A Big Difference

The Cardinals closed out the 2015 season with a doubleheader against the Braves today in a Atlanta. I had two different mind sets for each game today and each mindset was different. I struggled during the first game/telecast. I had a difficult time keeping my focus. I struggled because it was a meaningless game from a standings standpoint and I knew there would be another meaningless game 30 minutes after the it's completion. I knew the second game/telecast was my final show for the 2015 season and this helped me remain focused. In fact, as each inning was completed and the game neared it's finish I felt a bit of excitement knowing the grind of TV baseball was almost over. It will take about a week for my brain to return from the mush it is now. Trust me, a TV baseball season has a way of frying the brain. Now it's home sweet home. This is my last blog for the 2015 season. Thank you to all who follow it.

The Last Day

Rain was threatening all day. There was some mist. At 6:55 - 5 minutes before air - the tarp was put on the field. Some rain - not hard - until the game was postponed at 8:55pm. At least this allowed me and Mike and Keith to enjoy some "last night" beers together. Doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1:10 with the second game starting :30 after the first game. No complaints from this department. Tomorrow is the final day of the 2015 regular season. Tomorrow night I will be sleeping in my own bed for the winter. I am looking forward to tomorrow - "The Last Day".

An Emptiness

The Braves took 3:58 to beat the Cards 4 - 0 tonight in Atlanta in a meaningless game. The Braves have been out of playoff contention for a good while and the Redbirds clinched the Central Division in their last game. This was a meaningless game as far as the standings go but their are still roster decisions to be made by the Cardinals for the post season so there is some meaning for the club. Yes, I believe the Cards still want to win every game (every club does) but there is a certain edge lost for me in games such as this game. I still cut the game to the best of my ability but there is a totally different feeling as I sit in the chair. It is hard to explain but there is a bit of emptiness that I can't get rid of as the game is being played. The more that I think about it I believe that the Cardinals fans that are watching feel the same sort if emptiness that I feel. Two more regular season games to go. I can't wait for playoff baseball. I'll be watching.

Congrats!!

There was a doubleheader today with the Cardinals needing one victory to clinch the Central Division. An early grand slam by the Pirates in the first game basically sealed the victory for the Buccos. Likewise, an early grand slam by the Redbirds basically sealed the victory in game two. Televising a post game celebration can be very hectic especially when the sideline host loses all communication with the truck but it seems to always work out. Thanks to the Cardinals organization for allowing us to put a camera in the clubhouse before the 11 - 1 victory was over. The shots of the sheets of plastic over the lockers and the shots of beer and champaign at the ready were very effective as the game wound down. Off day in Atlanta and then just three more regular season games to go. Congratulations Cardinals!!

I Don't Believe What I Just Saw

If Indidn't see this game, I never would have believed it. The Pirates received 10 walks and batted 6 times with the bases loaded and they didn't score. They left 16 runners on base. On the other side, the Cardinals had 3 hits through 8 innings with only 1 runner reaching second base. Also, and even more negative, the Redbirds lost one of their best players in a violent collision in the outfield. This collision was so ugly that we showed only 1 angle and that being fairly wide from the high home camera - camera 2. Trust me, the super slo-mo angle was sickening. Anyway, through 8 innings the Pirates were constantly threatening and the Cardinals were invisible. Then, to start the ninth inning, the Pirates brought in their closer - arguably the best closer in the game today - and the Cards scored 3 runs on 3 hits with one being a 2-run homerun. Unless you saw this game you would not believe it. I know - I saw it and I still don't believe it.

Shocking

This game took 3:10 and was quite shocking. The Brewers, down 3 - 1 going into the ninth inning, scored 7 runs to defeat the Cardinals. The a Cards closer was in to set the single season saves record for St. Louis and he did not retire a batter. The 4th batter he faced hit a grand slam and his day was over. Yes, this was a shocking loss but is any loss more devastating than another? I think not.

Take Your Pick

Things seem back to normal. The Cardinals won the game and are now 98 - 57. The Cardinals beat a Central Division rival and are now 44 - 28 against the Central Division. The Cardinals won at home where they are now 55 - 25. The Cardinals starting pitcher was stellar and the Cardinals still lead all of baseball in ERA. Even though the Redbirds have the best record in all of baseball, they are still only 3 games in front of the Pirates who have the second best record in the game. The Buccos beat the Cubs at Wrigley today for their 8th straight win and sit at 95 - 60. There is a real possibility that the Pirates could win 100 games and still finish in 2nd place. Yet Cardinals fans, the spoiled rotten fans that they are, are biting their nails. Would you rather be a Cardinal or a Pirate? I'll take the Cardinals.

Strange Atmosphere

Seven pitches into this 3:19 game won by the Brewers 4 - 3 the Cards starting pitcher left with shoulder soreness. The atmosphere at the start of a ballgame at Busch Stadium is ALWAYS electric. The crowd is buzzing. This energy continues throughout the game. That is the reason visiting ball players love coming to St. Louis to play. Well the energy at Busch was sapped with the injury to the pitcher. The "feeling" at Busch Stadium was quite different tonight. This certainly was not the reason the Cards lost to the Brewers tonight. The Brew Crew came up with the big hit and the Redbirds didn't come through. A strange night at the yard indeed.

Never A Doubt

The Cards beat the Brewers 7 - 3 tonight at Busch Stadium. The Brewers scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning but I never felt that the game was over. Usually in a TV truck there will be naysayers who will give up the ship after a 3-run top of the first inning. In our truck there was no negativity after the bad start of this game for the Cardinals. The Cards took the lead in the 4th inning with back to back homeruns and the Brew Crew never threatened again. The Redbirds are in a zone right now where they expect to win and the Brewers are playing out the season. Even after a 3-run first there was never a doubt the Cardinals would win this game.

Bad Team - Good TV

It took 2:48 for the Cards to beat the Reds 10 - 2 tonight at Busch Stadium. The Reds season is over and it shows by their play on the field - lifeless. I guess most clubs would show little or nothing being 31 1/2 games out of 1st place (32 1/2 now) on September 23. I really like the Cincinnati Reds traveling TV crew. They are friendly and fun and they work hard. Unlike the team they cover, they are not done. I watched some of their show tonight and they were still delivering. I wonder if I would respond like this TV crew if the Cards were finishing a lost season. I think I would. I hope so anyway.

Body Language

It was a 3 - 1 victory in 3:06 for the Cards over the Reds tonight at Busch Stadium. The 2nd batter of the game homered for the Reds and the score remained 1 - 0 until the Redbirds tied it in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Redbirds too the lead in the bottom of the 7 th and it was still a game. However, in the bottom of the 8th the Cards added an insurance run and the game was over. For the Reds at least. After the third run scored, I took individual shots of the Reds infield between batters. The 3rd baseman was squatting like a catcher, the shortstop held his glove to his hip, the 2nd baseman had his arms behind his back, and the 1st baseman had his hands on his hips and looked totally disinterested. The Reds were done. At that point the game was over.

Play To Win

With a 2-run bottom of the 8th inning tonight at Busch Stadium the Cardinals defeated the Reds 2 - 1 in 2:34. This game was a perfect example of a team that knows how to win and a team that doesn't. There really was no way the Redbirds should have won this game. The Reds starting pitcher, a rookie whose only Major League win was against the Cards, was dealing. We said in the truck at the time that he was replaced that we didn't think this change was a good idea. It wasn't. The Reds lost. There were examples throughout this game of the Reds playing "not to lose." A team must play to win. If a team does not play this way they will lose. Proven tonight.

A Playoff Game

What a game!! The 4 - 3 Cardinals victory in 3:26 over the Cubs today at Wrigley was our most exciting game of the 2015 season. The Redbirds hit 2 homeruns in the 1st inning and led 3 - 0. The Cards had two extremely hard slides into 2nd base as well that inning and the animosity that developed in the first two games of this series grew to a new level. Then, in the bottom of the 3rd inning with the Cards now leading 4 - 0, the home plate umpire got under the skin of the Redbirds starting pitcher. When it was all said and done the score was 4 - 2 and Wrigley Field was rocking!! I thought Wrigley Field was going to explode during the bottom of the 8th inning. The Cards replaced their starting pitcher after the first two batters of the inning reached on singles. The relief pitcher proceeded to walk the first 2 batters he faced and the score was 4 - 3 with the bases loaded and nobody out. A new relief pitcher entered and the first batter he faced sent a fly ball to right field. The right fielder caught the ball and threw out the runner trying to score from third. The play was huge for the Redbirds but in the process the Cards all-star catcher sprained his thumb. He finished the inning but did not return for the bottom of the ninth. The lead off batter for the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth singled and was replaced by a speedster just called up from the minor leagues. So, you have a guy who can fly on first and a backup catcher behind the plate. Wouldn't you know it, the runner took off on a steal attempt and was thrown out at second. I have never seen Wrigley field so electric!! Just great great great fun! There is a very good chance these two clubs could face each other in the playoffs. Man would that be cool!!

Quicksand

Today's game at Wrigley Field between the Cards and the Cubs was 3 hours and 26 minutes of crap. During this 8 - 3 Cubs victory the Cardinals pitchers walked 11 batters. During a typical MLB game a TV director can expect at least 7 half innings of "comfortable" innings to cut. I remember 2 during this game. This game was a whole lotta nothin. I made this comment during the game/telecast, "Now I know what it's like to be stuck in quicksand." By the way, why is it called quicksand? There's nothing quick about it.

Thunder And Lightening - Yes!!

The Cardinals swept the Brewers tonight at Miller Park by the score of 6 - 3 in 2:51. This game was over in the top of the third inning after the Cards jumped out to a 5 - 0 lead. During the inning, the Brewers starting pitcher was hit in the head by a line drive and he collapsed to the ground. It was a very emotional moment. I had a difficult time cutting while this player was just laying there. Eventually, he got to his feet and walked off the mound into the clubhouse. Trust me, at the moment when the ball hit the pitcher, this game was over. Yes, a 3-run homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth made this game seem close but the ending was never in doubt. After the injury, the Brewers left the building. They made some hugely embarrassing mental mistakes that even overshadowed the injury to the starting pitcher. The most exciting part of this day was the bus ride from Milwaukee to Chicago. Our bus drove through some of the worst storms I have ever witnessed. We arrived at the hotel at 1:00AM and, now, at 1:30AM the weather is just violent outside. On the bright side - great sleeping weather! Just what I need with a day game at Wrigley tomorrow. 7:00AM will be here before I know it.

A Fun One

This was a fun game to do. The Cards beat the Brewers in Milwaukee 5 - 4 in 3:05. After the Cardinals jumped out to a 5 - 0 lead thanks to two 2-run homeruns by a Redbirds rookie (who also clubbed a triple) the game was basically over. Even though the Brew Crew narrowed the lead to 5 - 4 with a 4-run inning, this game was never in doubt. More attention was paid the the Cubs/Pirates game (won by the Cubs) than this contest. A night game getaway followed by a 2 hour bus ride to our hotel in Chicago. Then, 3 day games at Wrigley Field. More fun indeed!!

