The mystique of Omaha is shattered

Well, we are 2 hours south of Omaha, and thins are not boding well.  We have received word that due to anticipated large crowds, the CWS experience will be much different than ever before. 

For the first time ever, they are telling folks that to try to buy a reserved seat, you have to get in line at midnight the night before the game, and stay there all night.  Then, with a numbered wristband, you get to go stand in another line at 8 AM on game day and hope you can get to the front of the line while they still have tickets available.  And the CWS folks make no promises that you will get a ticket even  if you stay all night.

Same thing with General Admission tickets.  You can line up at midnight if you already have GA tickets, and then you can stay there until the first game.  Again, if they hit max capacity before the game, sorry...thanks for playing.  We have a nice big screen tv in the parking lot you can watch things on.

And speaking of parking lots, they are putting the screws to tailgaters as well.  They have a perimeter.  If you have a parking pass, you may set up your tent.  BUT you must keep your cooler by your car, and everything must be struck after the game, and can not be set up before 8 AM the following morning.

Not sure how this will affect the outcome of the CWS, but will really be a bummer for all the festivities.

More info when I get it.

Countdown to Looking Glass

Actually, that is the title of a movie I saw back in the 80's, but the title has stuck with me, and the whole "Countdown to Omaha" and "Road to Omaha" thing has been overdone.

So everything is locked and loaded, and we are ready to roll.  Still got to change the oil and rotate the tires, but that is what Wednesday is for.  Finally got all the rooms reserved and released the extras.  Got everyone set up for the staggered arrival dates.

We are hoping to set camp Thursday night after we arrive, but it could be as late as Friday night after the opening ceremonies.  When we do get set, I will post the location so if anybody is following this and gets to Rosenblatt, you will know where to find us.

Watch for tweets from the road.  and photos.  And maybe I will even do like our buddies from Florida State and put together a CD to commemorate our trip.

So we are not T-minus 30 hours and counting til we make the trip to Omaha to see Rosenblatt for the last time.

Thoughts on a hiting streak

Well, since there is a weather delay in Coral Gables, I have decided to tackle the sticky subject of "The Streak".  Now unless you have been of on some deserted island like the folks on Lost, you are aware that Garrett Wittels is in the midst of a 56 game hitting streak.  It is the third longest in NCAA baseball history,  and the second longest in NCAA D1 history, behind Robin Ventura and his 58 game hitting streak for the Oklahoma State University Cowboys in 1987.

And as you also should be aware, Florida International University, the team Wittels plays for, ended their season yesterday in the Coral Gables Regional.  This is where the debate begins.

The season is over, the streak is not.  Do you put an asterisk by the streak if it continues in 2011, or do you just let it go unnoticed?

I think you have to look at it from two perspectives:  longest consecutive single season hitting streak, and longest consecutive game hitting streak.

First , from the single season consecutive game standpoint, the 2010 season is over, and that streak ends at 56 games, which  is nothing to sneeze at.  Ventura continued his streak into the College World Series, which was a continuation of that season.  So in my mind, feeble as it may be, I think the single season hit streak still belongs to Ventura,  Sorry Garrett.

Now lets look at it from the consecutive game hitting standpoint.  Since Ventura's streak only lasted one season, the record is only for that season.  Should Wittels continue his streak in the 2011 season, I see no reason to highlight it, note it or asterisk it.  It is a CONSECUTIVE GAME hitting streak, NOT a SINGLE SEASON consecutive game hitting streak.  Both players, Ventura and Wittels, would still be recognized as record holders; one for single season consecutive games with a hit, an one for most overall consecutive games with a hit.

So both men are winners.  Except in the Robin Ventura - Nolan Ryan bout ...which is a topic for another blog

Championship Sunday.....Maybe

Well, here it is.  Day 3 of the NCAA regionals.  Unfortunately I was not able to go anywhere this weekend, but I did immerse myself in as much baseball as I could.  Got to admit, there are some interesting regionals out there.

First, let me say I am glad ESPNU has decided to televise games.

