A Bad Situation

I enjoy writing this blog.

Thinking about the game/telecast and writing about the game/telecast is a great learning tool for me.

I would, therefore, like to write about today's game/telecast but something far more important has been brought to my attention.

A bad situation has been brought to my attention.

This Cardinals/Reds series has provided some wonderful entertainment for both team and their fans.

The Reds won Friday night with a 2-run walk-off homerun.

Yesterday, the Cardinals defeated the Reds mostly because of a superb, gutsy performance by their ace pitcher Chris Carpenter.

The Reds won the rubber game of the series today by the score of 3 - 1 in a well pitched game from both sides.

Now let me explain the bad situation.

One of the main responsibilities of the TV broadcast team is to sell tickets. Some may argue that selling tickets is the primary responsibility of the broadcast team and they may be right.

I know that our telecast yesterday sold tickets to Cardinals baseball at Busch Stadium. Our coverage enhanced the Cardinals victory (except for my poor cut during the games' biggest moment) and this coverage certainly sold tickets.

The TV coverage of the two victories by the Reds in this series certainly sold tickets for the Reds. In fact, I will be willing to bet that coverage of Friday night's 2-run walk-off homerun sold more tickets than any other game/telecast of the season for the Cincinnati Reds.

The final shot of that game featured an RF camera at home plate as the homerun hitter was met by his boisterous teammates.

Even though the Cardinals lost this game, this was the best shot on our air by far.

Just a great shot!

Just a great look!

Yesterday and today, however, I heard that a decision had been made by the Reds front office that the RF camera cannot be used on the field ever again in walk-off situations.

Wow - what a mistake!

The relationship that the St. Louis Cardinals TV production team has with the Cardinals front office is spectacular. We want to deliver a first class product for the team and we do. The trust factor we have with the Cardinals is invaluable.

I don't understand the thoughts of the Reds front office. Their TV production team is THE MOST IMPORTANT tool they have in representing their product.

To handcuff that tool is a grave mistake.

No wonder the Reds get 15,000 fans a game when they are in first place.

The Cincinnati Reds and their TV TEAM - a bad situation.

Missed The Shot of the Night

I blew it.

I flat out blew it.

Situation: Biggest pitch of the game.

The Cardinals were leading the Reds 4 - 1 in the bottom of the 8th inning. There were 2 outs and runners on second and third. Both of these runners reached on errors so, in essence, the Redbirds would have to get 5 outs to end the inning. There was a 3 and 2 count on the batter.

Camera iso: The Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter who everyone in the TV truck knew would show some great emotion with a strikeout.

The pitch came in and the batter checked his swing. Rather than cutting to Carpenter immediately after the pitch, I went to camera 2 which went to the first base umpire for the appeal call.

Only there was NO APPEAL!

I immediately took camera 1 which was isoing Carpenter and caught the last part of his emotional reaction.

I messed up big time.

There is only one chance to capture the moment correctly and succinctly.

I missed that chance.

We had a very nice, clean telecast but I ruined the show.

Sure, we had the shot in tape which provided a great replay but I made a huge mistake.

I missed the shot of the night.

Finally.....

For most of the game tonight, we were a half a beat slow.

Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating for a television sports TV crew than being "a half a beat slow".

Nothing is succinct.

Nothing is tight.

There is a terrible flow to the show.

During game/telecasts like tonight's, it does not matter if we slow down the speed of the telecast or we speed it up.

I don't believe this type of telecast was caused by the 4 day all-star game break.

Obviously the crew can't give in and give up.

You have to keep plugging away and not get too frustrated. I was going to say keep plugging away and not get frustrated but that would be impossible because there is a certain amount of frustration when the telecast is "a half a beat slow".

So the crew can't get TOO frustrated.

I tied slowing down my cut......didn't work.

I tried really slowing down my cut....still didn't work.

Finally in the top of the 8th inning (and I don't know why) we started clicking. We were no longer "a half a beat slow".

And it was just in the nick of time as Albert Pujols hit a 96 mile and hour fastball from flame thrower Aroldis Chapman for a 2-run homerun and a 5 - 4 lead.

Then, in the bottom of the 9th inning Brandon Phillips hit a 2-run walk-off homerun to win it for the Reds.

We were a half a beat slow for most of the show but we finally clicked.

