It's Only June

The Cardinals opened a three game series with the Brewers tonight with a gigantic thud.

They were beaten by by their closest rivals 8 - 0.

Some friends of mine, staunch Cardinals fans, called me tonight after the game to express their opinion on the outcome of the first game of this three game series.

I wanted to scream.

"It's only June!!!"

A major league TV producer and director must develop a rigid mindset during the baseball season.

The same approach MUST be taken for each and every telecast.

The same effort MUST be taken for each and every game.

Just as every game is important for each team, each and every telecast is important for each TV team.

There should be no difference in the quality if the telecast if the game is in Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Diego, or Milwaukee.

There is no difference in the effort by the MLB baseball team each and every game and the same is true with each telecast.

Spring training, April, May, June, July, August, September, and sometimes October.....it does not matter.... the same effort must be given by the baseball team and the TV team.

The success of the season for both entities depends on it.

"It's only June."

How Lucky Can I Be

It is 4:14 in the morning and I just checked into my room at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
How lucky can I be!!!
The Cardinals just took two out of three from the Astros in Houston and noe have the most wins in all of baseball.
How lucky can I be!!!
Two weeks ago, a good friend of mine, Marty Brennaman, hall of fame announcer of the Cincinnati Reds said the Cardinals were the most hated team in baseball.
How lucky can I be!!!
The Cardinals, after a slow start, continue to win series after series. And they do it without contributions from the four best players on the team. Albert Pujols is hitting .270. Chris Carpenter has one win. Adam Wainwright will not pitch until next season. All-star closer Ryan Franklin has lost his job after surrendering leads earlier in the season.
How lucky can I be!!!
We begin a three game series with the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow. The Brewers are playing good baseball right now and are a serious threat in the NL Central division.
I already know what I will blog after this series is completed.
"How lucky can I be!!!"

Near no-hitter

Tonight's pitching matchup for the Cainals/Astros game featured Jaime Garcia vs. Bud Norris.
During the pre-game show, I predicted on headset to our visiting crew that Jaime Garcia would throw a no-hitter this season. There have been games this season where Jaime has been absolutely dirty. In fact, he carried a perfect game into the 8th inning earlier this season. I would have been prophetic tonight if I would have made the comment about Astros hurler Bud Norris.
Norris carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and he faced the minimum because his two walks were both eliminated by double plays.
Mike, our producer, and I began discussing camera isos before the inning started anticipating a no-hitter. Apart from the perfect game, the no-hitter is a highly anticipated game by any TV crew.
The no-hitter ended with a home run by former Astro Lance Berkman. The effort by right fielder Hunter Pence was maybe our best replay of the game.
Regardless of which team is throwing the no-hitter, the TV crew becomes pumped and the telecast becomes sharper. Our telecast was one of the better shows of the season because of the game but also because of the Houston visiting TV crew.
This crew is good, very good, and it is a pleasure watching their performance.
This is a veteran crew that delivers.
This crew deserves a no-hitter out of their home park. Something that has never happened.
When a no-hitter or perfect game occurs in Houston, the coverage will be stellar.

Bases Loaded

Throughout the season the game will usually dictate the required coverage from the TV production crew. It is how the TV team reacts to the game that determines the quality of the telecast. Sometimes the game is good to the TV crew and sometimes the game is quite difficult for the telecast to capture.
Tonight's Cardinals/Astros game was a classic example of the game determining the coverage.
A most important and a most exciting part of any game occurs when the bases are loaded. The successful teams deliver when the bags are full. Tonight's Cardinals/Astros game was a game in which the bases seemed to be loaded all night long.
The Cardinals delivered a bases clearing double with the bases loaded with the double being delivered by the starting pitcher. The Astros were 0-6 with the bas loaded.
That was the game and that was the game summary as we closed out the show.
I can't think of a situation that fires up the TV crew more than when the bases are loaded. Surely, there is an incredible high when a sucessful at-bat occurs with the bas loaded and it is a bit of a downer when the team at the plate doesn't deliver. This is true no matter which team is at the plate.
Tonight's Cardinals/Astros game was full of exciting moments. Fortunately for the Cardinals' fans, the Astros' fans were disappointed throughout the telecast.
Cardinals deliver - Astros do not deliver.
Game over - Cardinals 7, Astros 4.

Apologies

I have been unable to blog for the past week and I do not know why.
For some reason, this blog published while others did not.
Thank you to all who have inquired about the lack of this blog.
I apologize.

Covering Albert

There are many reasons why I love what I do for a living.
I get to cover what I believe to be the greatest game in the world - baseball.
I cover a major league baseball team - the St. Louis Cardinals - that is considered one of the best organizations in all of sports.
Our home telecasts are out of Busch Stadium which is usually full and always rocks.
Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of what I do for a living is that each and every game I get the privilege to cover the greatest baseball player of today if not ever.
This player is Albert Pujols.
This season is Alberts eleventh in the big leagues. The first ten seasons of this illustrious career showed a player who put up numbers like no other in the history of the game. The average fan knows how good Albert is because of these numbers.
I believe that Albert's greatness is because everyone involved in the game is better, plays better, and works better because of Albert Pujols. I am not talking just about the other players, coaches and managers on the field.
I am also talking about the TV crew.
The home TV crew in St. Louis at Busch Stadium works harder and becomes better when Albert is at the plate. When we are on the road, the visiting TV crew performs better when Albert is at the dish.
Albert makes EVERYBODY involved in the game better.
Albert hit a walk-off extra inning homerun for the second consecutive day today. Yesterday's bomb was on big Fox and I had the pleasure of watching it from my home.
I had the pleasure of cutting today's blast on FSN Midwest.
EVERY member of our crew delivered during this game-winner.
The audio was great and the video was perfect.
The roll out was exceptional.
This was a great, great telecast.
Thank you Albert Pujols.

The Amazing Albert

Albert Pujols hit his second walk off homerun in as many days as the Cardinals completed a sweep of the Cubs today at Busch Stadium.