The Washington Mystics defeated Sacramento in an exhibition, barnstorming game in Tampa, Fla., on Monday. As the regular season draws closer, I decided to check in with “The Heard” rounder, Ned Griffin of The New London (Conn.) Day about how the Eastern Conference is shaping up. “The Heard” is what they call the pack of about 12 news outlets in Connecticut that cover the Sun and some spread themselves around to cover the New York Liberty and Mystics. Anyway, looks like Detroit is the pick until knocked off, although they lost depth and Deana Nolan and Cheryl Ford are dealing with injuries. We both agree Indiana will disappoint because Tamika Catchings just got off crutches and probably won’t be back at full strength until July. She’s also focusing on the Olympics. But Katie Douglas’ return to her native state makes things interesting. The Sun looks “intriguing” and former Storm forward Barbara Turner has impressed the coaching staff with her forceful style. She still trying to prove she’s worthy to play in the league. But we both like San Antonio in 2008. Of course that might change when we get to see a real game.
Mariners: Stealing Signs.
Baseball is a game of signs. The catcher gives signs to the pitcher. One finger for a fastball, two for a curve. The third-base coach signals the batter and any baserunners. A touch of the belt could mean a bunt. Tip of the cap followed by an arm down the sleeve signal a hit-and-run. Don’t forget the umpires signaling balls, strikes and outs. When I’m shooting a baseball game, I rely on signs, too. If my photo editor touches her hat, it means, “get one in focus for once”. Two claps followed by a tap on the elbow means, “you’re missing deadline”. A tap of the nose followed by one to the ear means, “you’re being relieved by another photographer warming up in the bullpen”. Seriously, a major league stadium is full of information that helps me do my job. Unlike the spoiled sportswriters in the press box (who, by the way, have been complaining of the cold because the windows are opened up there during games), photographers have to relatively fend for ourselves. No television monitors, no one to tell us the pitch count and distance when a home run is hit. I’m kidding about them being spoiled. Obviously they need more of that information than we do to write their stories. And, they’d have to put down their hotdogs and coffee. KIDDING! Aside from the traditional scoreboard in left field that tallies runs per inning, the score, hits and errors, another valuable source of information is the batting order that is listed on the centerfield big-screen. Armed with a roster in my pocket that notes left-handed and right-handed batters and pitchers, the batting order tells who is coming up to bat. Say Ichiro is hitting for the cycle in the late innings, and left-hander Arthur Rhodes is on in relief pitching for seattle. When seattle’s in the field, and Rhodes is on the mound, I’d like to be on the first-base side of the field shooting. This way, I can see Rhodes’ full throwing motion and release. If I’m shooting from the third-base side and a lefty is on the mound, it’s hard to see his face and the ball at the same time. However, if left-handed hitting Ichiro is at the plate and I want to get a photo of him hitting the ball, I’ll need to be on the third-base side of the field. From the first base side, I only see his back. The upshot to all of this, is that by knowing who is pitching and what batters are due up, I have a better chance of being in the right spots to make photos. It’s obviously an inexact science. If I’m in the first base box shooting right-handed hitters like Beltre and the Mariners rally until Ichiro comes up, I won’t have the opportunity to switch sides of the field (only allowed between half-innings). You can see that there is a mark next to the current batter (or, if they are in the field, the batter leading off the next at-bat). When hitters are at the plate, there’s an infographic on the scoreboard that tells me the player’s stats for the year. What I want to know when I look at this board is usually the stolen base numbers. Obviously, this lets me know if the player is a threat to steal (and yes, there other other ways of knowing, like the player’s position in the batting order — speed guys can be found at the top and bottom of the order). If I know a player is a basestealing threat, I also then know that there could be pickoff attempts, like when seattle’s Felix Hernandez went to second base twice in the first inning to keep Baltimore’s Brian Roberts close to the bag. Knowing that Roberts is speedy, I was able to be ready when Hernandez spun and threw to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt in the first inning. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) Now, I can tell just by looking at him that Jose Vidro is usually no threat to steal, and the graphic on the scoreboard tells me he has one stolen base this year. Obviously these are just clues not givens, because both Kenji Johjima and Richie Sexson have tried to steal this season, and neither are speedsters. There’s also a board that tells the speed of each pitch. It’s good information because I’m curious about such things, but really doesn’t help me shoot the game. Pitches are blurs whether or not they’re thrown at 96mph or 78 mph. Regarding pitching, the pitch count scoreboard does give me a lot of information. I noticed that Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie, a righty, had thrown over 100 pitches when seattle’s Jose Vidro, a lefty, came to the plate. The Orioles left Guthrie in, and Vidro pounded out a two-run single in the eighth that was the difference. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) We were past our first deadline for the night, and I was hurrying to edit, caption and transmit the photo of Vidro. Here, another scoreboard, this one telling me the results of the past three batters, told me what had happened previously. I could have used my wireless internet to look up the play-by-play, but snapping a shot of the board was quicker. Another noteworthy aspect to last night’s game was the reappearance of closer J.J. Putz, who’d been on the disabled list. With the Mariners protecting a two-run lead in the ninth, Putz would have a pressure opportunity for a save. I moved from my spot outside of first base to one nearer home plate. Putz always yells and pumps his fists after collecting the final out of a victory and I wanted to be ready. Usually, a photo of Putz pumping fists is cliche, but since he’d been out for two weeks, it would be part of the story. He gave up a double, then collected the next two outs as the small crowd roared (it was a small roar, okay?). And then, as the third out was made, I focused, got my trigger finger ready and Putz…did…nothing. Look, I don’t know if all this stuff helps me make better photos. Maybe they just keep my head in the game. At least I was prepared. All the signs pointed to it.