Now let me say guys, get some real announcers.  Other than Kyle Petersen, Morgan Ensberg, and Clay Matvick, the rest of the crew sucked.  In the east coast games, Eric Byrnes may have been a good collegiate player at UCLA, and good enough to hang around MLB for 11 years.  But in the booth, he should have been cut the first day.  His time in the booth reminds me of Dennis Miller on MNF.  He was there for his own edification.  I was thankful for the MUTE button.

And what is it with Justin Kutcher?  Is it required English 101 NOT to pronounce "T" in the the English language?  I got tired of hearing about the "Ti-ans" of Fullerton, and "Allbri-un" of New Mexico.  Come on "Ju-in",  You can pronounce the T in your name.  How about pronouncing it everywhere else it appears.

Ranting aside, how about that Fullerton Regional.  Standford goes 2 and out.  Minnesota goes 2 and Championship game.  Who would have thought Fullerton would be playing New Mexico in the elimination game Sunday.  What is tat chant everyone is learning?  Sota, Sota, Goooooo Phers!

Another thing I noticed this weekend, is the amount of long balls being hit.  Arkansas hits 9 in their opening round game.  Breaks out with 1 guy hitting 3, and 3 guys hitting 2.  OK, so the competition was Grambling, not known for their baseball prowess.  But how about the kid at Miami jacking 3 against Texas A&M.  Are we looking at a World Series  like the one in 1998 when the championship game was 21-18 or something like that?


Saturday was not kind to the SEC.  From winning all 8 of their games Friday, the conference went 3-5 Saturday.  Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina held serve.  Auburn lost at home, and the rest lost on the road.  Can Alabama, Auburn, LSU, tsun, and Vandy come back and win 3 in a row on the road to advance?  Only time will tell.

Anyway, enough from me.  I think I will sit back and turn on some tunes, mute The Clown Prince of Baseball, aka Eric Byrnes, And watch how things play out.

More later.

Kinda falls under the baseball category.....

And now for something a little different from the world of Baseball.  You got to read this article.

It has begun

It is Friday June 4.  11:30 AM in the Central Time Zone.  The Road to Omaha has started with a vengeance.  Texas A&M is playing Florida International down at Coral Gables.  First inning and it is 2-1 TAM.  Want to keep up with the game live?  Click here for the tracker.

Also, follow Mark Etheridge as he is at the Atlanta Regional.  You can catch his updates by clicking here.

So what am I doing today?  Well, I am working.  Got to catch up from last week at Hoover.  Might try to sneak over to Auburn this weekend to see my alma mater USM play some baseball if everything works out.

Until then, I will be like you...hovering around the net and ESPNU catching what I can....at least until June 17, when I head north to Omaha!!

More later

Just a collage of shots from the Championship game of the 2010 SEC Tournament. LSU vs Alabama. More collages to come.

Baseball, Plato, and Socrates

Just watching CNN discuss the perfecto that wasn't from last night in Detroit.  Armando Galarraga was one out away from the first perfect game of his career.  Ground ball on the infield, Galarraga covers first base.  Replay clearly show he had the ball on the bag before the runner reaches.  Ump calls him safe.  Galarraga smiles and walks back to the mound.  Bedlam ensues.

After the game, the ump emotionally admits, after watching the replay, that he made the wrong call.  He even went so far as to look up Galarraga after the game to admit his error, and to apologize.  Does not change anything at this point, although there is speculation/fantasization that the commissioner of baseball COULD step in and rule that it was indeed a perfecto (the first in Detroit history) and make things all better.

So why the title "Baseball, Plato, and Socrates?  Well, on CNN this morning, one off the news anchors was interviewing a sports editor who brought up the Don Larsen World Series perfecto that ended with the umpire calling a third strike on a pitch that was clearly a ball.  The sports editor talked about ethics in the calls.  The news anchor, then attempts to retake control of the interview by sarcastically calling the sports editor "Plato", to which the sports editor responds "Socrates".

What does this have to do with the College World Series?  Nothing.  But it is what you get when I am up at 5 AM getting ready to get to work!!

Ain't blogging fun!!!

LSU 8, tsun 0

How LSU won the game

More later

More shots from Day 1

Here are the final collages from day 1 action. Will work on getting Day2-4 up soon.