Defense!!

It took 3:14 and 10 innings for the Cardinals to defeat the Brewers 3 - 1 tonight at Miller Park in Milwaukee. This game had many wonderful moments including a 2-run bomb by the Redbirds in the 10th inning. There were great great defensive plays by both clubs throughout the game. In fact, this was the best "defensive" game of the 2015 season for baseball fans who witnessed this game at the ballpark and on television. I love good defense and great pitching and this game supplied both. Truly one of my favorite game/telecasts of the 2015 season.

Spoiled

The Cardinals, losers of 8 of their past 10, finally won a game in blowout fashion today in Cincinnati. The final was 9 - 2 and it has been a long time since Cards fans could enjoy a win such as this one. It certainly didn't seem like 3 hours and 18 minutes to complete this contest and this victory was greatly welcomed by a fan base beginning to lose faith. Cardinals fans, of which I consider myself, are spoiled. We expect victories. Anything less is undesirable. I am now in Milwaukee with an off day tomorrow and then a 3-game series with the lowly Brewers. I wonder how I will feel come Friday.

Thank You

Tonight's game between the Cards and Reds at Cincinnati was tied a 8 in the top of the 8th when the rains came. The forecast was for steady rain for the next 3 hours which meant we would resume play about 12:30 AM. However, Big Fox was scheduled to televise tomorrow's game beginning at 11:30 Eastern. Many factors were now in play. Big Fox was using the home show truck for their telecast and our truck was leaving to do a college football game. And, most of our crew was not available for Saturday. Here is the final decision about the suspended game. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:30 Eastern with the Big Fox game to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game. So, Big Fox will cover the suspended game for Fox Midwest and Fox Ohio and then televise the regularly scheduled Big Fox game. Which means I have tomorrow off. Although I would like to complete our suspended game, I understand this decision. Now, trust me, I am in no way disparaging this decision. But, the Big Fox production team may have a long day (I hope they don't) but, right now, the Cards and Reds are having a difficult time scoring. This suspended game could go on for a bit. For my colleagues at Big Fox - I hope not. But thank you for the complete off day anyway.

WTF

The 3 hours and 16 minutes it took for the Reds to defeat the Cards tonight by the score of 11 - 0 is really inconsequential. Memo to the Redbird fans who are beginning their trek to the nearest bridge - RELAX. Did you not know that the Pirates lost to the Brewers tonigh AT HOME in 13 innings? I have been on the planes, in the hotels, and at the ballparks with this outstanding Cardinals squad for the complete 2015 season. They are the best team in baseball - Period! Do you want to be a Pirates fan right now? Do you want to be a Cubs fan EVER? Read a book. Watch Spongebob. Go for a walk. 159 days and 140 games into this season and they are the best team by far!! WTF!!

They Knew

The Cardinals defeated the Cubs 4 - 3 in 2:47 today at Busch Stadium. Once again, the Cubs jumped out to an early lead and the thought did cross my mind - "Here we go again." However, that negative thought evaporated as the game went along. Then, in the 8th inning, the Redbirds scored 3 runs to take a 4 - 3 lead. At that point I took a shot of the Cubs dugout and I knew. I knew they were done and they knew it too. Their bubble had burst. The game was over. Sure enough, they went down meekly 1-2-3 in the ninth. Don't get me wrong. The Cubs are finally good. But, they are not great. Great teams NEVER think the game is over. The Cubs did today. Get over that final hurdle and they will get there. They are not far off.

Calm Down

The Cubs, once again, jumped out to a big lead (6-0) after 2 innings and the game was over. The Cardinals made things interesting in this 3:07 game by scoring 5 runs in the 7th inning but the Cubbies prevailed 8 - 5. Indeed, the most suspense after the 2nd inning was whether or not there would be a rain delay as there was rain throughout the area. Despite a few sprinkles during the game there were no delays. Now a message to Cardinals AND Cubs fans - Calm Down!!! I do understand why Cardinals fans are jittery. They have been spoiled by an organization that has been very successful for the past 20 years. I also understand why Cubs fans are so excited. I would be excited as well if my team was horseshit for the past century. CALM DOWN - both of you!!

False Hustle

Exactly 34 years ago today the Cubs shutout the Cards while scoring 9 or more runs. The final today at Busch Stadium was 9 - 0 in favor of the Cubbies. Even though the game took 2:47 to play, the game was really over after 3 innings when the score was 8 - 0. Maintaining focus when the game is essentially over can be very difficult. It was today. I slowed my cut down and tried not to be aggressive. It is my opinion and an opinion shared by many that one of the most embarrassing actions on the field is "false hustle" by a player. An example of "false hustle" by a TV sports director is cutting a 9 - 0 game like a 1 - 0 game or the 7th game of the World Series. No false hustle on our air today.

Learning

The final score of this 2:56 game was 4 - 1 in favor of the Cardinals over the Pirates. As far as the game went, this was well-pitched and fairly well-played. As far as the telecast went, this broadcast was a bit weird. Our feed was on 2 different outlets - Fox Midwest locally and Fox Sports 1 nationally. Ever mindful of my respect for the game I cut these two types of telecasts a bit differently. For the Fox Midwest games, I cut the game emphasizing Cardinals baseball. For National games, equal emphasis is put on both teams. Today, the national audience took precedence as I cut the game. It was different but I truly enjoyed the day because it was a learning experience. That is the best aspect of televising baseball, in fact - all sports, one learns each and every game/telecast. A fun day indeed.

Drip, Drip, Drip

From the 8-pitch at-bat to the first batter of the game until the final out 3 hours and 21 minutes later, this game was pure torture. No flow and, thus, no rhythm. When a telecast never develops a rhythm and there never is a "flow to the show", it is truly painful to sit in the chair and cut the game. I would rather experience the water torture of drip, drip, drip on my forehead until I go insane. Trust me, a game like tonight would drive a person to insanity much quicker than the drip, drip, drip of a water torture. A quick turn around with a 3:00 game tomorrow and then an off day because of Sunday Night Baseball. Hopefully some of my sanity will remain intact until Monday.

Not Tonight

Could they do it again? Not tonight. The Nats beat the Cards tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 4 - 3 in 3:34. The two previous gams found the Cardinals coming from behind in the 7th inning to defeat the Nationals. Not tonight. It looked as if the Redbirds would do it again as they had runners on first and third with 1 out in the bottom of the ninth inning but, alas, not tonight. Did I just say "alas"?

Deja Vu

The Cardinals scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning and won the game with a 3-run walk off homerun in the bottom of the 9th. It took 3:38 for the Redbirds to defeat the Nationals 8 - 5 at Busch Stadium. Once again, like last night, this was an incredible win for the best team in baseball - the Cardinals and a devastating loss for the team once picked to be a shoo-in for the World Series - the Washington Nationals. If two games ever described the season long journey of two baseball teams it was these two games. An incredible season for St. Louis and a devastating season for Washington. Wow!

Great Win, Terrible Loss

The Cardinals beat the Nationals tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 8 - 5 in 3:07. Leading 3 - 2 going into the 7th inning, the Cards coughed up the lead when a 2-out 3-run homerun put the Nats in front 5 - 3. This was a game in which the Nationals desperately needed to win. After the homerun the Nats seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. Then, in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Redbirds scored 5 runs with 2 outs and the Nats seemed doomed. However, in the top of the ninth inning, the first 2 batters singled which sent arguably the MVP to the plate. This batter was leading the league in homeruns. During the at-bat, a wild pitch was thrown which rebounded off the back wall behind the plate right back to the catcher. Both runners took off with the lead runner stopping and going back to 2nd base thus trapping the trail runner who was tagged out. Needless to say, the baseball Gods were never going to let the National back into the game after that base running blunder. They didn't and the Cards prevailed. A great win for a great team. A terrible loss for a team now on playoff fumes.

Exhausting

In this 3 hour 8 minutes game there were 12 runs (a 7 - 5 Cards victory) 25 hits, 11 pitchers and 3 homeruns. This game had a little bit of everything. Everything but a replay review. This was a hard game to telecast. This was a game that was just relentless. Something was always happening. There was no relaxation to this contest. This was one of those games where the edge of the seat was where everyone on the TV crew was situated. This was a mentally exhausting game/telecast. I am now 1 hour into our flight home. At 32,000 feet, I am waiting for the adrenaline to subside. Mentally exhausted - yes I am. Home sweet home tomorrow.

Fans

It was a 6 - 0 victory for the Cardinals over the Giants today in San Francisco in a game that too 3:11 to play. Baseball fans would have enjoyed this game as it was a well-played contest. Cardinals fans may not have enjoyed this victory that much because the Redbirds starting pitcher left the game with a sprained ankle. TV baseball fans would have enjoyed this game because of the work of the RF camera operator. Just great great stuff. It's kind off odd that RF camera operators are either really really good or really really bad. I can't explain this but it is true. Fans of the outdoors would have enjoyed this game because the weather was absolutely perfect. Fans of San Francisco enjoyed this game because it was a day game and the rest of the day will be spent on the town. Which fan are you?

Love It

I love San Francisco. I love the ballpark and I love the TV crew. I love the restaurants and the bars. Despite the fact that the Giants beat the Cards in 3:02 by the score of 5 - 4 tonight at AT&T Park I loved the game. Some sloppy play by the Redbirds led to a 4 - 0 lead after a grand slam by the Giants. Sloppy play by the Giants helped the Cards tie the score at 4 apiece. This 4 - 4 game became a real battle between 2 great teams. A bases loaded single with a 5-man infield decided the game for the Giants. The electricity in the ballpark for the last two innings made me sit on the edge of my seat as I cut the game. One hour later and I am still pumped. The bottle of wine I purchased from a wine shop I love should help me calm down. There is a day game tomorrow with the atmosphere assured to be exciting and then dinner at Scoma's. Did I mention that I love Scoma's?

Hoping

This 3:24 game between the Cardinals and Diamondbacks in Phoenix tonight was a nightmare. Yes, the Cards prevailed 5 - 3, which is a good thing, but 3 hours and 24 minutes can be excruciating. And, tonight it was. The first 2 innings took an hour to play. As we entered the bottom of the second inning our Producer looked at me and said "This is our worst nightmare." It just so happened that I was thinking the exact same thing at the same time. Everyone loves a well-pitched well-played baseball game especially on getaway day. We are currently at 32,000 feet as we make our way to San Francisco. San Fran, like Phoenix, is one of the better stops in baseball. A well-pitched well played ballgame makes it even better. Let's hope.

