2 Different Clubs

The Cardinals started today with a 26 - 25 record. The Brewers started the day with a record of 23 - 27. The Redbirds won the game 6 - 0 and looked nothing like a team barely above the .500 mark. During this 2:49 game, the Brewers looked more like a team 15 games under .500 than 4 games under. Great starting pitching, timely hitting and excellent fielding were all on display for the Cards today. The Brew Crew looked like a club that was totally disinterested and this was magnified when a Cards baserunner scored from 2nd base on a wild pitch. It doesn't happen often where two clubs look absolutely different but it happened today.

Speed And Control

The Nationals turned a close game into a rout as the beat the Cards 10 - 2 in 3:12 today in DC. Cutting a close game is so different than cutting a blowout. The rhythm of a close game is destroyed when the game becomes a rout. There is an adage in this business for the TV crew that "you can't control the speed of the game, but you can control the speed of the telecast". I was thinking on the plane as we flew to Milwaukee that the TV baseball Director cuts to the speed of the game all the while the Producer is controlling the speed of the telecast. Just as a Director cannot lose control because of the speed of the game, the Producer can't lose control of the speed of the telecast. And they both go hand in hand. If the Director isn't cutting to the speed of the game, this will inhibit the job of the Producer to control the speed of the telecast. And vice versa. Trust me, it is very difficult to cover the speed of the game when the speed of the telecast is out of control. I'm not saying that our TV team didn't control the game and telecast speed today. I am saying that there were two speeds to the game that were controlled today while the telecast was under control all game as well.

Sad For American League Fans

The series between the Nats and the Cards typifies how baseball can be a beautiful game. The Redbirds defeated the Nationals 6 - 2 in 2:32 tonight in Washington DC and it was just a wonderful baseball game. Pitching always has been and always will be the name of the game for this wonderful sport. I look forward to matchups where starting pitching is in the forefront. I will go to my grave never understanding the change of Major League Baseball to the DH. The National League brand of baseball is so much more enjoyable than the American League brand of baseball because their actually is strategy used during National League games and there really is little if any strategy used in the American League. Many people just scoffed at the previous sentence. Too bad, scoff some more - American League baseball is boring. No, let me amend that statement: American League baseball is BORING. Off tomorrow - thank you Big Fox. I am looking forward to Sunday's match-up between the Cards and the Nats. Two good National League teams!!

As A Baseball Fan.....

Great pitching. 3 solo homeruns. A 2 - 1 score. A 2 hour 27 minute game. This is the type of game game a baseball TV director loves to cut. This is the type of game that wipes out a TV baseball Producer. Yes, the Washington Nationals defeated the Cardinals in this contest tonight in DC. Yes, I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan and as a Cardinals fan I was not happy with the outcome. But, I am also a baseball fan and as a baseball fan I loved this game.

The Pampered

Today is May 25. The Cubs are 17 games over .500 and the Cardinals are 1 game over. In 3:38 the Cubs defeated the Cards 9 - 8 at Busch Stadium today. Yes, the Cubs won the game but they were not the better team. Today was a game that exposed the "next World Champion" Chicago Cubs. After the top of the 2nd inning the Cubs led 6 - 1 with the best pitcher on the planet pitching. Game over - NOT. Joe Madden is a great manager and a wonderful people person who is also a very smart baseball guy. I guarantee you this game opened his eyes a bit. I don't believe this game opened the eyes of the young Cubs players who I believe are a high maintenance group that needs to be pampered. When the Cubs don't win the World Series it won't be the players fault. Just ask them.

The Booth

It took 3:10 for the Cubs to beat the Cads tonight at Busch Stadium. In reality, this 12 - 3 game was over less than 45 minutes into the game when the Cubs scored 6 runs in the 1st inning and didn't look back. When a game is over early, it is nice to have a fall back plan in the TV truck. We had a guest in our booth in the 4th inning that fit that bill perfectly. Our guest was a member of the 2006 World Championship team and a very popular one at that. In fact, this guest was the MVP of the 2006 World Series. The interaction between our guest and our analyst was very entertaining as both were members of the 2006 team. Our play-by-play guy asked great question of the two and the 4th inning was the most entertaining inning of the evening. Sometimes the booth entertainment is better than the entertainment on the field.

The Biggest Letdown

There are many reasons to like a Cubs/Cardinals game/telecast. One of those reasons is it is...well...Cubs/Cardinals. This is one of sports' greatest rivalries. The Cards are on one of the greatest successful runs in baseball history and the Cubs are finally relevant again after years of futility. Indeed, the Cubs are picked by many to win it all in 2016. This is hard to dispute as the Cubs are stacked with many great young players and their veteran starting pitching has been terrific. However, if anyone knows how difficult it is to win the World Series it must be the Cubs as it has been 108 years since their last World Championship. Cubs fans may be setting themselves up for their biggest letdown ever. Tonight's loss to the Redbirds most certainly had to be a letdown to Cubs fans. The 29 - 13 Cubs were leading the 23 - 21 Cardinals 3 - 1 going into the bottom of the 7th inning and their starting pitcher was dealing. A 2-run homer tied the game and the Cards walked off with a 4 - 3 win with a 2 out homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning. Certainly a huge letdown to Cubs fans everywhere as no one detests the Cardinals more than Cubs fans. Most Cubs fans I know are already planning the World Series victory parade in Chicago. Imagine the letdown when that doesn't happen.