Teamwork

The Redbirds defeated the Pirates tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 5 - 0 in 2:56. This was a well-played game which led to a very nice telecast. Three moments stand out from this telecast. The first moment occurred early in the game. The Cardinals felt that starter Adam Wainwright had two consecutive bad outings because he was tipping pitches. In the camera well on the home plate side of the first base dugout was Cards pitcher Chris Carpenter who was using that vantage point to see if Wainwright was tipping pitches. Carpenter was right below our robotic camera. We started with a shot of Wainwright on the mound, pulled back and tilted down to show Carpenter and his vantage point. The second memorable moment happened after Redbirds David Freese hit a long home run to centerfield. The ball landed in almost the exact spot as his dramatic homerun in game 6 of the 2011 World Series. We replayed each homerun back to back and it was quite effective. The third moment happened after the homerun. Earlier in the telecast, I noticed a lone Pirates fan looking dejected as I panned a fairly wide shot after the Cards had scored a run showing the fans going crazy. After the Freese homer, I took a tight shot of the Pirates fan and his girlfriend or wife (a Cards fan) was taunting him. In all three instances, the commentary from our announcers was spot on. Three great examples of teamwork between the TV truck and the booth.

Brutal Brutal

The Cards beat the Pirates tonight at Busch Stadium by the score of 12 - 8 in 3:47 and I am not in a good mood. The reason for my mood is that the Cards were leading the game 12 - 1 going into the eighth inning and had to have their closer finish the game in the ninth. The brutal top of the eighth and the brutal top of the ninth were two of the worst innings I have ever been a part of. I am stopping now before I say too much.

The Road

I am in the air from Cincinnati to St. Louis after the second to last road trip of the 2013 season. Road telecasts are less enjoyable than home telecasts. During home telecasts, we are in complete control of the show. We have nine cameras with each camera being recorded. On the road we control three cameras and,therefore, can't always give the shot with the best framing - we can't give the best shot. This can be frustrating but you deal with it and move on. Also, I know what each camera operator is capable of on our home show. Sometimes it takes a couple if telecasts to learn the strengths and weaknesses of operators on the road. This fact also affects the quality of the telecast. I love the home show. I can't wait for tomorrow at Busch Stadium. Also, I am very thankful there is only one road trip remaining this season.

Drifting

The Cards defeated the Reds 5 - 4 in 16 innings tonight in Cincinnati. The game too 4 hours and 50 minutes to play. The Redbirds took the lead 4 - 3 in the 14th inning on a home run by Matt Adams. The Reds tied the game in the bottom of the inning and the game played on. In the top of the 16th inning Adams connected again and the Cards held on. It is only natural for the members of the TV crew to start drifting during a long game such as this one. I said to the crew in the 15th inning "Come on.....stay with it, this game is almost over." Thankfully, this game had a fairly good pace for most of the night. Still, just a tiny bit fried as we speak.

Speed

Speed was the name of this game. Both starting pitchers worked fast and threw strikes. The only run of the game came when Billy Hamilton, one of the fastest runners in the game, stole second base and scored on a base hit. The game ended with Aroldis Chapman on the mound throwing the ball 103 mph. A fast pace for the game and a good flow to the show.

Advice From Mom

A long time ago, my mother gave me a bit of advice. She said, "If you don't have anything good to say about someone or some thing, then don't say anything." Therefore, I am going to heed my mother's advice and not write anything about today's telecast.

Nothing

The Cards beat the Pirates today by the score of 7 - 2 in 3:09 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. As you all know, I love the game of baseball. This game, however, had absolutely nothing memorable about it. This telecast had absolutely nothing memorable about it. This was one of those "nothing" games. I am in my hotel room in Cincinnati and I honestly do not remember anything about today's game in Pittsburgh. This was one of those "nothing" games.