The LaRussa Factor

Wait a minute! Stop the presses! Did this just happen? A well-pitched, well-played Major League Baseball game from both teams? The Cardinals prevailed tonight in Phoenix by the score of 3 - 1 in 2:35. A game with a great pace and, thus, a show with a great flow! This was truly a fun game/telecast to watch and direct. Trust me, because of the TV broadcast schedule of local telecasts - 150 games - this type of game is cherished. One may experience a game such as this between two good teams fighting for the best playoff position. This game featured the best team in baseball - the Cardinals - and a team fighting for their playoff lives - the Diamondbacks. Kudos to the AZ D-Backs! It looks to me like the Tony LaRussa influence is being felt by this club. I have seen the LaRussa influence with the Cardinals. An influence that carries over today despite the fact that he hasn't been a part of the organization for almost 4 years. Good to see with the D-Backs!!

Earlier Start/ Same Old Ending

It took 3:10 for the Cardinals to defeat the Diamondbacks 9 - 1 tonight in Phoenix. It took 3:10 for the final out to be made but the game was over after the first 25 minutes. The Cards scored 4 runs in the top of the first inning and the game was essentially over. We really like the 6:40 start they have here in Arizona. However, the 25 minute top of the first essentially eliminated any advantage the early start may have given us for an earlier than usual ending of the game. Still, getting off the air before 10:00 is a plus. Did this blog make any sense to anyone.

A Perfect Example

The Cards beat the D'Backs 5 - 3 in 3:19 tonight in Phoenix. This was a game of big moments. This was a game that clearly showed the difference between a good team and a team trying to get there. The Diamondbacks had 4 glorious opportunities to swing the game in their favor and the Redbirds turned 4 doubleplays. When the opportunities were there for the Cards to swing the game in their favor they came through with big RBI hits. The Cardinals know how to win and the Diamondbacks are trying to learn how to win. This game was a perfect example of the difference between these two clubs.

Just Saying

3 hours and 29 minutes. That is what it took the Redbirds to defeat the Padres 10 - 3 today in San Diego. The relievers in the ninth inning for both teams pissed me off. Going into the ninth the score was 8 - 1. You would have thought it was a 1-run game the way the relievers picked and picked at the strike zone. Listen up relievers - a 7-run lead in the 9th means the game is over - OVER. Stop messing around! (I wanted to use another word besides messing) in a 8 - 1 game, the ninth inning should never take 45 minutes. This game did. Awful. Embarrassing! Just saying.

Thoughts Are Things

Another blowout loss for the Cardinals as the Padres, with help of a 7-run 7th inning won the game 8 - 0 in 3:11. This Cardinals team has had the best record in baseball, by far, for most of this season. Yet, the negativity I am beginning to hear concerning this team concerns me. Read the newspaper or watch the news - 90% of the content is negative. That is why I don't read the newspaper or watch the news. These and other outlets cause people to think in a negative fashion and that is why most people live negative, unhappy lives. It is a fact, in fact it is a law - you become what you think. Think happy, positive, loving, prosperous thought and you are happy, successful, loved and prosperous. Think negatively in any aspect of your life and your life will suck. This is not bullshit. Thoughts are things. Thoughts are as real as gravity, as real as electricity. You become what you think about most. You can't get around it - it is a law of nature. You have a choice. I know what my choice is.

Another Matter

The Padres used a 5-run inning and a 4-run inning to beat the Cards tonight in San Diego. The way this 3:07 affair started had one believing that the Cardinals were in for an easy victory. The Cards starting pitcher was dealing and the Padres starter was barely getting by. Then, it seemed all of a sudden, the Redbirds unravelled in the bottom of the 5th inning. They committed 3 errors in the inning and the Pads plated 5 runs. Still, the Cardinals battled back and actually had the winning run at the plate in the 8th inning. But San Diego scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th and the game was essentially over. Now to another matter. How in the world does anyone go to work in this town? The weather in this town is perfect all 24 hours of the day. Just absolutely perfect.

Thank You

The Redbirds beat the Giants tonight at Busch Stadium. The 4 - 3 game took 2:54 to play and was one of those contests that the home fans and home TV crew really enjoy. A solo homerun in the bottom of the 8th inning was the deciding factor in this game and a moment that took away the feeling that this game was going to take awhile to be decided. In fact, a member of the Giants TV team was heard to say right before the bottom of the 8th inning, "We are going to be here awhile tonight." When this statement was uttered, it seemed to be a true prophesy. The homerun proved this wrong and the game ended after 8 1/2 innings. Thank you.

WOW

After a :31 rain delay to start the game, the Giants beat the Cards 2 - 0 in 3:09 at Busch Stadium. There is nothing really to say about this game except a 2 - 0 game between two quality teams should never take 3:09 to play. Not a complaint - just an observation. Here is another observation. On the drive home, I witnessed an absolutely wonderful, powerful lightening display across the whole western horizon. I final 20 minutes of my drive were filled with countless exclamations of "WOW!" This storm should reach my house within the next 30 minutes. I am staying up. WOW!

Welcomed Victory

The Cards beat the Giants 2 - 1 in 2:40 tonight at Busch Stadium. This was just the type of game the home TV team loves. Well- pitched and well-played with the winning run scoring in the bottom of the 8th inning. About the only victory that beat this scenario is a walk-off win in the bottom of the 9th inning. I believe there is a huge percentage of TV production people and a huge percentage of Major League players that do not want extra innings. I also believe that this huge percentage of TV crew members and players still give it their best when a game goes extras. I prefer 9 innings or 8 1/2 innings at home but I still try my hardest to deliver if the game goes longer. That being said, tonight was a welcomed victory.

No Pace - None

The Marlins avoided being swept by the Cardinals with a 6 - 4 victory today at Busch Stadium. This 3:13 affair seemed to take much longer than that. The Rebirds uncharacteristically played a very sloppy game. This sloppy play was a major reason for the pace of this game but this was one of those games that seem to hit a wall. Time stood still. The clock stopped. When the pace of the game is at a standstill, it is near impossible to create a pace for the telecast. I'm not sure what is worse - matching a telecast with a fast paced game or creating a pace for the telecast when there is absolutely no pace to the game. I guess I would rather keep pace with a fast paced game then create a pace when there is none with the game. Today's game answered that question.

Blessed

Another stellar pitching performance by the Cardinals starter led to a 6 - 2 victory over the Marlins in 2:35 tonight at Busch Stadium. Another memorable evening for me as I met my college buddies for the second straight day both before and after the game. They loved Busch Stadium, ballpark village and the Champions Club. One of my buddies said, "The Cardinals have it figured out. It is an event to come to their games." He is right. I am blessed to be part of this organization and I am blessed to have such good friends.

Great Memories

I will remember this day as a day of great memories. Yes, the Cards beat the Marlins 3 - 1 in 2:24 at Busch Stadium and yes the Redbirds starting pitcher threw the best game of the season for this Redbirds squad - a squad with the best pitching staff in all of baseball by far. A memorable game in that regard. But, my memory of this wonderful day occurred both before and after the game. 3 of my teammates from the 1977 University of Minnesota College World Series baseball team came down to visit. We met before the game and drank beers after the game. Lots of laughs and just a memorable day. Same thing tomorrow - I can't wait.

Bad Bread

The Pirates defeated the Cardinals tonight 10 - 5 in 3:06 at Busch Stadium. This game was a sandwich which included good ingredients with bad bread. The Bucs scored 7 runs in the 1st inning and 3 runs in the 9th inning - bad bread. In between the bad bread the Cardinals outplayed the Bucs - good ingredients. In fact, after the bottom of the 7inning the Cars trailed 7 - 5 and they had all the momentum. Members of our TV team sensed a victory and it sure seemed likely to come true. Members of the Pirates TV team were also quite nervous. Alas, the final piece of bread - the top of the 9th inning occurred - and the sandwich was completed. Bad bread - good ingredients.

A Disappearance

The Cardinals, in another game resembling a playoff atmosphere, defeated the Bucs 4 - 2 in 2:49 tonight at Busch Stadium. This match-up featured two of the best starting pitchers in the National League and both of these hurlers are only 24 years old. Both of these pitchers pitched well although they were not helped by the sloppy play behind them. The highlight and oddity of the game was that the Cards catcher collected a double, triple and stolen base in the same game. This had not happened to the Cardinals since 1939. An oddity I also observed occurred when the Cards took there 2-run in the bottom of the 6th inning. The Pirates, a very very good team (2nd best in the NL) looked defeated after the Redbirds took the lead. I even said "They're done." This was odd to me because for the past 3 seasons I have respected this team as one that plays the game right and plays it with confidence. That persona disappeared tonight.

A Baseball Fan's Type Of Game

The 2 best teams in the National League faced off against each other tonight at Busch Stadium and the Cardinals defeated the Pirates 4 - 3 in 2:40. I love it when 2 good teams play each other. There are many exciting, dramatic moments. The cut is faster, the replay sequences are most effective and the TV crew delivers in all facets of the production. Indeed, the audio is crisper and cameras seem to capture the exciting moments with great framing. One may be a Pirates fan and one may be a Cardinals fan but everybody becomes a baseball fan in games such as these. Tomorrow's game features one of the best pitching match ups of the season. I can't wait!!

Exciting

The Brewers defeated the Cardinals today at Miller Park by the score of 5 - 4 in 2:31. This was a very entertaining game for the fans of both teams. The Brew Crew jumped to a 3 - 0 lead with 2 homers in the 3rd inning. This electrified the Milwaukee fans as the Cards had shutout the Brewers the two previous games. The score was 3 - 1 entering the 7th inning and it looked like that could be the final score as the Brewers starting pitcher was dealing. Emotions switched sides as the Redbirds took the lead with a 3-run bomb. Now the Cardinals fans were buzzing. The score remained 4 - 3 entering the bottom of the 8th inning. Once again emotions changed hands as the Brewers took the lead with a 2-run homer. The emotional roller coaster ride was over. Truly entertaining. Off day tomorrow and then the most important series of the season begins as the Pirates visit Busch Stadium. Let the excitement continue.

Never Screwed

The Cards beat the down and out Brewers tonight in Milwaukee by the score of 3 - 0. This 2:45 game really ended when the Redbirds' lead off batter homered to start the game. The listless Brew Crew managed just 2 hits the entire game. This game was a National game that aired on Fox Sports 1. I enjoy directing these games because there is not as much clutter as our regional games. These games are naturally cleaner than our local telecasts. There really isn't any difference for me in cutting a regional game compared to a national game because I don't direct for the audience. I direct for my teammates on the TV crew. That lessens the pressure and I am never screwed.

Done

I have been a part of televising Major League Baseball as either a Producer or a Director for the past 32 years. In fact, I have directed MLB Baseball only for the past 25 years. I don't care what profession you have or are involved with - if you don't learn anything from that experience, you will not advance. Period. I have learned from my experience and I KNEW early on that the a Cards would defeat the Brewers. This Milwaukee club is done. I want good baseball. I guess I have to wait until Tuesday when the Pirstes come to Busch Stadium.

