Posted by Brian Joseph on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 5:16 pm

As baseball fans we enjoy all the Hot Stove has to offer. However, nothing replaces the action that actually takes place on the field. Thanks to the MLB Network, those ready to see some live action will have that opportunity beginning tomorrow when the 24-hour baseball network airs the San Francisco Giants at the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, Arizona at 3 p.m. and the Boston Red Sox at the Minnesota Twins at 7 p.m. — the first two of 61 Spring Training games the MLB Network will offer.

Of the 61 games, 45 will be shown live and all 30 Major League clubs will be featured throughout the 61-game schedule. The Network plans to use simulcasts of local broadcasts which provides viewers with the local announcers for the games. The schedule also includes three World Baseball Classic exhibitions. Derek Jeter and Team USA take on the Yankees on March 3 at 1 p.m. and Team Canada meets the Blue Jays at 5 p.m. that same day. The following day, the Network broadcasts Team Australia at the Mariners at 9 p.m.

The schedule also includes a World Series rematch on February 28 when the Rays visit the Phillies, the debut of the Spring Training home of the White Sox and Dodgers on March 1, the first game at new Yankee Stadium between the Yankees and Cubs on April 3 and the second game at Citi Field when the Mets meet the Red Sox on April 4. MLB Network viewers will get their first opportunity to see Baseball America’s top prospect Matt Wieters on March 6 when the Orioles face the Nationals.

“We’re all excited for the start of baseball season, and we wanted to give fans as many Spring Training games as possible, featuring every single club,” said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network in a Press Release announcing the Network’s complete Spring Training schedule. “We’re also happy to be able to give a national audience its first look at the new Mets and Yankees parks, as well as an early look at some of the World Baseball Classic teams through those exhibition games.”

Most teams will appear more than once with the Red Sox, Cubs and Mets featured in seven of the 61 contests aired. Indians and Yankees fans have their choice of six games, Twins, Padres, Rays, Braves and Brewers get five while fans of the Blue Jays and Athletics can only check out their clubs once.

In addition to the Spring Training games, the MLB Network is already airing a one-hour nightly show from each training camp in a series called “30 Clubs in 30 Days” and a one-hour version of “MLB Tonight Live” which plans to feature live look-ins, updates, reporting and analysis.

Complete MLB Network Spring Training Broadcast Schedule
All times ET and subject to change
Games will be blacked out in local markets only where necessary

February 25
3:00 p.m. — San Francisco Giants @ Cleveland Indians
7:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins

February 26
4:00 p.m. — Arizona Diamondbacks @ Cleveland Indians (Not Shown Live)

February 27
1:00 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Mets
5:00 p.m. — San Diego Padres @ Cleveland Indians (Not Shown Live)

February 28
1:00 p.m. — Tampa Bay Rays @ Philadelphia Phillies
5:00 p.m. — Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees (Not Shown Live)

March 1
1:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins
5:00 p.m. — Chicago White Sox @ Los Angeles Dodgers (Not Shown Live)
9:00 p.m. — Houston Astros @ New York Mets (Not Shown Live)

March 3
1:00 p.m. — USA @ New York Yankees (WBC Exhibition)
5:00 p.m. — Canada @ Toronto Blue Jays (WBC Exhibition — Not Shown Live)

March 4
9:00 p.m. — Australia @ Seattle Mariners (WBC Exhibition)

March 5
4:00 p.m. — Chicago White Sox @ Chicago Cubs

March 6
1:00 p.m. — Washington Nationals @ Baltimore Orioles

March 7
3:00 p.m. — Oakland Athletics @ San Diego Padres

March 9
1:00 p.m. — Baltimore Orioles @ New York Mets

March 14
4:00 p.m. — Texas Rangers @ Chicago White Sox

March 15
1:00 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies
8:30 p.m. — Kansas City Royals @ San Francisco Giants (Not Shown Live)

March 16
1:00 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals @ Detroit Tigers
7:00 p.m. — Tampa Bay Rays @ Pittsburgh Pirates

March 17
1:00 p.m. — Minnesota Twins @ Boston Red Sox

March 18
1:00 p.m. — Atlanta Braves @ New York Mets

March 19
1:00 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals @ Tampa Bay Rays
7:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ Cincinnati Reds

March 20
1:00 p.m. — Cincinnati Reds @ Houston Astros
5:00 p.m. — San Diego Padres @ Chicago Cubs (Not Shown Live)
9:00 p.m. — Los Angeles Dodgers @ Kansas City Royals

March 21
1:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ Florida Marlins
5:00 p.m. — Chicago Cubs @ Chicago White Sox (Not Shown Live)

March 22
1:00 p.m. — New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays
5:00 p.m. — Cleveland Indians @ Colorado Rockies (Not Shown Live)

March 23
1:00 p.m. — Florida Marlins @ Houston Astros
5:00 p.m. — Milwaukee Brewers @ Colorado Rockies (Not Shown Live)

March 24
1:00 p.m. — New York Mets @ Houston Astros
7:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees

March 25
1:00 p.m. — Detroit Tigers @ New York Mets
7:00 p.m. — Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals

March 26
4:00 p.m. — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Cleveland Indians
10:30 p.m. — Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants

March 27
1:00 p.m. — Detroit Tigers @ Atlanta Braves
9:00 p.m. — Milwaukee Brewers @ Texas Rangers

March 28
1:00 p.m. — Philadelphia Phillies @ Pittsburgh Pirates
5:00 p.m. — Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies (Not Shown Live)
9:00 p.m. — New York Yankees @ Atlanta Braves (Not Shown Live)

March 29
1:00 p.m. — Atlanta Braves @ Detroit Tigers
5:00 p.m. — Kansas City Royals @ Seattle Mariners (Not Shown Live)

March 30
1:00 p.m. — Tampa Bay Rays @ Minnesota Twins
7:00 p.m. — San Diego Padres @ Cleveland Indians

March 31
4:00 p.m. — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Chicago Cubs
10:00 p.m. — Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres

April 1
1:00 p.m. — Florida Marlins @ Baltimore Orioles
5:00 p.m. — Texas Rangers @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Not Shown Live)
9:00 p.m. — Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers (Not Shown Live)

April 2
3:00 p.m. — Chicago White Sox @ Milwaukee Brewers
10:00 p.m. — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Los Angeles Dodgers

April 3
7:00 p.m. — Chicago Cubs @ New York Yankees

April 4
1:00 p.m. — Boston Red Sox @ New York Mets
6:00 p.m. — Baltimore Orioles @ Washington Nationals
10:00 p.m. — Milwaukee Brewers @ Los Angeles Dodgers