spent two years at WDJT-TV 58 in Milwaukee and nine months in the sports department at WQOW-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Mae was the lead anchor for SportsDesk on the New England Sports Network (NESN) from 2004 to 2008.  At NESN, she also served as the host of the Boston Red Sox week-in-review program and the Ultimate Red Sox show.  Prior to NESN, Mae anchored the morning edition of Sportsnetnews on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and hosted the JZone, a weekly Toronto Blue Jays magazine show.