Dreary

Yes, the Cardinals beat the Reds 3 - 0 today in Cincinnati. Yes, I want the Redbirds to win every game. Even with this victory this was a dreary day. It rained all morning. After a 1:08 rain delay the game stsrted and it rained and misted the rest of the game. The video was dreary. This was a nice victory but after the delay the video, because of the weather, caused this to be a dreary telecast. The video always determines the viewers feeling about the game/telecast. A nice victory but the dreary day and the dreary video captured the day.

Sure Enough

There were 13 innings played with 13 total hits in this 4:14 affair which the Cardinals won 4 - 3. I claim complete responsibility for this extra inning game. Going into the top of the 8th inning with the Reds leading 3 - 2 I said " The Cards are going to score in this inning and we are going to be here awhile." I took the understandable cursing from the crew as I understood the severity of my statement. Sure enough, a homerun was hit to tie the game and, sure enough, the cascade of cursing was sent in my general direction. A day game tomorrow with rain in the forecast. My mouth remains shut.

Bad Feeling

From a TV truck standpoint, this was a strange game. I know that this next statement is wrong but during the middle of the game I got the impression that both teams were going through the motions and neither team gave a shit about the outcome. Now, this is absolutely absurd. This could and would NEVER be the case. However, that is the vibe I felt from this game. This was not just a moment during the contest. This "feeling" stayed with me for a couple of innings. I didn't like it at the time and I don't like the memory if it now.

Frying

The Cards beat the Rockies with a walk-off 3 - 2 win in the bottom of the ninth inning today at Busch Stadium. The walk-off part of the game was really the only exciting moment of this game. We have been televising a lot of baseball lately and we are all starting to fry a bit. Everyone of us on the TV crew was praying for no extra innings. Thank God our prayers were answered. I'm now going to take a nap.

Grind It Out

It took 3:00 for the Rockies to defeat the Cards at Busch Stadium tonight. It's amazing to me how the performance of a starting pitcher early on allows one to predict the future. During the top of the first inning I knew the Redbirds were in for a long night. Their starting pitcher had no command of any pitch and it was obvious he wouldn't find it. Colorado's starting pitcher whose repertoire consists of slow, slower, slowest had command and he dealt. This game is an example of my least favorite game to cover. You know early on that your team doesn't have a chance so you know you are going to have to grind it out. Directing a baseball game is great fun. Grinding through a baseball game is hard work.

Nothing To It - Both Ways

When a person makes something look easy they say "there is nothing to it." Tonight's game between the Rockies and the Cardinals - won by the Redbirds 7 - 0 in 3:05 - was a different kind of "nothing to it." This game had nothing to it. The Rockies are finished and they play like it. The Cards won this game and "there was nothing to it." The play of Colorado had "nothing to it. A big big difference. 7 - 0 proved this.

An Awful Memory

The Cards, with a 3-run bottom of the ninth inning, defeated the Rockies 9 - 8 in 3:50 tonight at Busch Stadium. This game is in the top 5 of the strangest games I have ever witnessed. The only plays missing from this game were a balk and a triple play. This game had homeruns, a triple and doubles. This game featured great defense and lousy defense. This game featured good pitching and awful pitching. This game showed an intentional hit batters for each team. There were ties and blown leads by each team. There were so many memorable moments in this game both good and bad. But the number one memory I will take from this game is something I have never seen on a baseball telecast that I have participated in during my 32 year career directing baseball. After the final out of a very contentious inning, I saw a player flip the bird to the other team as he walked off the field. An awful memory I admit.

3 Games - 1 Swing Each Game

Monday night, the Cards beat the Reds 4 - 1 with 1 swing of the bat - a grand slam homerun. Yesterday, the Reds defeated the Cards 4 - 0 with 1 swing of the bat - a 3-run homerun in the 6th inning. Tonight the Reds beat the Cards with 1 swing of the bat - a solo homerun. For the game the Reds collected 2 hits and they still won the contest. This 2:18 affair featured 2 great pitching performances. Indeed, the Redbird's starting pitched, arguably, the best game if the 2015 season for the Cards and he lost. Sometimes the only thing that happens during a game is 1 swing. The last 3 games proves this.

One Pitch

Tonight's contest between the Reds and Cards at Busch Stadium too 2:22 to play. During the 2:22, in which the Refs won 4 - 0, there was only one pitch that mattered. That pitch resulted in a 3-run homerun by the Reds. One pitch in 2 hours and 22 minutes does not mean that this was a boring baseball game. To the contrary, this was a well-pitched, well-played game. The game had a nice rhythm and the show had a good flow. One pitch was the difference.

Just Fantastic!!

The Cards beat the Reds in 2:38 at Busch Stadium by the score of 4 - 1. Back and forth we go with the flow if the show. This game/telecast flowed and flowed and flowed. A grand slam homerun was the difference in this game. Our RF (radio frequency) camera was situated in the stands down the leftfield line about a dozen rows from the field during the slam. Out very talented RF camera operator was sitting in a seat acting like a fan watching the game. This was one of the most incredible angles I have ever seen in a baseball game. His shot remained static on the field and totally captured the effect of a fan in the stands. I took his camera as the homerun hitter was rounding second base and stayed there until the player was reaching third. One of the most incredible moments I have ever had the privilege to witness. Just fantastic!!

No Flow

The Braves beat the Cards 3 - 2 in 3:02 today at Busch Stadium. For the first 4 innings this game was very difficult to cut. There was absolutely no rhythm to the game during the first 4 innings. The most comfortable games are those with a good flow. A good flow to the game means a good flow to the show. When you have a game such as today's contest between the Braves and Cardinals it can be fairly easy to get frustrated. The trick is to find a flow to your game cut despite the crummy nature of the game. Stay on camera 4 (CF) for a couple of pitches or stay away from the game and cut in fan shots, the concourse and/or vendors. Depending on the nature of the game, this method helps me to develope some kind, any kind of rhythm. Some games can be so bad in regards to rhythm that it is impossible to get a good flow to the show. The first 4 innings of this game were a perfect example of this.

A Blink

I looked at the clock right before the first pitch of the bottom of the 7th inning and the time was 7:48. With the first pitch of this game being thrown at 6:16 it meant that the first 6 1/2 innings of this game took 1:32 to play. The game ended at 8:29 so the final 2 1/2 innings took 41 minutes to play. Why so fast you ask? This was a classic pitchers duel. The Cardinals won the game 1 - 0 with a run scoring on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 8th inning. Both starting pitchers were brilliant and they are 23 and 24 years old! This classic game was on Fox Sports 1. If this game aired on our usual outlet - Fox Sports Midwest I doubt we would have been able to air our complete inventory of paid drop-ins. It was that fast. It was a blink.

Confidence

In 2:55 by the score of 4 - 2, the Cardinals defeated the Braves tonight at Busch Stadium. When Albert Pujols was a Cardinal, I always got "that feeling" that something big was about to happen whenever he was in the batters box. With the 2015 Redbirds, I am getting "that feeling" that this team will win every game at Busch Stadium. Indeed, they are 35 - 12 at home this season. Confidence is the most important factor a professional athlete can own. The Cards are a confident club and it is evident in their play especially at Busch Stadium. This attitude has an effect on the teams they are playing. When the Cards have a lead, one can sense that the opponent's confidence takes a hit. Covering a successful winning team is something I don't take for granted, yet, I admit that I have been spoiled by the success of the Cardinals. Thank you Redbirds!

No Strategy

The Cardinals have the best record in all of baseball. The Royals have the second best record in all of baseball. Tonight, they faced off at Busch Stadium for a make-up game from a June rainout. The Cards beat the a Royals 4 - 3 in 2:56. Whenever the two best teams in baseball - yes I said it - the two best teams in baseball - whenever this occurs you can expect a game of excitement and high drama. That is exactly what transpired tonight in St. Louis. The Royals, the best team in the American League score 2 runs in the top of the first inning. The Cardinals, the best team in the National League and, in fact, all of baseball hit 2-run homeruns in the 2nd and 3rd innings to take a 4 - 2 lead. This lead lasted until the 9th inning. Then the drama started. The Royals lead off batter singled and the next batter tripled. 4 - 3 Cards with a runner on 3rd base and nobody out. After a strikeout, an out on a play at the plate and a groundout, the Redbirds prevailed. I am not a manager in the Big Leagues but this game was won in the top of the 4th inning when the Royals were threatening with 2 outs. They pinch-hit for their starting pitcher with their best hitter (a usual DH) who flew out to centerfield. Game over. No weapons left for late in the game. In fact, a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth for the Royals had yet to collect his 1st big league hit. He struck out. In the game of baseball, National League managers gave a better grasp of strategy than American League managers. This is proven. There is no strategy in the American League. American League fans watch boring baseball.

Great Fun

This was the most exciting game of the 2015 season for Cardinals fans. The Redbirds defeated the White Sox in Chicago by the score of 3 - 2 in 3:02. The Cards starting pitcher pitched well but left the game after 6 innings losing 2 - 0. The Sox starting pitched even better and was leading 2 - 0 when he was replaced in the 7th inning. We questioned the move in the truck because this pitcher was really dealing. Going into the 8th inning it really seemed like this was just not the Redbirds night. Then, with 2 outs and the bases loaded, the Cards batter ripped a 0-2 pitch into the right field corner for a bases clearing triple! This player, the catcher, hit his first triple since 2011. Totally unexpected! The Cardinals fans which numbered about half of the crowd went delirious. I don't remember crowd shots showing so much excitement. The Cards won this game in an outcome that happens only once or twice a season. Great fun!!

AL Baseball Sucks

The Cards beat the White Sox in Chicago tonight by the score of 8 - 5 in 3:06. This American League game featured a grand slam, a Major League debut, and a shitload of walks. Slams are exciting. Debuts are exciting. Walks are boring. Take away the walls tonight and this would have been a great game/telecast. Take away the slam and the debut and this game/telecast would have stunk. Tomorrow is our final road interleague game of the 2015 season. Thank God! Interleague play - don't even get me going.

Exact Opposites

While yesterday's game/telecast was, as I wrote, relaxing and fun", today's game/telecast was the exact opposite. Yesterday's game went 9 innings and lasted 3:01. Today's game, which was won by the Mets 3 - 1, went 18 innings and took 5:55 to play. To make matters worse, the game was scoreless through 12 innings. Both teams scored a run in the 13th inning and the Mets won the contest with two runs in the top of the 18th. There is no way to relax in a game such as this. I"ll tell you this - concentrating on a baseball game for almost 6 hours is draining - mentally draining. I am not in the least sleepy but I am mentally exhausted. Exactly the opposite from after yesterday's game.

Relaxing And Fun

The Cardinals beat the Mets 12 - 2 in 3:01 tonight at Busch Stadium. This was a relaxing game to direct as the Redbirds scored 4 in the 1st inning and 4 in the 5th and led 8 - 0 after 5. This was a fun game to direct as there was a 5-hit game by a Cardinal and a 2-homerun game by another. Usually blow out games can be fairly uninteresting and one can find himself losing concentration and being easily distracted. Not this game. There was quite a bit of fun action surrounding this game despite the score. Games that create a relaxed atmosphere are not usually fun to direct - at least not as fun as this game.