From the press box

So you might be wondering why I have not been bloging too much this week. Kinda been tough to shoot pictures and videos, then edit both, then try to get things posted.

So I while we are in another weather delay, I have decied to build some collages of what I think are my best shots from each game.

Enjoy.

And be very glad I am not blogging!!!! You would have run away by now!!

More Tournament Talk from Hoover

Taking a break

So here it is...11 AM and we are in the 7th inning at Hoover.  So I have decided to get out of the heat, dump some pics, and watch a little baseball. 

Interesting thing today.  I was walking of the field after 4 innings, and heard someone call my name.  No, NOT the names you might call me.  I am spinning around like a top on a greased hotplate trying to locate who is calling me.  Turns out it is a buddy of mine from College I have not seen in years.  Brett Smith.  Taught me all about my first career in Video.  Turns out he is in Memphis now and works for the Grizzlies of the NBA.  Seems he and his son come down to the SEC tournament every year to enjoy baseball. 

Small world huh.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled whatever it is you do.

Good morning from the Met... I mean Regions Park

It was the Met to me for years. Some habits are hard to die.

TokBox - Free video chat and video messaging

Tournament Talk with Mark Etheridge and Thomas Berkery Day 1, Game 4

Tournament Talk with Mark Etheridge and Thomas Berkery Day 1, Game 3

It's the 7th inning somewhere

Here is how we do it at Hoover.  Or at least how I like to do it....

TokBox - Free video chat and video messaging

What am I doing now

Well, it is 7:12 PM.  I have been at the stadium since 7 AM this morning.  Been a long day. Did the picture thing for part of the first game.  Gotta admit, the pitch clock is not affecting the game, but it is killing me.  By the time I get photos shot, dumped and start processing, the game is over.

Then it is down to the interview room to shoot the Tournament Talk with Mark and Thomas.  Then back to press row.  Transfer the video, set it up, and and start rendering the movie.  By now, it is the 2nd or 3rd inning of the next game.  Shoot a couple of innings, Dump and process the pics, then back to the video.  Convert it to Flash, upload it to Blip TV, send the codes to Mark to embed. 

And here, you all thought all I did was come up here and kick back and enjoy the tournament!!!

I will post some pictures later tonight when I get in from the games.  Looks like I might just get in before midnight tonight.

And now, analysis og Game 2 of the SEC Tournament

Watch Mark and Thomas analyze Game 2 of the SEC Tournament from earlier today.

Tournament Talk with Mark Etheridge and Thomas Berkery

Here is the first edition of Tournament Talk.  Now you know what I have spent my day at Hoover.



And I still have half the day to go!!

T minus 8 hours and counting

Here it is 1 AM in Birmingham, and I am still hard at it. Ain't life in the press corp glamorous!! I am sitting here at the Microtel working on the graphic design for the video segment Mark is going to introduce to the followers of SEBaseball.com on Day 1 of the tournament. Hopefully everyone will enjoy the production value of the pieces.

Video always has a way of getting out quicker than print media. I am heading to bed. So we will be trying to capitalize on the expertise of Mark and Thomas to get the hot topics across to you as quick as possible.

So be sure to stop by SEBaseball.com and check out the videos, aptly titled "Tournament Talk with Mark Etheridge and Thomas Berkerey". And yes, you are right. I am the dolt who came up with that original title. See what happens when you work til the wee hours of the morning!

And be sure to check out the podcasts on the Talkshoe link located at the top of the page. I created another episode tonight, and will have more through out the day tomorrow.

Now, it is off to bed for me. Someone be sure to call and wake me about 5 AM so I can get at it again!

Twas the night before Hoover

Well, the time is almost upon us. T-minus 13 hours and change before the first pitch of the 2010 SEC Tournament. Looks to be a good tourney. Florida, South Carolina, Auburn. Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss are all top 25 teams. That's SIX top 25 teams in one Tournament. Omaha sometimes has to stretch it to get 6 top 25 teams in the CWS. So baseball fans should really enjoy this. Add to the mix the reigning D1 College Baseball champion in LSU, and local favorite Alabama, and you have the ingredients for an interesting 5 days.

