Mick in Mesa: Len and Bob Reunite
I am normally at the ballpark by 8 a.m. on game days, but I couldn't get there because of issues getting my rental car. Add that to the worry of missing my flight yesterday and I was not sure if we were going to have a first broadcast. It was not until I was saw my case come rolling through the conveyor belt that I felt some relief.
When I got to the park, the feeling of hope was in the air. Each year, people believe that something great could happen this year. That is what makes spring training so special to me; every one has a chance to win.
From the time I got to the park, I was busy. First of all, I had to deal with a lot of technical things calling MLB Advanced Media to make sure we would get set up and get connected for the broadcast.
The booth was busy as the folks from VineLine were filming an interview with Len Kasper.
We had a new guy there to help us with the broadcast so we spent time making sure we were on the same page. We set up microphones behind-the-plate for natural sound.
When all the technical aspects were finalized, I had an opportunity to catch up with everyone. One of the highlights was catching up with a broadcaster I grew up listening to, Jon Miller. Each broadcaster will tell you about a few people they grew up listening to on the radio. Miller was showing me about an app he had downloaded onto his iPad and it brought back some great memories of when I was a child listening to Miller broadcast Orioles games.
The Giants have one of the best broadcast teams in all of baseball and it was also a great chance to talk to Duane Kuiper and studio host Marty Lurie.
The first day in Mesa brought a meeting with the defending world champions. The Giants have won two of the last three World Series. Most people have two rings. The 2013 season may not be a week old yet, but we already have a reminder of what it is all about.
The best part of today for me was when Bob Brenly joined Len Kasper on the air. I have been in the Cubs organization for seven years and have been working spring training games for four years. I believe that that Bob and Len are among the best TV duos of all-time.
They have such great chemistry and they had a chance to reminisce about things. Bob was in attendance watching his son, Michael. He went 0-for-2 in a 4-3 Cubs win. Tennessee will most likely see Michael begin the year as a Smoky. I was fortunate enough to be in the booth for a great moment that Cubs' fans would have loved the opportunity to see.
Overall, I felt like the broadcast went smoothly. Len makes everything sound great. We had Cubs.com writer Carrie Muskat on the radio for an interview. We hope to have the Cubs writers on as much as we can throughout spring training. Chicago has a group of writers that are so dedicated to getting stories out there.
I am glad we are playing baseball again. We have 25 more broadcasts this spring and I am really looking forward to the rest of the slate. Cubs travel to face the Dodgers tomorrow. Len and I will be on Cubs.com for the 3:05 EST first pitch.