Three Reasons

This was a great, great day! And there were three reasons why. Reason #1: The Cardinals beat the Reds 2 - 1 in 2:15. This game was the best pitched and the best played all season. Reason #2: Because of the speed of the baseball game, I was able to listen to the Blues hockey game on the radio as I drove home. The Blues are playing the LA Kings in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They beat the Kings in overtime! Reason #3: Because the ballgame and the hockey game were played at the same time there was a shortage of crew in St. Louis. My son Tom was flown in from Minnesota and worked the Fox Box for the Reds feed in our truck. He is staying the night and going to the Cards game tomorrow before flying back to Minny! What a day!!

Another Exciting Ending

The Reds beat the Redbirds 2 - 1 in 2:53 tonight at Busch Stadium. Once again, there was another exciting ending for the TV crew. However, the excitement had nothing to do with the game. Last night a member of our crew lost the pool by one second. Tonight, a different member of our crew also lost the pool. This time, he lost the pool by two seconds. The game didn't generate a lot of excitement but the ending did once again!

Most Disappointed

The Pirates beat the Cards today in 3:02 by the score of 9 - 0. From a TV standpoint, this was a game that was much easier to televise than the first two of the series. There was a fairly good pace to this game until the Cardinals' bullpen once again imploded allowing 5 runs in the top of the ninth inning. Once again there really wasn't anything special about this game/telecast. The loudest cheer of the day came after the final out. Not because the game was over but because a member of our crew missed winning the pool by one second. We have a pool where we guess the exact time of the final out. If nobody wins there is a carryover. For sure, the Redbirds weren't the most disappointed losers after the game. The most disappointed would be our crew member.

Brain Is Mush

The Cardinals were beaten by the Pirates today by the score of 5 - 3. This slow paced piece of garbage took 3:42 to play. Because the Blues were also playing in St. Louis today our telecast had a new TD, 3 new camera operators of which two had never done Major League Baseball and one of those had never run a hard camera before, a new audio engineer, two new tape operators, a new video engineer and a new stage manager. Each of these professionals who were new to our show performed in a quality fashion. The regular members of our home crew are used to my style of directing and because the "new members" are not aware of my style my concentration level was extremely high. I am currently at home watching the Blues game and I am fried. My brain is mush.

Remarkable

The Cards defeated the Pirates 9 - 1 in 3:16 tonight at Busch Stadium. This game started out for the Redbirds in a remarkable fashion. After the remarkable start, the game dwindled into absolute nothingness. The bottom of the first inning went as follows: homerun, homerun, single and hit by pitch. The Bucs starting pitcher was then immediately ejected for throwing at the Cardinals cleanup hitter. No warning at all - just ejected. The Pittsburgh manager quickly followed being ejected and before there was one out in the bottom of the first there were two homeruns and two ejections! Remarkable! From that point on, however, the game turned into one of the least exciting games of the season. From total excitement to total nothingness. Remarkable indeed.

A Welcome Off Day

It took 2:54 for the Cardinals to beat the Nationals 4 - 2 and complete a sweep of the three game series. The telecast was very different from the first two shows of the series. This quality of this telecast was mediocre to say the least. Maybe it was because this was the last telecast after a 10 day - 3 city trip. 3 city trips can be grueling and mentally draining. I was pretty wiped out when I arrived home at 9:30. Thank God for the off day tomorrow.

GOOD

The Cardinals beat the Nats tonight by the score of 2 - 0 in 2:42. Adam Wainwright was brilliant as he hurled 8 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. When a starting pitcher gets into a rhythm like Wainwright did tonight, a good TV crew will respond with a wonderful rhythm of it's own. Tonight's game was a perfect example of a game that every GOOD TV crew loves. This wonderful GOOD TV crew in DC responded with a great performance of their own. This was one of our better telecasts of the 2013 season. Thanks to Adam Wainwright and the very, very GOOD DC TV crew.

Bad TV Ballpark, Great TV Crew

The Cards beat the Nats 3 - 2 in 2:42 in Washington DC tonight. This was an exciting well-played ballgame and our telecast captured the most exciting moments very very well. Why we were able to capture these moments so well is because the TV crew for the visiting team is exceptionally talented. This crew "feels" the moments and reacts accordingly. It is a pleasure being a part of this great TV production team. DC is a great town with much to do. The ballpark is below average as far as television is concerned. But this great crew makes up for it. I am truly looking forward to tomorrow's telecast.

A Great Off Day!

