Saturday, July 3, 2010

The Telecast and The Game

A telecast can be good or bad.
The game can be good or bad.
You can have a good telecast with a good game or a good telecast with a bad game.
You can have a bad telecast with a good game or, God help you, a bad telecast with a bad game.
Today we had a good telecast with a bad game.
First of all, let's talk about the telecast.
This was a clean show with some memorable moments that occurred with the fans in the stands. There was a foul ball hit down the right field line and the ball boy gave the ball to a mother with a toddler.
The baby was beautiful and our announcers had fun with this nice shot.
An inning or two later, a hard foul ball was hit into the stands just behind the couple with the beautiful baby. The mother, who was closer to home plate than the father, protected the baby by turning her back to the ball while she covered the baby with her body. Our color analyst, Rick Horton, suggested that it would be a good idea if the father was closer to home plate than the mother who was holding the baby. Rick used the telestrator to show where the father should be sitting.
Our camera operator stayed with the couple and the baby in the stands as play continued. The father answered his cell phone and immediately moved to the seat that Rick highlighted with the telestrator.
Rick and Jay, our play by play announcer had fun with this sequence and it worked.
This telecast had some good replays and a pleasant flow.
The game, however, was a different story.
This 3:18 yawner was one of the worst games of the season.
The final score was Brewers 12, Cardinals 5.
The first batter of the game homered and the Brewers scored in each of the first 5 innings and led 11-0.
Game over.
The most surprising aspect of this game was that Chris Carpenter was the starting pitcher for the Cardinals. Carpenter is one of the best starters in baseball and this outing was totally shocking.
Expectations of a game can determine the theme or themes of that particular telecast.
Our 3 keys (expectations) to the game were:
#1 - Score early.
The Cardinals scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning after they were down 11-0.
#2 - Carp in the park. (Don't give up homeruns)
The lead-off batter of the game hit a homerun.
#3 - Right-handed success.
(The Brewers starting pitcher is left-handed so it was important for the right-handed batter on the Cardinals to do well.) The Cardinals' right-handed batting starters went 2-22.
Good telecast, bad game.
It happens.

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