Squeeze Play....

The Indians played host to the New York Yankees in their second to last game from Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven. The team was expecting a crowd in excess of 9,000 for a ballpark that normally will fit in around 6.000 or so baseball fans. In addition, the YES Network, the TV home of the Yankees, had selected this game to televise alongside the cameras of SportsTime Ohio. During the regular season, no problem...here in this cozy little ballpark.... a problem! We had to try and place cameras in duplicate positions down by the dugout, up in the stands and out in center field in a park where that sort of real estate is hard to come by easily.

Enter into the scene two members of the Indians organization that make things work at spring training camp - from the broadcast corner there is Alex Slemc, and from the sales side is Ryan Lantz. The task fell upon their shoulders to accommodate both telecasts, and the patrons entering the facility, while working with the team in the confines of this cozier park. Finding nooks and crannies to place cameras, cables, and microphones tested the limits of the available space and opened the door to some creative thinking on the part of the production folks to accomplish their ultimate broadcasting goals.

The cameras in the low positions were right next to each other as normal. But in this park, notice just how close to the stands they are...so close that the New York operator had to sit in the stands to operate his camera so his head would not be obstructing play. As tight as things seem to be here, the field is close to the fans offering them an intimate view of play on the field. That interaction has made this park a fan favorite.






You can see how close the operators are working in relation to the stands and each other. The trick in setting these low cameras was to make sure that the fans had unobstructed views. Ryan and Alex took great pains in planning the position of these cameras to insure the greatest amount of fan visibility. From the truck, both directors realized there would be some limitations but certainly wanted to work with the Tribe and joined in their efforts to make the cameras as inconspicuous as possible.


Meanwhile, over at the truck compound, things are a little tight. There is the basic amount of room for one TV remote unit - and now there are two. From this view looking up the street, not so bad.....









On closer inspection however, notice how close both units are to each other....and imagine the crews loading and unloading gear out of the "belly bays" during the setup period...

Indeed, it was tightly packed, but very workable, and everyone on both crews pitched in to make it so...





Our truck was the closest at the retaining wall as the expando portion folded out toward it away from the other truck...this greatly helped in the flow of traffic between the two units. As I mentioned it took a lot of coordination and our engineers from Lyon Video - Ed Shrider, Troy Flavian, and Tom Sacory - were up to the task.




And as part of our production team, taking time out of their morning while hard at work, are our producers for the 2008 season, Jim Murphy on the left, and Jeff Yakawiak on the right. Both lads have been working not only on the preseason games but the regular season as well....there is plenty to do!





So a big thanks from this corner to everyone involved...it was quite the day - oh and the Indians won....But it's only preseason you say......OK.....whatever.....we still beat the Yankees!

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Now that I have your attention - Opening Day is coming from Progressive Field over the next week. And of course, if you do not have a ticket, you will want to catch all the action on WKYC or SportsTime Ohio to see all the action right in your living and have it right in your living room!

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So quit reading here......go......check it out and good luck!

More Photos from Winterhaven

And here is more...Mac working overtime to keep us up to date from the big promotion shoot in Florida...Hard to believe that a few days of shooting occurred - the crew was really busy....

But so were the players...let's check out some of these photos....

Keep in mind, many of the 40 man roster players go through this process....and it happens in training camps all across the country.

This is truly the best time of the year for the media to perform its "leg" work making sure there is video and still pictures for all of the team.

Here is Mac pasing along a little direction.... The players take direction well as previously mentioned and can enjoy the whole photographic/video process...

They are just as intereted to see how they look as the crew is - you could say it is really a collaborative effort....

Here is Steve directing his player exactly where he would like to see him...with the proper lighting and the correct placement.

And so it goes....more pics to come on the final day!

Game Time

Fans, believe it or not the games are about to begin. I know the schedule says Thursday, February 28 is the first game of spring training, but tomorrow and Wednesday the team will be playing intersquad games. If you want to see highlights of these games, tune into SportsTime Ohio each night for Spring Training Daily. I was down there last season for the intersquads, and though they don't mean a whole lot, I remember being impressed by a couple of guys named Carmona and Francisco in those games. You never know who may surprise, and who may lay the groundwork for a big season in these games.

And speaking of games, the first real spring game kicks off Thursday in Winter Haven. Eric Wedge's pick for his opening day starter is..........Jake Westbrook. No, that doesn't mean C.C. Sabathia isn't starting March 31 vs the White Sox at Progressive Field on real opening day. It just means Sabathia will probably make his spring debut Saturday, March 1, which would be exactly 30 days before the opener, meaning six spring starts on his regular four days of rest.

Speaking of starting pitching, probably the biggest battle on the team is for the fifth spot in the rotation. Aaron Laffey ended the season in that role and did quite well, posting a 4-2 record. His main competition would seem to be coming from Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers. And remember this about Lee, this is a guy who won 46 games in three seasons form 2004-2006 and appears eager to earn back a starting spot.

Spring is in the Air

Ahhhh, spring training and baseball. It's hard to believe looking outside here in Cleveland that baseball season is upon us, but it is. And here at WKYC and SportsTime Ohio, those of us on the television production side of things want to give you a unique perspective of what goes on in the TV world, beginning in spring training.

But before we get to Winter Haven, let's think about a couple things before we enter the 2008 season. The Indians lineup and rotation are almost set. Jobs aren't going to be up for grabs like they have in season's past. So how the defending AL Central champs match up with the rest of the division may be the most talked about thing of the spring.

The most obvious conversation starter is the Detroit Tigers. Yes, on paper, they seem like a fantasy player's dream. But what about the bullpen? The Indians and Red Sox had arguably the best two bullpens in the A.L. last season, and they were the last two teams standing. With relief pitching becoming more prominent in today's game of baseball, the Tigers' pen may be worth keeping your eyes on.

And one other thing that should make an Indians fan smile; the Tigers' lineup, as loaded as it seems, averages 32 years old. The Indians lineup? It averages just under 28 years old a man. The philosophy in sports is always to win now, but this Indians lineup is going to be fun to watch this season and in season's to come, whether you're watching at home on TV or from the truck.

So what will you get From the Truck during the season. Behind-the-scenes access from the television crew of what goes on during a game broadcast is the biggie. Remember those Inside Sportscenter's ESPN used to show from inside the control room? Well, that'll be us, and we'll tell you what goes on inside that room. We'll have pictures, stories from the road (81 games a year can be either real boring or real exciting, and you'll hear all about it), where to eat if you're in Seattle, or why it seemed like the producer fell asleep during the game last night. We'll have it all, and we'll have it all season long.