Thank You

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

Can't Bring Me Down

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

No More

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

Thank You

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

Greatest Moment EVER

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

Bizarre

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

I Was Wrong

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

Turned The Tables

The Cincinnati Reds fans found out tonight what the St. Louis Cardinals fans felt like last night. The Cards defeated the Reds 12 - 5 in 3:17 tonight at Busch Stadium in a laugher turned the other way around. For the Redbirds faithful, they were entertained by 5 homeruns including a grand slam. First a laugher for the Reds and then a laugher for the Cardinals. I'm tired of the laughter!! How about a 2 - 1 game tomorrow? We'll see.

Unreal

I asked the Producer tonight "Is this really happening?" The final score in this 2:48 game at Busch Stadium was Reds 15, Cardinals 2. The Redbirds starting pitcher was gone after 1 inning. The Reds had a 7-run inning and and 4-run inning back to back. The Reds' 22 hits were a season high. Our color analyst stated later in the game "This game is surreal." This Cards team has been really really good or really bad. This game was the worst of the really really bad. Perhaps tomorrow they will be really really good.

Brutal

This 5 - 0 Cubs victory over the Cardinals today at Wrigley Field took 2:53 to play but the game was over well before that. The Cubbies scored 4 runs in the top of the first inning and the game was essentially over. That bottom of the first inning may have been the most embarrassing inning of baseball I have ever witnessed at any level. I should have seen it coming when the lead off batter walked. From the wild pitches to the passed balls to the outfielder slipping and face planting this was one awful inning. The face plant was so brutal that we decided not to air the super slo-mo angle as this angle may have embarrassed the player - it was that bad. After that first inning it was like the Redbirds just wanted the game to be over and it showed. An embarrassing inning and an embarrassing performance by the team. Brutal.

Love Denver

Yes the Rockies slammed the Cardinals 11 - 1 today in Denver and yes the game only took 2:43 to play. Yes I don't like the Redbirds losing but there are just some places that getting your ass kicked (for the TV team anyway) just isn't as painful. Denver is the classic example where it is so comfortable doing a game that the outcome of the game just doesn't seem important. The home TV team is a group of fun, talented and friendly individuals that are very like able. The locals working for the visitors, us, work hard while having a good time. I look forward to televising in Denver every season. Thank you Denver TV people!! You guys make it fun!!

Familiar

A typical Coors Field game. 15 runs - 10 by the Cardinals. 26 hits - 14 by the Cardinals. 5 homeruns - 2 by the Cardinals. The Redbirds' starting pitcher collected 4 RBI's in the 3:21 game. The best part of this game/telecast was that I sat next to my great great friend who is recovering from 2 strokes. He produce 4 innings and it was a delight sitting next to him once again. This was a familiar game at this field and it was nice sitting next to a familiar face. A very enjoyable evening indeed.

Sloppy

Another game with the feel of the playoffs. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 5 - 3 in 3:01 tonight at Coors Field in Denver. The game ended with the National League leader in homeruns and RBI's at the plate with 2 runners on base. He hit a mistile to the left fielder and the game was over. I talk alot about the game/telecast in this blog. Cardinals television always tries to deliver a quality product. It doesn't matter is the game is well played and exciting or the game is a klunker, we always strive for quality in our telecast. We missed the mark tonight. This was a very exciting game and the telecast didn't match it. This was a fairly sloppy telecast. We will do better tomorrow.

Who Knows?

In 2:49 the Cards defeated the Giants by the score of 3 - 0 today in San Francisco. Another playoff atmosphere with the Redbirds answering the bell and the Giants showing little life. The Cardinals rookie starting pitcher and a picture of their future pitched superbly and, thus raising the hopes of Cardinal Nation in this years playoff chase. The Cards are 1 game behind the Giants for the 2nd Wild Card spot. We are now in Denver taking on the Rockies and the Giants are in LA taking on their hated Dodgers. No predictions here because of this weird, strange and odd season for the Cards. Optimism prevails but who knows?

Reactions

The Cardinals with a 2-run top of the ninth beat the Giants 3 - 2 tonight at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Games with a playoff "feel" are a blast to cut and this game was no exception. So many exciting moments happen in these games and, yes, the game cut is fun but what really is fun is setting up game iso's because when they work, and they usually do work in games like this, the rewards are most satisfying. I believe that the number one thing fans talk about when they talk about games such as these are not the first or second angle of replays of exciting moments but the third and fourth angles which show what happened away from the ball. Manager reactions, players reactions and fan reactions enhance a telecast more than replays of the game on the field. We televised some wonderful reactions throughout this game/telecast and these replays enhanced the quality of this show. Great great fun!

A Clunker

The Giants soundly defeated the Cards by the score of 8 - 2 in 2:57 tonight at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Unlike last night's exciting affair, this game was a clunker. Usually when a game includes 12 pitchers that game can be labeled a clunker. What other aspects define a clunker game? Poor pitching, bad at-bats and lousy fielding are certainly on that list and this game included all of this. It all starts with pitching and there was some awful almost comical pitching in this one. For example: walking the lead off batter after your team scores 6 runs in an inning. I could go on and on but I would rather not get pissed off before I hit the hay.

Can't Wait

The Giants, Mets and Cardinals are the only 3 teams left in the National League with legitimate chances to be one of the two wildcard teams. The Mets were idle tonight and the Cards played the Giants in San Francisco. This arguably was the most important game of the season for both teams as the Giants held a 1/2 game lead on the Redbirds going into the game. The Giants prevailed 6 - 2 in 2:33. Despite the score, this was a fun game to televise. There was a definite playoff atmosphere in AT&T Park and you could feel it in the TV truck. This "electric feeling" really enhances the telecast for the TV crew as well as the fans. You "get into it" and the adrenalin flows. Coming down from a game like this takes time. I can't wait for tomorrow's tilt.

No Mirror

Currently flying at 32,000 feet on our way to San Francisco after a 7 - 0 loss that took 2:37 to play. 2 hours and 37 minutes is a very nice pace for a game nowadays. But, for whatever reason, this contest seemed to last much longer than that. Maybe it was the lack of action on the Cardinals side or maybe it was the lopsided score. Whatever it was this game seemed to drag. I hope this telecast didn't mirror the game. I thought there was a nice pace to the telecast despite the game. I felt the game tugging at the telecast a few times but this telecast won out. This show didn't drag at all.

I Wish

The Cards beat the Cubs tonight at Busch Stadium. The 4 - 2 score took 2:51 to play. I wish every game/telecast matched the intensity of a Cubs Cardinals game. It doesn't matter if the game is at Wrigley Field or Busch Stadium. Heck, it wouldn't matter if it was played on a little league field in Boise, Idaho. I was talking with the Cubs Producer before the game and we both agreed that these games were "way too much fun". He said to me, "All of a sudden the game is over and it's like WOW that flew by". Cubs/Cardinals - well-pitched, well-played, well paced, great fun.

Rare

The Cubs, yes the hated Cubs, came into Busch Stadium tonight and beat the Cardinals 4 - 1 in 2:17. The Cubs starting pitcher, who leads the National League in ERA, pitched brilliantly and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning. We started preparing for the no-hitter after the 6th inning. We started airing our promos and drop-ins so the when the 9th inning arrived we would expend all efforts covering a possible historic effort by the Cubs starter. The lead off batter in the 9th inning for the Redbirds ended all suspense with a homerun. The rare no-hitter didn't happen. Well, something just as rare happened. The Cubs manager was ejected from the game but was allowed to go to the mound and make a pitching change. A rare game but great great fun.