Just in the nick of time.

Finally.

Last One Before The Break

The Cards won the game today over the Diamondbacks by the score of 4 - 2.

The temperature during the game was very uncomfortable and, in fact, as I was driving home after the game the temp hit 101.

Even though there were not many instances for the use of crowd shots to enhance the effect of the play on the field, when crowd shots were used they were not very effective. People were hiding from the sun.

I wasn't as sharp as I like to be when I am cutting the game. I occasionally drifted and many of my commands to the technical director (TD) were sometimes confusing.

The all-star break now starts so the Cardinals' TV production crew is off until Friday in Cincinnati. We begin our last 3-city trip of the season on Friday with games in Cincinnati, New York, and Pittsburgh.

I will be recharged after the layoff and I look forward to the second half of the season.

Almost as much as I looked forward to today's game - the last one before the break.

Big Moments

Every TV baseball director loves the "big moments" of the game/telecast.

There is a bit of adrenalin rush when these moments are at hand the the cut of the action is great fun. The walk-off homerun is the best example of a "big moment" but game tying hits and walk-off hits are included in this scenario.

As a big moment is unfolding, I believe the most fun is setting the iso's of the cameras for the replay sequence that will occur once the play is completed. Mike, our producer, and I will discuss certain isos as a big moment is unfolding.

As I just mentioned, the cut of a big moment is great fun but I also love the replay sequence or in the case of a walk-off hit, the roll out to break. Seeing these isos work gives a great feeling of satisfaction equal to the enjoyment of the live cut.

There were two "big moments" in our game/telecast tonight.

The Cardinals were behind 6 - 3 going into the bottom of the 8th inning. They scored a run to make it 6 - 4 and Albert Pujols tied the game with a homerun. The live cut worked and the replay sequence was great.

The fact that Albert was not playing up to his usual standard before the homerun really added to the importance of this moment.

Then, in the bottom of the 9th inning, the Cardinals won the game on a walk-off double by one of their rookies.

Two big moments.

One with the greatest player in the game and one with a rookie.

It just goes to show that "big moments" can occur at any time.

It is the responsibility of the TV crew to capture these moments in the best possible way.

We did tonight.

The Break

Just two games remain until the all-star break.

Allow me to rewrite that previous sentence. Just two games remain until the much needed all-star break.

I am so blessed to be able to direct TV baseball for a living. I love the game of baseball and I learn something every time I sit in the director's chair. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. My love for baseball allows me to stay focused during every inning of every game.

There are times, however, when staying focused can be a difficult task.

Like now.

I am beginning to fry just a tad as we enter the break.

I find myself struggling and almost fighting with myself to remain focused. I begin to notice things that I normally would not even be aware of. During a game/telecast, I am listening to the announcers and the producer outside of my headset almost exclusively although I can hear comments from the camera crew through my headset. I hear everything and am able to stay completely focused. However, for the past few telecasts I have heard from scources that I generally am able to zone out such as inane chatter inside the truck from crew members.

Staying focused when the game is on the line is not a problem. Those situations are the most fun to cut and the focus is there. It is when there is not much happening in the game that the mind can begin to wander and the focus can become cloudy. These are the instances where experience takes over and the focus remains solid.

Right now, however, I am fighting it.

Two more game/telecasts until the break.

I will make it but I need "the break".

A Long Night Shortened

We ran the first four segments of our open followed by opening billboards and another floater break before we threw it to alternate programming as we waited out a 1:06 rain delay to start the game.

The game began at 8:21 pm and was moving along quite nicely until the rains hit again during the top of the 6th inning.

A long night turned longer. In fact, with our 13 inning game the previous night, a long two days turned longer.

It was during the second rain delay that Mitch, the Arizona Diamondbacks director walked over and sat with me on our dual side of the TV truck.

Mitch is a great TV baseball director and I consider him to be one of the most creative people in our business. We talked for about a half an hour during the rain delay and I really enjoyed the conversation. We picked each others brains about directing baseball and I learned quite a bit from Mitch's philosophy on cutting the game of baseball.

After a 50 minute delay, the game resumed and the dud of a contest ended at 11:37.

I got in my door at 12:30.

As I drove home, I reflected on my conversation with Mitch and was somewhat energized despite the long two days.

This was a long night shortened because of Mitch.