Back In The Chair

The Cards beat the Mets at Busch Stadium tonight in 3:01 by the score of 3 - 2. After 6 days off (and a wonderful time was had during the break) I felt fairly fresh sitting in the chair. There was a great pace during the game as both starting pitchers pitched fast and pitched well. Then, the Mets manager who was ejected earlier in the game for arguing balls and strikes (he was right), started managing with 3 pitching changes in the bottom of the 8 the inning. There was some grumbling from the crew but I thought he was just trying to win the game. After a tumultuous top of the 9th he almost did. But, the Cards held on and won the game with the tying run on third and the lead run on first. It was good to have a nice break in July and it was good to be back in the chair.

Aaahhh!!

The Pirates beat the Redbirds tonight in Pittsburgh by the score of 5 - 2. In my opinion, nothing much interesting happened during the game/telecast - nothing. Maybe I feel that way because I now have 7 days off until my next game. Aaahhh! This might seem selfish on my part and it probably is. 7 days off in July? Are you kidding me. That has never happened in my 32 year Major League TV baseball career. Televising baseball is the most difficult grind in all of television sports broadcasting. 7 days off in July is a Godsend. Recharging the batteries going into the second half is quite important. I am very thankful for this break and I am truly looking forward to the second half of the 2015 season. Aaahhh!!!

Pressure

The Cards beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh tonight by the score of 4 - 1. This 2:52 affair which included a 36 minute rain delay was a much anticipated game by both teams only for different reasons. The Pirates who may be the hottest team in the National League and their fans looked as this game as a chance to show who was the best team in baseball. The Cardinals, who are the best team in baseball, looked at this game as a chance to defeat another very good team. Why do I make this statement you ask? Comments I received from members of the TV crew in Pittsburgh (both home and visitor crew members) compared to the members of our Cards TV crew indicated that this series was much more important to the Pittsburgh side than the St. Louis side. I don't deny that the Pirates are a very good team. They are. But with what happened on the field tonight, I believe that the players on the field feel the same way. The Pirates felt the pressure of this series and the Cardinals didn't feel any pressure. The mistakes made by the Pirates and the fine play of the Cardinals tonight proved this. The Cards didn't make mistakes and the Pirates did. Watch the replay.

Are You Kidding Me?

The Cards beat the Cubs in 3:11 tonight at Wrigley by the score of 6 - 5. This was an "Are you kidding me" game. The home plate umpire squeezed both pitching staffs the whole game. In fact, after the Cubs took a 5 - 4 lead in the 7th inning, both the Cards catcher and manager were ejected. After the Redbirds coughed up a 4-run lead there was NO WAY they were going to win this game. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning the Cubs walked the Cards batter bringing the winning run to the plate. Sure enough, with the count 1 - 2 the Cardinals batter hit a 2-run homerun to put the Redbirds in front and eventually won the game. After the Cubs pitcher walked the Cards batter with two outs in the ninth, the Cubs pitching coach visited the mound. At that time, I said to our announcers "What in the fuck could he possibly be telling the pitcher?" 4 pitches later the winning bomb was launched. Here was my call on the homerun - "take 2....holy fuck.....wow....take 6 (on the homerun hitter) holy fuck......take 1 (on delirious Cards fans) are you fucking kidding me?... Take 2 (homerun hitter scoring) WOW, WOW, WOw. An incredible ending! Are you kidding me? At 36,000 feet flying to Pittsburgh for a 4-game series against the 2nd place Pirates. As much as I have been looking forward to this series there is no way any game could match this one. An anticlimactic series indeed.

Fried

The Cards and Cubs played a day/night doubleheader today at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won both games. I don't remember much about either game. I certainly do not remember the first game. I couldn't tell you the score or what happened during the contest. I remember the Cardinals losing the second game in the late innings. The first game ended around 3:30 (I can't be sure but it sounds right) and we told the crew to be back on headset at 6:00. I returned to the truck at 5:30 and immediately fell into a coma. I had one and a half hours before my next game and I was brain dead. I took a walk. I drank a Coke. I woke up as I walked the Wrigley concourse. I don't remember much about the nightcap game. I do know that I didn't fuck up. At least, I don't think I did.

Thrilled

The Redbirds defeated the Padres in 2:26 today at Busch Stadium. This 3 - 1 game featured a first Major League homerun by a Cardinals player. I'm sure this fine athlete was thrilled when was rounding the bases after the homer. To tell the truth, it was a thrill cutting the homerun. It's too bad that the ball barely cleared the fence before returning to the field because the batter thought he had only hit a double and he stopped at second base. Oh well, I'm also sure this player will connect on more homeruns in his career. I really enjoy a Major League debut, a first basehit, a first homerun, a first pitch in the Major Leagues, and a first strikeout. I'm almost as thrilled as the player.

Energy Transfer

The Cards broke a 4-game losing streak with a 2 - 1 victory over the Padres today at Busch Stadium. Word has it that this 2:37 victory has caused less people to head to the nearest bridge. This was an example of my favorite type of baseball game. Well pitched with the winning run scoring in the bottom of the 8th inning. Today's winning run scored on a sacrifice fly with a bang bang play at home plate. When that run scored Busch Stadium erupted. It is easy to over cut when the energy level in the ballpark is off the charts but, good lord, is it fun. I believe that energy transfers to the TV crew. I know it pumped me up.

OMG

Oh my God! The Cardinals lost their 4th game in a row tonight falling to the Padres in 2:35 by the score of 2 - 1. Oh my God! The Cardinals lead in the Central Division is now down to 6 games over the Pirates. Oh my God! The Cardinals now have a record of 51 - 28 - time to panic. Oh my God! The Redbirds have lost all 3 home games in July after losing just 2 home games during the month of June. It's over! Hey, they put up a good run. I'd like to thank the Cardinals for some great entertainment during April, May and June. One just knew it wouldn't last. Being the Cardinals fan that I am, I will still be there during the second half of the 2015 season cheering them on. I am not a fair weather fan. Now that the season is over, I just hope the Cards look at this first half of the 2015 season, learn from it, and take that knowledge into the 2016 season. Oh my God! People actually think this way. OMG

"Cool It"

There was one huge difference between tonight's game telecast between the Padres and the Cardinals and the last two games with the White Sox - NO RAIN!! That is the only difference. This game went 11 innings and lasted 3:55 - similar to the White Sox series. This 5 - 3 loss to the Padres was only the second time the Redbirds have lost 3 in a row all season. Just the 2nd time. Oh my God the grumbling!! Are you kidding me? The Cardinals have the best record in baseball by far. They have the best pitching ERA in baseball by far. They have the best home record in baseball by far. Give me a break. Yes, I agree, the pace they were making would be near impossible to continue for a complete season. But to start looking for the nearest bridge is damn near comical. Cardinals fans, of which I consider myself, have been spoiled for a long long team. This great organization has been very very successful and competes year in and year out. I am reminded of the great line by Donald Sutherland in the great movie "Kelly's Heroes" - "Cool it with the negative waves Moriarity!"

More Hope

In yesterday's blog I wrote that after my 4 days off I received the game I had hoped for. I ended that blog hoping that tonight's game/telecast would not be delayed by rain. Sometimes your hopes are answered and sometimes they are dashed. My hopes for tonight's show were dashed and dashed in a cruel way. There was a 1 hour and 49 minute rain delay to start the game and there were 2 more rain delays during the game. The game took 3:16 to play and the 3 rain delays totaled 2:19. To make matters worse, the White Sox scored 5 runs in the top of the ninth inning with more rain on the way. In fact, just when we were HOPING for outs in the worst way, 2 of the Redbirds pitchers in the top of the ninth inning didn't even record an out. The game finally ended and as I reached my car afterwards the rain began. I left my house at 2:15 yesterday afternoon and I arrived home at 1:45 this morning. Maybe tomorrow's game telecast will go much smoother. I can only hope.

Hope

The White Sox beat the Cardinals 2 - 1 tonight at Busch Stadium. This extra inning affair took 3:34 to play and was just the type of game I was hoping for after 4 days off. No, I wasn't hoping for extra innings but I was hoping for a well-pitched game and I got one. Both starting pitchers, in fact, all eleven pitchers in the game pitched well. There was a nice flow to the show tonight and we were able to get a nice rhythm going. I hope for the same game tomorrow. Hopefully, the rain will stay away.

Luxury

Currently flying from Miami to St. Louis at 36,000 feet I just don't feel like commenting on the Cards 5 - 1 victory over the Marlins tonight in Miami. No, I would rather comment on the next four days of this 2015 season. I have them off!! My youngest son is getting married and I am taking the weekend off plus Monday is a scheduled off day. Four days off during the middle of the season is truly a luxury. I have not yet begun to fry and these next four days will certainly delay the onset of my brain frying. It happens every season. The frying will just begin a tad bit later this season.

Flow Of The Show

The Rebirds beat the Marlins tonight in Miami. The 6 - 1 game took 2:31 to play. 2:31 is such a great pace for a game and, thus, a telecast. There is one way and one way only that a game can be played in 2:31 - great starting pitching. Both starting pitchers in this game were outstanding. We battled some technical issues at the start of the telecast but I'm sure the viewer didn't notice. The EIC of this truck is great and he corrected the issue in a prompt fashion. This turned out to be one of our better telecasts of the 2015 season. Usually a technical issue disrupts the flow of a show. Not tonight.

A Load Of Crap

In Miami tonight, it took 2:45 for the Cardinals to defeat the Marlins. Tonight's telecast was on Fox1 and was a National broadcast. I worked with the Marlins producer and we had a fairly smooth show. Everyone in the business who sits in the Producer's chair or the Director's chair has a different style. One of the primary reasons why I love my job so much is that each and every night I learn something new. Tonight was great fun as I sat next to someone whom I had never worked with before and it only took a couple of innings before I understood his rhythm and we got into a nice flow. I remember when dual feeds were introduced into our business. Everyone knew that dual feeds were brought into the TV business as a big time money saver. At the time, duals were saving each broadcast side $5000.00. That's $10,000 per show - big money. Multiply that by 155 telecasts and that figure is $1,550,000 - huge dough. I still laugh when I remember the reason we were given as to why dual feeds were introduced. "Every director cuts the game in a similar fashion. Therefore, there won't be a noticeable difference in the coverage." What a load of crap.

Brain Back To Life

It took 2:29 for the Phillies to beat the Cardinals 9 - 2 today in Philadelphia. I am currently flying with the team at 36,000 feet to Miami. I truly do not remember anything about this game. I do remember predicting a Cards victory, but this game is a blur. What can I say? The worst team in baseball beat the best team in baseball. We have an off day tomorrow in Miami. I will try to remember something about today's game/telecast, but I doubt I will be able to do that. I am just a bit brain dead. Sleeping until 2:00 eastern tomorrow just might bring my brain back from the dead. It may or may not work but I am going to try it.