The Cards/Phillies game is on ESPN tonight so the St. Louis TV team is off. What a great off day! The four TV truck guys for the Redbirds left Philadelphia at 2:45 on the train for Washington DC. We arrived to the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City at 5:00 - 3 hours before the Cards game. Three of us had a great dinner at our favorite DC sports bar as we watched the Cardinals and the Blues. A great day all around. Better yet - the ice machine is right next to my room!!

The Shot of The Show

It took the Cardinals 2 hours and 48 minutes to defeat the Phillies tonight by the score of 5 - 0. The Cards capitalized on a rare 3 walk inning by Phil's starter Cliff Lee to score 4 runs in that inning. They also rode the 7-inning, 1 hit allowed by their starter Lance Lynn. This was a pretty uneventful game from a television standpoint. In fact, the best shot of the day was the first shot we used out of open billboards and the last shot of the telecast. The youngster who threw out the first pitch was great. His reaction after the pitch was priceless. After his reaction, he ran to his dad and received a big hug. The most memorable shot of the show.

Over Before It's Over

The Phillies beat the Cards tonight by the score of 8 - 2 in a rain shortened affair. The game was really over after the first inning when the Phil's scored 5 runs and they had Roy Halladay on the mound. It was just a matter of time before the game was officially over. The Cardinals had two hits with both being of the homerun variety so there was some fun in cutting this game. When games are over before they are officially over, it takes a different mindset when covering the game. There is a bit more of added concentration, almost forced concentration while covering this type of game. The rains came after the top of the 7th inning and the game was call 40 minutes later. Thankfully!

Don't Bring It With You

You're having a bad morning. You're having a bad day. Don't bring it to work with you. Keep it at home. Let's take the TV sports industry. Is this a fun job or what? We get paid to watch sports! We should all remember how lucky we are. Everyone has bad mornings. Everyone has bad days. Well, if you work in the TV sports industry, you have a great excuse to forget about the bad shit that may be going on in your life. We get to watch sports and we get to make a living by watching sports. If the sport you are covering is one of a professional nature then you get to watch the greatest athletes in the world perform at the highest level possible for that sport. Leave the bad stuff at home. Realize how lucky you are working in the profession you do. How can you not?

Almost

The Pirates beat the Cardinals 5 - 0 in 2:35 tonight as Bucs starter AJ Burnett threw a no-hitter for seven and two thirds innings. The way he was throwing - a no-hitter was certainly possible. In fact, the Redbirds collected only one hit the entire game. From the Cards TV side, it would have been interesting if a no-hitter would have been thrown as two of our three camera operators had never done a baseball game before. Even with their lack of experience, they did a nice job. I have been with the Cardinals for 26 years but I must admit that when Burnett got close to the no-no I was pulling for him. Currently in the air flying to Philadelphia. Wainwright vs Hamels tomorrow night. Who knows? Maybe a no-hitter in that game.

A Long Night Shortened

The Cardinals scored 2 runs in the top of the first inning and the Pirates scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first. It certainly looked like we were in for a long night. Then, in the top of the 3rd the rains came. A little over one hour and fifty minutes later the game was postponed with no makeup game announced. A long night shortened by the rain. Thank you.

Spoiled. Rotten.

I admit it. The St. Louis Cardinals have spoiled me. They have played a high quality brand of baseball for a long time and every home game at Busch Stadium is electric. The Redbirds beat the Pirates 10 - 6 tonight at PNC Park in Pittsburgh in 3 hours and 22 minutes. The Cards scored 7 runs in the 2nd inning and had their 10 runs after three innings. They did this in front of 10,539 disinterested fans. PNC Park was a mausoleum tonight in Pittsburgh. The Bucs last winning season was before Bryce Harper was born! The losing atmosphere in Pittsburgh makes an appearance in most Pirates games. Take tonight for instance. In the top of the third inning, the Bucs pitcher had back-to-back walks which included the Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn. This happened with the home team down 8 - 1. This wasn't even the pitcher who started the game for Pittsburgh. The starter didn't even make it out of the second inning. When he left, he had recorded the first 2 outs in the inning and had thrown 35 pitches in that inning alone. I am spoiled. The Pirates are rotten. Spoiled. Rotten.

Forget About It

The Brewers beat the Cardinals in 10 innings in a game that lasted 3:19. The Redbirds were cruising until the 8th inning but gave 2 runs in the 8th and the tying run in the 9th before losing in extra innings. It is hard to stay focused when the team you are covering loses a game it looked like they were going to win. This was a great opening season home stand for the Cards. During this home stand the Cardinals went 4 - 2. The first game of the home season was lost with a 9-run ninth inning and the last game of the opening home stand was lost in the tenth inning. The Cards should have won both games. Just like the ball club the TV crew can't let tough losses effect the concentration and thus focus in the truck. We open a three game series in Pittsburgh tomorrow. In fact, I am in my hotel room at this moment and I am thinking about tomorrow. I have already forgotten about today's game.

