Day 2 Review: Texans OTAs followed by team Charity Home Run Derby for Boys and Girls of Houston. Astros game followed...
- Found out fellow Bearkat Travis is interning with FS Houston and will be a frequent of the press area at MMP.
- Filled out a scorecard while watching the game.
- First time going 'behind the scenes' at Minute Maid Park. And first time on the field.
So, it came to the end of the first week at Sports Radio 610. I was pretty excited to be there on this Friday. I was more excited to be at Minute Maid Park because I would get to see my two favorite baseball teams, the Astros and the Texas Rangers, first place in the AL West. I got to the station at 12-noon and got ready to go down to the park. We did not have anything from the Texans to cut up so it was pretty laid back until we needed to get down there. I took the opportunity to take care of some paperwork with Laura and get my photo taken for a badge that makes me look more 'official.'
After filling all that out and a time sheet for the week, I go back in with Robert and we get set to go down to the ballpark. I made a copy of a clip sheet for him and we were off. Traffic was slightly more hectic than normal getting down to the field and it turned following Robert into a bit of a challenge. Weaving in and out of lanes became a needed skill.
Finally there, Robert and I walk from the parking lot to the entrance and in as we say 'hi' to Ron. Cool guy. We sit there as he is working on his next sports flash. Robert explains that the clubhouse opens at 3:30 and Cooper usually will speak sometime around 4pm to everyone. So he sends me down with the equipment just before 3:30 to go to the Astros clubhouse. He meets me down there and we go in. Very nice. They have the lineup posted for the Astros already, no issues.
We make our way past the bulletin board to a double door that splits two directions and into the locker room. An oval shaped room with lockers all along one side, and split lockers on the other side, split by a television in the middle of the room and another exit door to the managers and other coach's offices. Comfortable chairs line the middle of the room and kind of split the room. It was interesting to see who has their lockers next, near or close to each other. Hunter Pence is near most of the other 'white' guys on the team...Michaels, Kepp, Blum, Berkman, and a few pitchers. Wandy and Pudge are very close together. I think only one player separates them. Roy O has a animal skull above his name.
Pudge walks in and over to his locker. There were only about 4-5 other players in the locker room at this time. Most were sitting there going over game notes. Robert tells me who the guys are we want to get for this series. Pudge, Pence, Carlos, then makes his way over to the first on the list. Robert got some words from Ivan Rodriguez then left to go edit it and get ready for his 3:40 update.
I'm waiting around a little bit, I notice the movie on the television ends, and on comes Spaceballs...classic. Edwin Maysonett was just called up from the AAA club and had a chance to get some playing time. So I got some sound from him first, then it was on to Hunter Pence. After a bunch of sound from him, in comes Carlos Lee with some sound of his own,
"WOOOO!!!! Man, I love to see you guys. You guys make my day." he says as he makes his way to his locker on the opposite side of the clubhouse. Me and the other media cameras, etc hoard their way over to his locker and the questions ensue starting with a back-and-forth spat between FS Houston's Patti Smith and Lee about the Silver Boot. He either didn't know anything about it or played dumb for the cameras. He referenced his brown boots in his locker and even asked LaTroy Hawkins about it. He proceeded to yell across the locker room to his teammates to 'let's get the Silver Boot, guys.'
Good stuff. After getting the audio, Robert and I made our way back to the press row and watched more of batting practice.
REWIND: Before going to the locker room, they closed the roof with the Rangers taking batting practice. There were dark clouds moving in on downtown and when the roof closed it made light limited until they could get the stadium lights on, but the cloud moved over before they could get the lights on and it made it seem eerie inside the stadium.
FF: After watching rounds of BP, my job was to look for Nolan Ryan. He never showed up. I was done for the day. Off to the food room. Hot dog down, Peanuts and Ice cream to go. Now to meet up with some amazing friends to enjoy a Rangers victory!
No comments:
Post a Comment