A Collapse

The Redbirds defeated the Phillies tonight in Philly by the score do 10 - 1 in 3:02. For the second consecutive game the Cards collected 16 hits against a Philadelphia pitching staff that may be the worst I have ever seen. These poor pitchers don't have a clue on the mound. We were talking in the truck tonight about the collapse of the Phillies. This was one of the best teams and sometimes the best team in all of baseball for many years. How quickly it can and does end. The Cardinals shouldn't and won't lose to this team tomorrow. I have always liked the Phillies and their players. Unfortunately, this team will lose well over 100 games this season. From the highest of highs to the lowest of the lows - that is the Philadelphia Phillies. Wow!!

Disrespect

The Cards beat the Phil's tonight in Philly by the score of 12 - 4. This 3:34 affair for the Cardinals included 12 runs, 16 hits and 10 walks. This was a bad baseball game with a bad baseball team - the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Redbirds still showed signs of respect for the Phil's by not trying to pile on. There were a couple of instances where the Cardinals could have sent more baserunners home on basehits but the runner was held up on third base. Respect. It is very important to the integrity of the game that both teams show respect to each other. It is also very important for members of the TV team to show respect for one another. This did not happen tonight. I felt that one member of our TV team was disrespecting another member of our TV team and I tried to put an end to it. Words were exchanged in an unprofessional manner during the telecast. I should have waited until after the show to confront the disrespectful member of our team but, I felt at the time, I had to end this now. The show went on and no more disrespect was shown. We will see about tomorrow's game/telecast.

Better And Better

Today, I turned 60. Yup - 60. For over half of my life I have been involved with Major League Baseball television. 32 years to be exact. I am blessed. I love the game of baseball - love it. My career highlight occurred this week in Minnesota - my home state. I worked on a telecast with my two sons. One ran the duet (graphics) and the other ran the Fox Box. So, in my 32nd year of televising baseball, I experienced the highlight of my career! What does that tell you? It tells me that this gig just keeps getting better and better.

Thank You God

I just spent the greatest night of my 32 year professional TV baseball career. I began my career in Minnesota. I was part of the TV crew that closed out Metropolitan Stadium. I was part of the TV crew that opened the Metrodome and the current ballpark of the Minnesota Twins - Target Field. Those moments were all great. But, nothing compares to my experience tonight. I directed the Cardinals @ Twins telecast tonight with my oldest som, Tom, running the duet (graphics) and my youngest son, Mike, running the Fox Box. I really enjoy covering Cardinals baseball and I look forward to every telecast. Tonight, however, was special having my two boys involved with Cardinals television. I am proud of my boys and tonight I couldn't have been more proud. I am so blessed. Thank you God, thank you!!

Home

It took 2:31 of actual game time for the Cards to beat the Twins today at Busch Stadium. I said actual game time because there were two rain delays during the game. One delay was for 45 minutes and the other was 47 minutes. Currently flying to Minnesota at 36,000 feet to continue the series. 2 games in St. Louis followed by 2 in Minnesota. Being from Minnesota, I have been looking forward to this trip all season. I don't care that it is supposed to rain in Minnesota tomorrow. I'm going home.

A Good Day

Let me count the good things that happened to me today in no particular order. After a 20 minute rain delay to start the game, the Cardinals beat the Twins 3 - 2. The game was well played and well pitched and took 2:32 to play. I had a nice conversation with my former college teammate (1975 - 1977) and roadtrip roommate (1975) Twins manager Paul Molitor. I worked in the same TV truck with my oldest son, Tom, who was running the duet for the Twins feed. I had dinner with my son as well. All around, this was a great day. I am blessed.

Rained Out

Today's game between the Royals and Cardinals at Busch Stadium was called at 3:54 due to rain. We ran our 4 open segments and open billboards and waited. 5 hours and 54 minutes after I arrived at the ballpark the game was cancelled. What does a TV crew do during a rain delay you ask? Nothing absolutely nothing.

Electric

It took 2:46 for the Cardinals to beat the Royals today at Busch Stadium. The 3 - 2 score epitomized the quality of these two teams. They both enjoy the best win/loss records in their respective leagues. They are clearly two of the best teams in baseball and they play like it. And, covering baseball games that feature 2 quality teams is great fun. This is only the middle of June yet these games have a definite playoff feel and the atmosphere at Busch Stadium is electric. I can't wait for tomorrow's game/telecast.

Great Fun

The Cardinals beat the Royals tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 4 - 0 in 2:38. This game is my favorite type of game - well pitched! The Cards starting pitcher pitched 8 solid innings allowing only 4 infield singles. He also knocked in a run with a two-out single. I was really looking forward to this game and this series. The best teams (record wise) in each league. A full Busch Stadium was rocking with it's sea of red and pockets of blue. I was expecting great fun and great fun was delivered. More great fun tomorrow please.

Love Fest

I love Denver Colorado. I love the city. I love the weather. I love Coors Field. I love the Ritz Carlton - the best hotel in the National League. I love doing baseball with that TV crew. From top to bottom, they are all great! I love walking to the ballpark before the game and I love taking a rickshaw from Coors Field to the hotel after the game. I love the restaurants and bars in the city. I love Elway's - the bar/restaurant in the hotel. I love the espresso coffee machine in the room. There is only one thing I may love more than my Denver experience. My own bed. I am in it tonight. Ok enough of the love fest. Goodnight.

2 Things

I don't usually add an additional post to this blog. In fact, I never have added an additional post to this blog on the same day. However, I feel compelled to offer an additional post tonight. First of all, kudos to the Denver home TV crew for a very comfortable dual experience. The visiting TV crew members on our crew at top notch. No worries. Also, we on the St. Louis TV team are breaking in a new director. I have been doing this for 32 years. I know what I am doing and forgive me for my confidence - I know what I am doing? Our lead tape producer wants to learn how to direct and we are giving him the opportunity to do so. So far so good. I know that it took me 15 years before I knew what I was doing cutting a game. 15 years to realize I cannot be surprised. As I sat next to him, producing the telecast tonight, I remembered how I felt as he cut the game and I smiled in the great understanding of how hard directing baseball can be. It is exciting for me to watch him grow and learn as a TV baseball director. Trust me, cutting baseball is the most difficult sport to direct - period. Our new director is going to get more opportunities. I can't wait to watch him progress.

I Sucked

After a 1:07 rain delay, the Rockies beat the Cards 4 - 3 in 2:56. I missed a pickoff tonight. After a batter was called out on strikes on a 3 - 2 count, he slowly started walking out of the box but up the first base line. I told my low first base camera op to shoot the pitcher. As he was framing the shot the catcher threw to first and the runner was called out on a close play at the bag. I believe my high first camera op (my pick off camera) thought the batter had walked because he was panning for a shot of the Cards pitching coach in the dugout. He whipped back and caught the tag at the last second. It's a helpless feeling when you look to your pickoff camera and he is not there. I don't blame the camera op who is great. To make matters worse, the Rockies challenged the call on the field and it took the umpires 2 minutes and 9 seconds to uphold the call. 2 minutes and 9 seconds to emphasize how I sucked on my cut in that situation. It felt like 2 hours and 9 minutes.

What?

Coors Field. Final score 11 - 3. Two 5-run innings. 5 doubles. One triple. Four homeruns. 14 runs. 24 hits. Add it all up. All this at Coors Field and the game was played in 2:39. What?

Back To Back

Another great great game /telecast! This was a mirror image of last night's great great game/telecast. However, it was the Dodgers turn for the victory. Like last night, both starting pitchers were superb. Like last night, the winning runs were scored in the 8th inning. The Dodgers beat the Cards 2 - 0 in 2:22 with the Rebirds collecting only 1 basehit - a single in the 2nd inning. It's not often that a TV production team will televise back to back games as good as these 2 contests. Off tomorrow because of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. I am flying to Denver early and will watch the game from there. I hope it's another gem.

Best Game

Cardinals fans, of which I consider myself, witnessed the best baseball win of the 2015 season tonight at Dodger Stadium. In this 2:22 game, the Redbirds scored 2 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take the lead and eventually won the game 2 - 1. Until the 8th inning, the Cards had only managed 2 hits off the Dodgers starting pitcher who was dealing. In the 8th inning the Cardinals scored the 2 runs on a walk, 2 infield singles and a sacrifice fly. The night ended with a perfect 1 - 2 - 3 inning. What a game!

No Grinding Game

The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers tonight in LA by the score of 7 - 1 in 2:56. This was one of those "nothing" games. There was nothing memorable about this game. There was no drama. There were no great plays or exciting moments. This was one of those "relaxing" games I have written about. The only positive aspect of "nothing" games is they lessen the grind of a baseball season. There was no grinding tonight.

Scary Moment

Writing this while cruising at 37,000 feet on our way to Los Angeles. The 5-run bottom of the first inning took care of any drama in this contest as the Cards beat the Brewers 7 - 4 in 2:40 today at Busch Stadium. Despite this game being over before it was over, there was a nice flow to the game and a nice flow to the show today. The key moment of the game/telecast was when the Brewers third baseman flew awkwardly into the stands in foul territory near third base. The game paused for a while before the player walked off the field and into the clubhouse. Our announcers didn't speculate and we waited with our replays until we saw that the player was not badly injured. To tell the truth, I found it hard to believe that he wasn't more badly injured than he was. A scary moment in an otherwise vanilla game.

Terrific

Just a terrific baseball game. Once again in front of a full house, the Cards defeated the Brewers 1 - 0 in 2:27. This game was well pitched by both teams. This game was not without drama. The Brewers had runners on first and third with 1 out in the top of the ninth inning and their batter was a career 4 - 5 against the Redbirds hurler. On a 2 - 2 count he grounded into a 5 - 4 - 3 double play to end the game. Cutting the ending of this game was just about as enjoyable as cutting a walk-off win. Great great fun. Just terrific!!

I Expect It

At Busch Stadium tonight, the Brewers beat the Cardinals 1 - 0 in 3:05. I really enjoyed this game/telecast tonight because the starting pitcher for both teams was superb. The reason the game took over 3 hours to play was the fact that the Cardinals threatened against the Brew Crew bullpen in both the eighth and ninth innings. I remember how much I enjoyed Albert Pujols play when he was a Cardinal. I enjoyed his play because I expected Albert to deliver each and every at-bat. And he usually did. This is the same reason I enjoy this Cardinals team as they compete. I expect them to deliver and they usually do. Tonight, I honestly thought the Redbirds would win the game and this thought continued until the final out. I have the best job in baseball television.