When I got to the stadium this afternoon, I met Megan and Marie. They were working the Press Will Call window. They got me set with my credentials and parking pass. The parking pass is always a good thing. Nothing worse than hiking in from the back 40 with all the camera gear and laptops. Well, I guess it could be worse: I could have to hike in from the practice fields.

Then as I walked in to get my media guides and check out the LSU bp session (batting practice, NOT the oil people that screwed up the gulf), I ran across my friend James Young. James is the Director of Stadium Operations for the Birmingham Barons. Can't begin to tell you he enjoyable visits we have had over the years, but he is always quick with a shake of the hand, and background info about the upcoming games. Hope to get James on a podcast with me the next couple of days to walk everyone through game day at Regions Park.

Anyway, time to go grab some chow then get to work studying media guides. Got to know who to take photos of. And no, this is not the Girls of Hoover edition as someone suggested!! Then finish some graphics for my pal Mark Etheridge. He is going to roll out some new stuff for the followers of SEBaseball.com so be sure to visit his site and check it out.

Now, if I could only figure out a way to work my sponsor CyberComm Marketing in this piece......

What do they play for

Well, here it is Monday afternoon, and by 1 PM tomorrow the journey begins. I am heading to Hoover to pick up the credentials, check out the teams practices, ad generally get in the mood for some baseball. To the left, you see one of the things these 8 teams are playing for: the SEC Baseball Tournament. Oh yeah...they are also playing for that automatic bid to the Men's College World Series coming up in less than 30 days.


If you have never been to an SEC Tournament, I suggest you do so. Yeah, you have all sorts of folks from all the schools. And I do mean ALLLL the schools, even the ones that are not there. It is a vacation of sorts. For some, who do not have a team in the tourney and do not have a chance to follow anyone in the postseason, this is it. That last college baseball fix for them until sometime in 2011.

So make sure you get out to Regions Park for some of the games. You won't regret it.

And if you can not get to Hoover from where you are, be sure to follow all the actions with Mark Etheridge at SEBaseball.com

More to come.....

Make your plans for game day now

Wanted to give you the schedule for the first day at Hoover.  Looks like the morning session will be packed.

SEC Tournament
May 26-30, 2010
Hoover, AL
Regions Park
Format: Eight team, two brackets; flip brackets in semi-finals

Game 1 - 9:30 AM
2. Auburn 20-10
7. Alabama 15-15
Should be a sellout even if it IS at 9:30 in the AM!

Game 2 - 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 1
3. South Carolina 21-9
6. Ole Miss 16-14
SC playing for a national number 1

Game 3 - 4:30 PM
1. Florida 22-8
8. LSU 14-16
From national champions to playing for a favorable seed.  What a difference a year makes


Game 4 - 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 3
4. Arkansas 18-12
5. Vanderbilt 16-12
Wait a minute...didn't these guys just play this weekend??  At least they will have a current scouting report

Remember, there is a new game clock in effect for this tournament.  Pitchers must deliver pitches within 20 seconds of being signaled by the umpire to play ball, and the time between innings will be limited to 1 minute and 30 seconds.  There is no time limit on pitchers when runners are on base.

Ought to be a fun day at the park.  Just make sure you get there in time to find a parking place and a seat.  You can keep up with all the action at SEBaseball.com

And if you happen to catch a foul ball on your windshield and need someone to fix it, check out this windshield repair website.

Let the trip begin

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends!!  The Road to Omaha begins Tuesday at Hoover, AL as I cover the 2010 SEC Tournament for SEBaseball.com and Mark Etheridge.  This is the 12th year I have photographed the SEC Tournament, and each year, I look forward to getting back to the stadium and the bumper crop of baseball friends I have made over the year.


In addition to taking photos for SEBaseball and also SECSports.com I will be tweeting and posting pics and just generally letting you know ALMOST everything I do between now and the championship in Omaha.

So if you are on the road at whichever venue I happen to be visiting, drop by and say hello, and I will post you to my site.

And be sure to visit the CyberComm Marketing website and check out my sponsor!