Waiting for the Game

Arriving at Minute Maid Park usually around 2:30 for a 7:05 game means a lot of time is spent tracking down the news of the day on the internet, chatting with some Astro players, fellow broadcasters and other local media. That is in addition to the primary job of securing and taping an interview for Astros Live Pre game Show on Fox Sports Houston.

Normally, that part of the job is taken care of between 3:30 and 4pm when I need to turn my cameraman loose to work with Bart Enis or Patti Smith who handle the "news" segment of the pre game show on home games. I handle both jobs on the road so being at home gives me a nice break.

Today Charlie Pallillo of 790 radio is doing his show from the far end of the press box. He really doesn't need a microphone. Everyone in the vicinity--of say, Union Station--can hear him. He usually is here on Wednesdays when one of his features is a live segment with Astro manager Brad Mills.

In the meantime David Dalati of 97.5 (and columnist for FoxSportsHouston.com) files sports updates from the row behind me. Dan Mathews is usually doing the same for 610 a few seats away.

Dave Raymond or Brett Dolan (whichever is not sharing he Astros radio booth with Milo) sits about 20 feet to my left. Tonight he is doing a stint on Astros Live Pregame and Post game so he is conferring with show producer Jeff Lillicotch and the shows lead host Kevin Eschenfelder.

Lillicotch, a Houstonian by way of Texas Tech and Fox Sports Southwest will head to the production truck in a few minutes to handle the arrangement of taped items for the show. He has already taken care of the graphic and commercial matters. For home games he must share the production truck with the game crew. At times things can be a bit tight. For road telecasts Jeff, Kevin and his various rotating partners have the ease of working out of the Fox Sports Houston downtown studio.

As batting practice for the Astros continues on the field (It started at 4:45 and will continue until 5:40 when the Mets will step in) some fans have just entered. The gates opened at 5:30. Some season ticket holders and special guests are in a a roped off area behind the batting cage and occasionally have interaction with some players and staff.

Brett Wallace is in a conversation now as I look down...over on the Mets side of the field those players are tossing the ball around and have just finished their pre game stretching routines.

It is 5:35 now. In exactly one and a half hours the first pitch will be thrown. I have already been here for three hours and will be here for as many as five more. This goes on almost every day during the baseball season. I have no regrets.