Special

The Cardinals beat the Brewers 8 - 0 in 2:39 today at Busch Stadium. Adam Wainwright is a special athlete. Not only did he hurl a complete game shutout but he also had 3 hits ( 1 less than the Brew Crew ) and 2 runs batted in. Speaking of special, our telecast had some very special moments. Our Super Mo camera captured Cards third baseman David Freese fielding a 1-hop chopper, taking the ball out of the glove and looking at it as he changed his grip to a four-seamer before he threw it. Another special moment was also captured by the Super Mo. Redbirds catcher Yadier Molina juggled a foul tip and eventually dropped the ball but the juggling was excellent video. Our third special moment occurred during a pitching change in the Cardinal's dugout. Matt Carpenter had been hit by a pitch moments before and he was explaining that moment in a very animated way to one of his teammates. This was a special moment because it was only seen by the TV audience which is one of our goals for every show namely show our TV audience something the fans in the stands didn't see. This was a special day indeed.

Great Pregame, Better Game

The Cardinals honored the "greatest Cardinal of the all" Stan The Man Musial before tonight's Brewers/Cards game at Busch Stadium. Fans received a harmonica with Stan's famous signature on it as they entered the building and all fans played "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" after the top of the 6th inning. A plaque was unveiled on the Musial statue before the game which we covered live. I really enjoyed cutting the Pregame festivities but not as much as I enjoyed the game. The Redbirds beat the Brew Crew 2 - 0 in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Both starting pitchers - Kyle Lohse for the Brewers and Shelby Miller for the Cardinals - pitched wonderfully. There was a great flow to our show the entire game. We added elements from Musial's career throughout the telecast and we enjoyed one of the best telecasts ever on St. Louis airwaves. Great, great fun!!

Great Fun

Every TV baseball director loves a well pitched game. Every TV baseball director enjoys cutting a homerun. The Cards beat the Reds today by the score of 10 - 0. Jake Westbrook pitched a complete game and was in command the whole day. The Redbirds also hit 4 homeruns!! Thanks to Jake Westbrook for the pitching gem and thanks to Jon Jay, Carlos Beltran, Matt Adams and Matt Carpenter for the round trippers. The game lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes. I enjoyed every second.

It's Not How You Start

The cardinals beat the Reds tonight by the score of 5 - 1 in 2:43. Both starting pitchers - Bronson Arroyo for the Reds and Lance Lynn for the Redbirds both pitched great. In fact, Arroyo retired the first 15 Cardinals in the game. It is usually around the 6th or 7th inning that the TV crew starts thinking about a perfect game. Arroyo's shot at a perfect game came to an end when the first batter of the inning doubled. The Cards went on to score 4 runs in that 6th inning and with Lynn pitching so well the drama of the game was over. On a personal note, my father and brother were in town and really enjoyed the game.

Home Opener

I really enjoy each season's home opener at Busch Stadium. From the Clydesdales to the player introductions, I enjoy cutting the whole ceremony. The home opening game is also a blast to cut. Busch Stadium has a little extra energy on opening day compared to the rest of the games throughout the season. However one inning ruined the day for Cardinals fans. The Reds defeated the Cards 13 - 4 after scoring 9 runs in the top of the 9th inning. Except for the dreadful top of the ninth, the rest of the game was exciting and had a good flow. The game was tied 4 - 4 going into the ninth and we were planning on a walk off victory for the Redbirds which would have a great way to start the season at home. The brutal top of the ninth destroyed those wishes however. 2013 opening day - at least the pre-game ceremony was fun to cut.

The Blowout Game

I am writing this at 32,000 feet as we head back to St. Louis after completing our first road trip of the 2013 season. We thought that today's contest between the Cardinals and the Giants was going to be a pitchers duel as two of the best starters in the National League were facing each other - Adam Wainwright vs Matt Cain. It certainly started out that way as Wainwright pitched around a lead off triple in the first inning and Cain retired the first nine Cardinals of the game. Then the unexpected happened. The Cardinals scored 9 runs in the 4th inning and won in a route 14 - 3 in 2 hours and 51 minutes. A TV production team's mindset is no different during a tightly fought contest or a blowout. During our post game show Wainwright was asked about pitching during a blowout and he said it is easy to lose concentration and all of a sudden a bunch of runs are scored. It is the same with the TV team. Lose concentration and all of a sudden mistakes are made and plays are missed. We had a very clean telecast today and a good show. Tomorrow is our home opener. My favorite telecast of the year. I hope we have another good show.

