The Fastest Sport

The Cards beat me the Reds in 2:44 today at Busch Stadium by the score of 4 - 3. I have directed all the major sports and, as I have stated before, baseball is by far the fastest game to cut. Each sport has it's primary "game" camera. For baseball, that camera is in the high home position and is called camera 2. Now, when action is going on in any sport the "game" camera is the primary camera to begin the action. The difference between baseball and the other sports is that baseball is a 360 degree sport which means cameras can and do surround the field and any camera can be involved in the cut. Plus there is a longer opportunity to cut cameras during a baseball game than any other sport. For example, more cameras will be cut for a homerun than a goal in hockey, a basket in basketball or a touchdown in football. However, a touchdown cut came cone very close to a homerun cut. This makes for a faster "game" for the TV director. Now the reason I have blabbed on and on about this is that the first 3 innings of this game may have been the "fastest" innings I have ever cut. I remember thinking " Holy shit, I am going to be fried after this one. Thankfully the game settled down and I maintained my sanity. Well, that's another discussion.

Sticking To It

It took 3 hours and 12 minutes for the Reds and the Cards to compile 17 runs (9 by the Reds), 25 hits (15 by the Reds) today at Busch Stadium. This was a strange game. In the innings where no runs were scored, the game moved at a snail's pace. The innings where runs scored moved rapidly. In fact, during the Reds 4-run 6th inning, the Cardinals had given up 2 runs and gotten 2 outs in the first 15 pitches. This was a high scoring game that did not feel like it. 3 hours and 12 minutes seems about right for a 9 - 8 game. It's just that this game didn't seem to take that long to play and it certainly didn't feel like a 9 - 8 contest. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The Homerun Cut

In the 2 hours and 31 minutes it took to play tonight's Reds/Cardinals game at Busch Stadium, the Redbirds scored 14 runs on 13 hits with 6 home runs. That's right - 6 home runs. As anyone who reads this blog knows, the greatest enjoyment a TV baseball director experiences during a game/telecast occurs while cutting the home run. The Reds also hit one so that was 7 roundtrippers that had the pleasure to cut tonight. I like to change my home run cut with each homer hit and tonight was no different. Great fun tonight for the St. Louis Cardinals fans, the TV crew and this director. Maybe not quite as much fun for the Reds fans and the Reds TV crew. Although I'd bet the Reds TV director enjoyed his cut.

The Difference

The Cards beat the Brew Crew today at Busch Stadium by the score of 7 - 0. During this 2:29 game, the Brewers collected only one hit. In fact, since 1990 the Redbirds have only had 6 1-hit complete game shutouts. The rapid pace of this type of game is great for the Director and difficult for the Producer. The Director develops a rhythm and the Producer works feverishly to include all the "sold" items needed for the telecast. At the end of a game/telecast such as this one, the Director walks away from the truck with the adrenaline still flowing and the Producer walks away fried. That is the difference. Oh yea, I didn't suck.

Awful

The Brewers defeated the Cardinals at Busch Stadium tonight in 2:49 by the score of 6 - 4 with a 2-run homer in the 9th inning the difference. This should have been one of those games a director loves to cut. Not much action but some great moments. When those moments come - nail it. Really quite simple - when great moments happen - nail them. Well, tonight I was horseshit. Not only did I NOT nail them, my cutting diminished them. Awful just awful. My performance tonight was just embarrassing. Hopefully tomorrow I can elevate my game to mediocre.

Memorable

The Cardinals defeated the Brewers in their 2016 home opener today by the score of 10 - 1. The Cards outhit the Brew Crew 19 - in this 3 hour affair. Both the pre-game show and the game took exactly 3 hours and I can assure you the pre-game show as a whole lot more fun to cut than that laugher of a game. I am quite sure that the highlight of the day was Cardinals Icon Lou Brock throwing out the 1st pitch. Lou, who lost a leg last fall, is beloved by all Cardinals fans. Certainly, great moments happen during games - memorable moments. Lou Brock throwing out the 1st pitch today was one of the most memorable moments I have experienced in my 29 year St. Louis Cardinals television career.

Tortuous

19 runs, 18 walks, 3 hit by pitch, 3 hours and 55 minutes. 3:55 of bad baseball is an eternity. As our Producer said, "Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse......" The Cardinals beat the minor league quality Atlanta Braves 12 - 7 today at Turner Field in a tortuous game for the teams, the fans, and the TV crews. Sorry to say but the Atlanta Braves team, fans, and TV crew are in for a long tortuous summer. In the late 70's, I played in the Braves Organization and they have long held a special place for me. I have always followed them and I have always wanted them to do well. The same follows for this season. I cringe to think about it. Tomorrow is the Cards 2016 home opener. I expect a different result. Oh yea, rain is forecast.