Thank You

I would like to thank all who have read and followed this blog. However, I have decided to discontinue my writing of this blog. Again - thank you.

Can't Bring Me Down

I have completed the final 3 of my 6 spring training telecasts for the 2017 season. The quality of the telecasts varied from show to show with the final game/telecast standing out as our best effort. There were 6 different crews for the 6 telecasts as well. The quality of the crews was actually quite good for spring training. However, when a member of the TV crew really doesn't give a damn about the show and, in fact, really doesn't want to be there, this attitude can bring the crew down. Capturing live TV sports for television is really really great fun. If anyone in this business cannot or will not have fun during a game/telecast try another profession. By the way, a "don't give a damn" attitude cannot and will not and WON'T bring me down. I love this business too much for that!!

No More

I have completed my first 3 games (spring training) of the 2017 season. The crew has been great and the telecasts have been fairly clean. Fairly is a good description when it comes to spring training telecasts. As the followers of this blog know, last years game/telecasts were greatly affected because of 2 strokes that occurred with our long term, great Producer Mike. Update: Mike will be our Producer for home games at Busch Stadium this season. I can't wait for that - can't wait!! However, before our 2nd telecast of this season, our graphics operator died of a heart attack 30 yards from the TV truck as he was reporting for work. Last season, we experienced Mike's strokes and the loss of a loved home TV member who died in his sleep. 2017 - no more please.

Thank You

This was a forgettable telecast that doesn't deserve mention. This was the final game of the 2016 season and, therefore, the final blog of 2016. Thanks to all who follow this and thanks to all who occasionally read this. I find writing this blog to be relaxing and I hope to continue writing it in 2017. Well wishes to all this winter.

Greatest Moment EVER

The greatest moment EVER in my 29 year St. Louis Cardinals career occurred tonight in tonight's game at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before the game, the Cards announced that they were not picking up the option on Matt Holliday - one of the leaders of the team and certainly one of the greatest Cardinals of them all. The team also activated Matt from the DL hoping to give him a final at-bat in front of the home crowd. He got that at-bat, although with 2 games remaining in the regular season I don't believe it will be his final at-bat because he homered!! Our iso's worked out perfectly and the live shots were memorable. There were tears in Holliday's eyes and a lump in my throat. Just an incredible moment. My greatest moment EVER!!

Bizarre

The Cardinals "won" the game tonight in 3:16 by the score of 4 - 3. In the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied and a runner at first base the Redbirds batter hit a hard drive to deep left field scoring the runner from first. After the completion of the play, as our announcers were laying out for the crowd, I said to our play by play - "It's a ground rule double". The ball clearly bounced over the wall and hit some signage and bounced back onto the field. I covered the Cards' celebration mixing in shots of the Reds players who were in disbelief as the umpires were leaving the field. I took a shot of the Reds manager following the umpires off the field and showed replays of the ball clearly being a ground rule double which would put runners at second and third with two outs. After about a minute, the Busch Stadium PA announcer told the crowd that the game was over. While the Reds remained in the dugout or on the field the Cardinals left the field and went to the clubhouse. Major League Baseball announced that at the end of the game a team must request a replay review within 10 seconds or the game was over. The Reds didn't and the Cards won the game. Or did they? Bizarre.

I Was Wrong

After the Cardinals 15 - 2 loss two days ago I made the statement "15 - 2 or 2 - 1, they are all bad losses this time of year." I was wrong. The Cardinals lost to the Reds tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 2 - 1. They had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and didn't score in the bottom of the 8 th inning. This after the Reds had a runner on 3rd with no outs in the top of the 8th inning and didn't score. Then, the Redbirds' lead off batter in the bottom of the 9th inning hit a triple. Man on 3rd - nobody out in a game that was as "must win" as you could get. They didn't score. This was a horrible loss - much much worse than the 15 - 2 embarrassment. I was wrong.