Another Off Day

Off days on the road are awful. I am so glad that my two off days on this season opening trip were both in San Francisco - arguably the best city in the USA. I texted with my friend Doug who works for the Cubs and he had back to back days off (Tues/Wed) in Pittsburgh. Don't get me wrong, Pittsburgh is a nice city but San Francisco has just a bit more things to do than the Steel City. The final game of the season opening road trip is tomorrow. Wainwright vs Cain. I can't wait. Then, opening day at Busch Stadium!! I really can't wait for that - my favorite game of the year.

No Difference

The Redbirds lost to the Giants today by the score of 1 - 0 in 2:31. To go from a 16 inning 5 hour 32 minute game to a 1 - 0 2 hour 31 minute game cannot be believable. It should be impossible. Yet, that is what happened to our St. Louis TV team. I know this sounds strange but I am not sure which game/telecast is more mentally draining. I was wiped out after each telecast. Granted, I would much rather prefer a 2:31 game to almost any other game/telecast but I was surprisingly mentally drained after today's show. The nice dinner at Scoma's with my friends John Rooney and Jim Jackson brought me back to earth but I am still vexed at the similar mental condition I felt after our last two game/telecasts. Night and day yet eerily the same.

Off Day

Off days on the road can really suck. When I am on the road I want to work. However, this off day (for the team as well) was really needed after that marathon yesterday. Just because I know that you want to know what I did today I will tell you. After 5 hours and 50 minutes of sleep, I drank some coffee in my room and read the St. Louis and St. Paul, Minnesota papers online. At 2:00 pacific time I went to Lori's diner (love it) and had pancakes and sausage. I walked around San Francisco (my favorite US city) for a while and then went to my room where I read for about an hour. At 6:30, me, Brian our tape producer and Keith our graphics genius went to an Irish Pub for drinks, merriment and food. Great time!!! This was a great off day! Tomorrow - at the truck at 7:00 AM for the Giants home opener. Then another off day on Saturday as the Cards are the Fox game of the week. I hope Saturday's off day will be as good as today's off day. No doubt about it!!!

Spoke Too Soon

The first two telecasts of the 2013 season from Arizona were wonderful. They were well played, well pitched and well paced. I believe I described them as smooth. Then there was tonight's game/telecast. Before I go any farther, let me say that it is 5:08 AM and I am in my hotel room in San Francisco. It is 5:08 AM because the Cardinals were defeated tonight by the Diamondbacks by the score of 10 - 9 in 16 innings and the contest took 5:32. What goes around comes around. Karma. My bad. I spoke too soon. I gloated about the first two telecasts of this season and the baseball Gods bit me in the ass. To make matters worse, the Redbirds took the lead in the 12th inning only to cough it up in the bottom of the 12th! This was the nightmare game/telecast that all TV baseball production teams dread. Thank God for the off day tomorrow. Oh by the way, it is pouring rain here and is supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I'm not surprised.

Another Smooth Ride

The Cardinals beat the Diamondbacks 6 - 1 in 2:57 tonight in Phoenix. Our second telecast of the 2013 season had everything TV baseball production teams love. The Cardinals pitched well, played good defense and hit 3 homeruns. There was a great flow to the show. During my 26 years of covering Cardinals baseball I don't remember the first two telecasts of a season going any smoother. It is true that taking a dual feed in Arizona is maybe the best venue in all of baseball. The home show is very accommodating and the crew is hard working and fun to be a part of. Our Producer Mike and I were talking on the way to the hotel after the game/telecast and we were bemoaning the fact that our first two stops this season were Phoenix and San Francisco - two of the best stops in the National League. But, I guess, it's better to start the season with these two great venues. Starting out in a smooth fashion can't be beat.

An Eye Opener

The Cardinals opened the 2013 season with a 6 - 2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Season openers are fun to do. Home openers are a tremendous blast to do. This season opener for the Cardinals was a real eye opener for me. This was one of the most comfortable openers I have ever been a part of. Our TD here in Phoenix, Joel, is one of the best TD's I have ever had the privilege to sit next to in a TV truck. A very comfortable season opener and a talented team member really opened my eyes to the joys of this business. I can only hope the Giants' home opener in San Francisco on Friday and our home opener in St. Louis on Monday can deliver such appreciation as well.