I’ll also add, that you rarely see a pickoff throw caught live on camera correctly unless the camera shot is a wide shot showing both the pitcher and first base. But back in the good ol’ days of WGN showing every Cubs game Arne Harris nailed the quick camera switch to the first base side dugout camera to catch the throw to first perfectly almost every time.
Arne was the true God of baseball telecasts. He had a knack for cutting to the right camera at exactly the right moment to capture every play perfectly, while eschewing the split-screen and other technical tricks as lazy and gimmicky.
I miss him, especially every time I watch a game on FOX, the epitome of crappy coverage.
Wow… if you wanna call Fox’s version “coverage”.
Painfully bad! Cringe worthy.
WGN-TV cut way back on their baseball schedule when they joined the Warner network, in I believe 1997. This prompted the Tribune to remark at the time, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer will replace Sammy the Rally Killer.”
The next year Sammy discovered steroids and he was no longer the Rally Killer.
You know what grinds my gears about modern baseball production? The obsession with runners crossing home plate. It isn’t one producer, either, because they all do it. Arne never did.
When a ball is hit into the gap with runners on first and second, I know the runner on second is going to score. I mean, I’ve been watching baseball for longer than ten minutes. I don’t need to see him jog in and put his foot on the dish. I want to see how the outfielders handle the ball, and whether the runner on first pulls up on third or keeps going. But I never see either of those things, because we have to cut to the runner on second touching home. It’s like the money shot in a porn movie. But, it doesn’t make me cum.
First of all, Freddy, great analogy. Your exact complaint was showcased by none other than Fox on Saturday in the Yankees/Red Sox game. A ground ball down the 3rd base line with bases loaded and all we are shown is the three runners crossing home. It took 4 replays before we ever saw why all 3 runners were able to score, which was because the outfielder slipped and fell and trying to handle the ball in the corner and then made a poor throw from his seat. Why the hell wouldn’t they go to that angle live? Maybe put a little PIP in the corner with the runners scoring for those viewers who get a kick out of that.
The equivalent in hockey is a close up of the pulled goalie skating to the bench as the trailing team starts possibly the most important rush of the game.
I was also annoyed and confused by that coverage. I was wondering what the hell was taking the outfielder so long!