Sad Beginning

The Cards beat the Dodgers today at Busch Stadium by the score of 3 - 1 in 2:33. Before the game, the Redbirds honored a player who made his Major League debut one year ago today. Unfortunately, this player was killed in a car accident during the off season. Included in the ceremony were his parents and two brothers. As a video tribute was being shown on the scoreboard inside Busch Stadium I took a shot of the family and the mother began crying. The starting pitcher for the Cardinals today was a best friend of the player who died. He was crying in the bullpen as he warmed up. Talk about a lump in your throat! I could barely speak as I cut that ceremony. It affected me early on during the game as well. I found it hard to focus during the first two innings. I kept seeing his mother crying.

Favorite Show

We had our "This Ones For You" telecast tonight honoring our troops. This is my favorite telecast. I am proud to be a part of it. This was the 11th consecutive year that we have honored the troops and the was the first time, fortunately, that there were no Missouri troops fighting overseas. Our pre-game show originated from Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri which trains our troops. By the way, the Cards defeated the Dodgers 3 - 0.

Blessed

It took the Cardinals 2:58 to beat the Dodgers 3 - 0 tonight at Busch Stadium. How lucky am I? How lucky am I to be a part of St. Louis Cardinals television? How lucky? The two best teams in the National League faced off tonight in St. Louis and the Redbirds dominated in front of a full house. I count my blessings every day. The Cardinals have been good for a long long time and I am thankful to be a part of that. A full house (always) a good team (great really) and an off day tomorrow. (Would rather work) I am blessed and I know it.

Rare

It was a 4 - 3 victory in 3:19 for the Cardinals over the Diamondbacks tonight at Busch Stadium. For the Redbirds this game started and ended in rare fashion. The first batter of the game for the Cards hit a homerun on the first pitch he saw. That has not happened for St. Louis since 2008. The last play of the game occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, 1 out and the score tied at 3 apiece. The ball was chopped to the third baseman who threw home for the second out if the inning. As the catcher was throwing the ball to first base he was clipped on the leg by the baserunner. As that happened he threw the ball into right field for an error and the Cards won. The start was rare and the finish was rare. A weird game indeed.

Schizoid

6 - 4 was the final score as the Cards defeated the Diamondbacks tonight at Busch Stadium. There were two different ballgames tonight in St. Louis. All the scoring came in the first 4 innings as both starting pitchers were erratic. The first 4 innings took 1:32 to play. The pitching settled down and the final 5 innings took 1:20. There was no flow to the game in the first 4 innings while there was a nice flow to the show in the final 5. Even though a TV crew doesn't change it's work ethic throughout a game/telecast, a game with no flow seems to be very difficult to televise while a show with a flow seems almost easy to capture. Tonight's game was schizophrenic indeed

Highs/Lows

The Cards beat the Diamondbacks in walk off fashion today at Busch Stadium. This 3:24 affair ended with a lead off homerun in the bottom of the 10th inning. This was a game of highs and lows. The Redbirds' starting pitcher threw 7 innings of shutout baseball - high. The DBacks tied the game with a 2-run homerun off the bullpen in the top of the eighth inning - low. The first two batters for the Cards in the bottom of the ninth reached on singles - high. The next three batters in the inning all struck out - low. The Cardinals' lead off hitter in the bottom of the 10th inning homered and the game was over - high. A motto of all professional athletes in any sport is "don't get too high and don't get too low". This also works for a TV sports production team.

American League = Boring

The Cards completed their roadtrip today with a 6 - 1 victory over the Royals.the pace of the game was refreshing. The game took 2:40 to play and I am glad for that as rain was threatening all game long. In fact, as we were bussing to the airport the rain began. I am now home and, yes, it is raining. I am looking forward to National League baseball as this upcoming homestand features the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Brewers. Nothing against the Royals. They are a very good team. Too bad an exciting club like Kansas City has to play in a boring league. That's right - American League baseball is boring. Just Saying.

WOW

The Royals beat the Cardinals 5 - 0 in 2:53 tonight in Kansas City. The Royals won the game on 2 swings of the bat - a 3-run homerun and a 2-run blast both by the same player. I enjoyed tonight's game /telecast for 2 reasons. This game included the two best teams in baseball which meant a full Kaufmann Stadium. Great electricity in the ballpark. The number 1 reason I enjoyed tonight's game/telecast was because my technical director (TD) was very very good. Yes, it is true that most Major League TV technical directors are very very good. However, TD's who are working only their second ever Major League Baseball game are not supposed to be this good. When I started my Major League TV baseball career 32 years ago, I wasn't even on the same planet as my TD tonight. Whenever I encounter a member of our profession who is just starting out, I wish them the best and I am excited for them. I have never been this excited about the newest member of our profession as I am tonight. WOW!

Not Sure Why

I am now at 35,000 feet flying from New York to Kansas City. It is easy to explain the 2:26 that it took to complete today's Cards/Mets game at Citi Field. After the second batter of the game singled, the Mets pitcher retired 24 batters in a row. Except for two pitches (both homeruns), the Cardinals starting pitcher pitched a good game too. As I have written before, I most enjoy well pitched baseball games. Today's game was no exception. However, there was something about this contest that seemed a little "off". And, for the life of me, I don't know why. I love the game of baseball. I love the St. Louis Cardinals. Maybe my love of the Cardinals too precedence over my love of the game. I'm not sure.

Get Me Out Of Here

This 9 - 0 victory by the Cards over the Mets took 2:43 to play tonight in New York. Another blowout. Another stressless game/telecast. As I wrote last night, these games prove to be very beneficial during the long baseball season. However, that doesn't mean I prefer these types of games over a well-pitched 2 - 1 game. That is the most fun a TV baseball broadcast team can possibly have during the season. This Mets ballclub isn't very good. They can pitch but they can't hit. I guess The Cardinals TV team will have to wait for this weekend when the Redbirds are in Kansas City. I can't wait for this weekend. Get me out of here.

The Relaxing Telecast

The Cards beat the Mets in New York tonight by the score of 10 - 2. This 2:43 blowout was a different game than we have been accustomed to this season. Therefore, our telecast was also different than we have been used to in 2015. Sometimes telecasts are relaxing. Tonight's show was a perfect example of a relaxed telecast. Why are these types of shows important? Well, when a TV production team is involved in 155 games a high percentage of those games and, thus, telecasts are quite stressful. There is not a high percentage of game/telecasts where the TV team can deliver the product in a relaxed atmosphere. Trust me, if each of the 155 shows were of high stress, the TV team would be fried by July. These game/telecasts are a mini vacation during the season. The quality of the coverage does not suffer during these types of shows. On the contrary, the "relaxed" shows allow the TV team to present late season stressful shows in a high quality fashion. A welcomed game and a welcomed telecast tonight indeed.

Two Words

The Cards lost to the Mets tonight at Citi Field by the score of 2 - 1. This game went 14 innings and lasted 4:14. The fact the the game went 14 innings and lasted 4:14 is bothersome, yes, but not as bothersome as the two words I heard more than once tonight. The fact that going into the top of the ninth inning with the score 1 - 0 in favor of the Mets didn't bother me. The fact that going into that frame the game was barely 2 hours old didn't bother me. The fact that the Cardinals tied the game in the top of the ninth inning didn't bother me. It was those two words. The two words that are the two worst words to hear in a TV truck. "I thought............"

Just Plain Ugly

There were many "ugly" factors concerning today's Tigers/Cardinals at Busch Stadium. I shall now proceed to name them. The Tigers beat the Cards 4 - 3. The game went extra innings. The time of game was 3:54. There was a 1:20 rain delay during the bottom of the first inning. The Redbirds made three terrible base running mistakes that probably cost them the game. Ugly indeed.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Two of the best teams were on display tonight at Busch Stadium. It is always fun to telecast baseball when two good teams are involved. That was the good. The Cardinals bullpen imploded tonight giving up 8 runs in the last 3 innings. That was the bad. The game lasted 3:26 with the final 1 hour and 50 minutes coming during the last 3 innings. That was the ugly. I believe tomorrow's game/telecast will feature all good and no bad. The only ugly part is the 80% chance of rain during the day.

Cleveland Crew

I already blogged about the success of the Cardinals. Now, let me say what a pleasure it was to be a part of the Cleveland crew. Today, I was horseshit. I was. Then, let me say that it was a pleasure being a member of the Indians visiting TV crew today. This crew is outstanding! They feel it. American League TV crews must love televising from that venue. Cleveland, Washington, San Francisco - pat yourselves on the back. Very impressive!!

How Do They Do It?

The Cards defeated the Tribe 2 - 1 today in 3:12 thus taking the series 2 games to 1. How is it possible that a team can score 10 runs in 3 games AND strikeout 40 times and still win the series? One at-bat during today's contest was all it took for the victory. A 2-run homer in the top of the 8th inning was the difference. So, in a game that lasted 3 hours and 12 minutes, there was only 1 at-bat that meant anything - 1. In game 1 of this series there was 1 big inning. In game 2 the Redbirds collected 1 hit and in today's rubber game there was only 1 at-bat that meant anything. I'm beginning to think this team is special.

Nicely Done

The Indians defeated the Cardinals 2 - 0 in 2:47 tonight in Cleveland. This game included one of the greatest pitching performances I have ever witnessed in my 32 years of televising Major League Baseball. The third batter of the game was hit by a pitch on the elbow. He later had to leave the game. With two outs in the 7th inning, the Redbirds collected their first and only hit. These were the only baserunners for the Cards in the game. The starting pitcher for Cleveland set a personal record with 18 strikeouts. He pitched through 8 innings. With a strikeout in the ninth inning, the Cards K'd 19 times in this game. I love well-pitched games. This extraordinary pitching performance will go down as one of my favorite games ever. Nicely done!

Not A Fan

I am not a fan of interleague play. I am not a fan of American League baseball. I am not a fan of the DH (designated hitter). I am not a fan of baseball games that take over 3 hours to play. I am not a fan of the NBA. So what did I experience tonight. In interleague play at an American League ballpark where the DH was used, the Cardinals defeated the Indians 8 - 3 in 3:31. And for icing on the cake, the Cleveland Cavaliers playoff game against the Chicago Bulls ended at the same time as the baseball game. The arena and the ballpark are right next to each other. I counted over a billion people on my walk back to the hotel. Tonight......not a fan.

One Of Those Days

The Pirates beat the Cardinals 4 - 3 in 2:38 today in Pitssburgh. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do for a living. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball for a living? Yes, there is more to it than that but today was one of those days where I just couldn't get completely into it. This happens to every TV baseball producer and director in the business. If a producer or director denies this charge then he or she is lying. This was one of those days for me. Don't get me wrong, I still cut the game to the best of my ability but for whatever reason, the passion wasn't there. The St. Louis Cardinals viewers in St. Louis were not cheated in any way from the coverage of the game. It is just that my passion for the game of baseball wasn't at it's ideal peak during the telecast. I didn't miss anything during the game/telecast and the viewer wasn't cheated. It was just one of those days.

Downtown Pittsburgh

The Pirates finally defeated the Cardinals tonight in Pittsburgh. It took 2:34 for the Bucs to beat the Redbirds by the score of 7 - 5. There was a baseball rarity in tonight's game. The Pirates completed a 4-5-4 triple play in the top of the 2nd inning. The reaction of the Cardinals' batter who lined into the triple play was priceless. One of our better replays of this season. I stated in an earlier blog about how much I enjoy Pittsburgh. From a television standpoint, the live scenic shots of the downtown Pittsburgh may be the nicest in all of baseball.

Blessed

The Redbirds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh by the score of 8 - 5. This 2:58 affair gave the Cards a victory in all 4 games they have played the Bucs this season. This is important because the Pirates, I believe, are the closest competitor in the Central Division. I like Pittsburgh. I like the TV crew and I walk to and from the hotel to the ballpark. We had a few mistakes tonight but overall this was a good telecast. The Cards hit three absolute bombs tonight and they were, as always, a blast to cut. At 22 - 7, the Cardinals are off to the best start in their history. I am having great great fun. I am blessed.

Apology To Cubs Fans

It took 2:53 for the Cards to beat the Cubs 5 - 1 today at Busch Stadium. This was a very enjoyable game/telecast. The Cardinals starting pitcher was outstanding. When he was on the mound, there was a great flow to the game and the telecast. It was a totally different story when the Redbirds were at bat however. The Cubs play in the field was quite sloppy. This Cubs team is very young. Young but scary. It probably won't be this season but the Cubs team will be a force in the not so distant future. Finally. I love a baseball game between two good teams. Unfortunately, the Cubs have been awful for a number of seasons. I believe that the loyal (why?) Cubs fans will be rewarded very soon for that loyalty. It's been over 100 years since their last World Series championship. Will it be another 100 years before they reach the level of successful consistency of the Cardinals organization. Probably. Sorry Cubs fans - had to get that in.

Lucky

The Cubs stopped the Cards 8-game win streak with a 6 - 5 victory tonight at Busch Stadium. The 2:56 affair was very entertaining and included the Cubs manager getting ejected. As a TV baseball director, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. A few moments before the ejection, I put the home plate umpire and the Cubs' manager in a split screen. The manager was yelling and the umpire was trying to get him to stop. Then, with the split screen on line, the umpire threw the manager out of the game. A nice piece of video. I prefer a well pitched 2 - 1 game over a 6 - 5 game with alot of offense like tonight but I'll take good luck over both of those scenarios.

Can't Complain

There wasn't a walk-off win for the Cardinals tonight. There weren't any extra innings tonight. The Redbirds did defeat the Cubs at Busch Stadium 7 - 4 in 3:13. This was the Cards 8th win in a row and there were over 40,000 fans in the stands. The Cardinals are 20 - 6 and off to their best start in their storied history. 26 games into the season they have a 6.5 game lead in the division. Their pitching is the best in baseball and their hitters are clutch. I can't complain.

All Or Nothing

During the top of the first inning, the Cardinals starting pitching had nothing. The Cubs scored 5 runs before the Redbirds came to bat. During the bottom of the first inning, the Cards first baseman gave his all with a grand slam homerun. So, after the first inning the total were thus: 5 runs on 42 pitches for the Cubs and 4 runs on 30 pitches for the Cards. The Cubs had nothing for the rest of the game. The Redbirds gave their all and won the game 10 - 9 in 3:39. This was a poor poor baseball game but a good win. Three walk-off wins in a row followed by this strange game. What will tomorrow's game have up it's sleeve?

Another Walk-off Win

The Cards walked off for the third consecutive game today as they beat the Bucs 3 - 2 in 14 innings. Two days ago they won with a walk-off single. Yesterday, they won on a sacrifice fly. Today was the best of all. After 4 hours and 28 minutes they prevailed with a homerun. As I have stated, walk-offs are great fun to cut. The most enjoyable walk-off for a baseball director is the homerun variety. For the TV team being on the winning side is 1000 times better than being on the losing side. That 4:28 had to seem like forever for the Pirates TV team. It didn't seem so bad for us.

Pumped

It took 3:27 and 11 innings for the Cardinals to defeat the Pirates by the score of 2 - 1 today at Busch Stadium. This was the second consecutive walk-off win for the Redbirds over the Bucs. Walk-offs are great great fun to cut especially at home. Capturing the excitement of the players and the energy of the fans is quite rewarding. I believe the TV crew gets pumped when there is a walk-off win at Busch Stadium. I know I do.

Teaching The Game

The Birds beat the Bucs in 10 innings tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 2 - 1. Walk-off wins are great fun to cut - perhaps the most fun. However, I enjoyed the different twist that we used in our telecast tonight. We utilized former Cardinal great Jim Edmonds as part of our announce team. The former centerfielder was not in the booth however. He was situated in the centerfield stands. This perspective really added to the "defense" theme of the show. I utilized a picture in picture through the fox box with the centerfielder in the box. This telecast was possibly the best teaching tool telecast I have ever been part of. Great fun indeed!

Away From The Ball

9 - 3 was the score as the Redbirds prevailed over the Phillies in 2:55 today at Busch Stadium. The Cards' starting pitcher was making his Major League debut and didn't make it out of the third inning. But he was in the game long enough that his mother, who was in the seats, gave our telecast it's best replays of the day and, in fact, the best live shots of the day. The live shots and replays showed happiness and anguish, anxiety and relief, all during the first 2 1/3 innings. In fact, the joy expressed when her son retired the first batter of the game was the only shot we used in our rollout. I believe the best shots and the best replays are those that don't follow the ball. I believe shots away from the ball are most effective because only the viewer at home sees them. The fans in the stands are following the ball and, therefore, don't see them.

Speed

It took 2:38 for the Redbirds to beat Philadelphia by the score of 5 - 2 at Busch Stadium tonight. The highlights from our game/telecast featured speed. I felt that our "real speed" replays were the most effective moments of our telecast. We captured a triple, a marvelous catch in right centerfield and a bang bang play at home plate on a ground ball with the infield playing in. These three plays were all committed by the same player. Capturing the speed of the game of baseball is very tricky. The only way to capture this speed is by real time replays. In fact, I believe there should be more replays of this type. Even on routine plays.

Chunked

The Cards beat the Phil's at Busch Stadium tonight by the score of 11 - 5. This 2:58 clunker was completely opposite of last night's game. There was absolutely no rhythm in this game. It was like every inning just chunked together. Is chunked a word? Well if it is, then this game defined it.

I Got Rhythm

The Phillies beat the Cardinals 4 - 1 tonight at Busch Stadium. This 2:32 affair is an example of my favorite games to direct. It was well pitched. Well pitched = well paced = good rhythm. I copied the great George Gershwin song from 1930 - "I Got Rhythm". Our telecast had rhythm tonight. It flowed. When there is rhythm to a telecast, it seems like the game takes 5 minutes to play. A very very fun game/telecast tonight.

2 Wins 2 Losses

The Cardinals defeated the Brewers in 3:01 tonight at Miller Park by the score of 5 - 3. Tonight's contest was eerily similar to last night's Redbirds win over the Brew Crew. Last night, the Cards lost their every day catcher and team leader, Yadier Molina, to injury from a foul tip off his knee. The good news was that this injury was considered "day to day". Tonight, the Cards team leader of the pitchers, Adam Wainwright, stumbled coming out of the box and was in obvious pain as he hobbled off the field. Not good. The Cardinals celebrated two wins and suffered two losses in two days at Milwaukee.

Their Season Is Over

This 3 - 0 Cardinals win over the Brewers took 2:42 to complete. While it is true that the Brew Crew are 3 - 14 in this young season, that is no excuse for the brand of baseball I witnessed tonight at Miller Park. The Brewers played like the date was September 24 and they were 29 games out of first place instead of April 24 where they are now 9 games out of first. This was one of the most pathetic performances I have ever witnessed in ANY sport at ANY level. This situation has gone from "something has to be done" to "something will be done". That being said, this 2015 Brewers Baseball Club is the first Major League Team to have ever been eliminated in April. They are done.

The Faster The Better

From a TV baseball director's standpoint, the faster the pace of the game the better. When the pace of the game is brisk, the director is able to get into a very comfortable rhythm. Today's game between the Cardinals and the Nationals was just one of those games. This 2:31 affair was won by the Redbirds by the score of 4 - 1. Starting pitching will dictate the quality of the speed of the game. I was very excited about this contest today because the starting pitchers were Michael Wacha and Max Scherzer. They fulfilled their promise as two of the finest pitchers in the game. Coupled with the truly talented DC TV crew and this was one of my most enjoyable days of my career.

Good Then Bad Then Good Then Bad

The Cards beat the Nats tonight in 2:51 by the score of 7 - 5. The Redbirds were good early on and the Nationals were bad. The Nationals were good during the middle of the game and the Cardinals were bad at the same time. St. Louis was good at the end of the game while the Nationals were bad at the same time. Regardless of the quality of the play of the teams during the game, the quality of the Washington visiting TV crew was excellent the whole telecast. This crew is very very good. It truly is a pleasure being a part of their TV team. Despite the fact that the play on the field fluctuated from inning to inning, this crew was on top of it every inning. Ever since interleague play began in Major League Baseball, this DC crew has been one of the top crews in baseball. They might be the best crew in the game.

To Each His Own

The Washington Nationals hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Redbirds 2 - 1. This entertaining game which lasted 3:43 included good pitching and defense. The Cards provided excitement in the top of the ninth when they tied the score at 1 apiece. This was one of those games that had many exciting "moments". For Nat's fans the top highlight would certainly be the walk-off homerun. Cardinals' fans would choose between 2 outstanding catches by the centerfielder or the game tying single in the top of the ninth inning. Maybe the most memorable moment from the standpoint of the TV production was the sound of a thrown bat smashing into the low brick wall behind the on deck circle. To each his own.

Blessed And Thankful

The Cards defeated the Reds today in front of a sold out Busch Stadium by the score of 5 - 2. The St. Louis Cardinals TV team is blessed. Last season, there was not one crowd below 40,000 at Busch Stadium and that trend has continued this season. It is so much fun to cut a baseball game when the ballpark is electric. The difference between televising a game at Busch Stadium compared to, let's say, Miami is staggering. Televising with a full stadium keeps everyone on their toes. It is much easier to lose your concentration when the ballpark has 15,000 fans as compared to 40,000 plus. Truly we are blessed. I'm very thankful for that.

Special Night

The Cards beat the Reds 6 - 1 on Red Schoendienst night at Busch Stadium. Red Schoendienst may be the classiest Major League Baseball player who ever lived. Certainly, he is one of the nicest persons you could ever meet. It was only fitting that the Redbirds would beat the Reds in dramatic fashion on this great night. I am proud to know this man and I am blessed to call him a friend. Good going Redbirds!!!