Mariners: Note to Self — Get a Helmet
Ichiro almost took my head off with a foul ball tonight. In the first inning, he sliced a ball foul that made like a heat-seeking missile. Right. At. Me. I saw it coming (albeit briefly), and just as the ball got bigger in my sight, I bailed, falling to the floor of the third-base photo well. I was holding onto my 400mm lens and camera by the monopod, and the ball scored a direct hit on the side of rim of the lens, missing the glass of the front element by only an inch. My lens now has a dent the exact size of a Major League Baseball. Probably would have taken my head if I hadn’t moved, rendering me a life-sized bobblehead on Ichiro bobblehead night at the ballpark. Luckily, I happened to be looking at the hitter, since it was Ichiro. Had the Mariners been in the field, I might have been focusing on the pitcher and never seen it coming. That could have been bad. Or, it could have knocked some sense into me. Time to get a batting helmet. P.S. Tom, thanks for calling me on your cell phone from the 300 level to make sure I was okay…now that’s friendship.
M’s - Game 2. A Better Day for Photos.
On Opening Day, the Mariners won, but I felt like I’d lost. Last night, seattle lost, but I felt I’d “won” as a photographer. Which means, I had a pretty decent shoot and felt like I’d made the photos that needed to be made. Of course, I was motivated and seeking redemption for the foibles of our Opening Day coverage. seattle’s Felix Hernandez took the mound for the start and pitched great, which he is capable of and usually does. But more than pitch, Hernandez also fielded the ball excellently for a pitcher, which is great for photographers because pitchers pitching look like, well, pitchers pitching You get the point. There were other pretty unusual plays as well, and I managed to get good frames of those as well. In the second inning, seattle’s Jose Vidro attempted to steal second base and collided with Texas infielder Ian Kinsler. The ball rolled away and the two of them collided. No faces, but unusual for baseball. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) As I mentioned Felix Hernandez was great both with his arm and his glove, except for on this play, when he threw wide of first on a bunt and second baseman Jose Lopez couldn’t catch the ball despite diving. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) In the top of the fourth, Hernandez had knocked down a ball hit by Texas’ Milton Bradley before throwing him out and falling down. Hernandez is helped up by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) The infielders gathered to check to see if Hernandez was okay, and he playfully slapped third baseman Adrian Beltre as Yuniesky Betancourt watched. After the game, Hernandez told reporters that the infielders were teasing him to either “Catch the ball or let it go. Don’t do stupid stuff!” (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) In the bottom of the fifth, fans in centerfield tried to put a little mojo on Texas centerfielder Josh Hamilton, who makes a warning track catch on a blast by seattle’s Brad Wilkerson in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hamilton would haunt the Mariners later in the game with his game-winning home run in the ninth. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) During the spring, everyone (well, except for Ichiro) was making a big deal of his 0-twentysomething start during exhibition play. Ichiro went hitless on opening day, but went 3-5 in game two, including this base hit to right. There are four photo boxes on the field level, two on each side of home plate and on either side of the dugouts. This photo is shot from the box nearest home plate on the third base side of the field. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 145mm, ISO 2000, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) In the sixth, seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez faced a bases loaded jam and escaped unscathed. After knocking down a ball hit by David Murphy in the sixth inning, he fired for a force out on Texas baserunner Hank Blalock to save a run. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 1/1000 sec.,f2.8) Hernandez fell on that play as well, and celebrated from the ground. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 1/1000 sec.,f2.8) With the bases still loaded, Hernandez got Texas’ Gerald Laird to pop out to end the inning. His celebration was nice, and I didn’t notice his visible breath in the cold until later. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 1/1000 sec.,f2.8) Unlike on Opening Day where reliever Sean Green earned the win, on this night once the bullpen took over, things went downhill for the Mariners. Eric O’Flaherty gave up two runs in the eighth. I was busy transmitting, but grabbed a quick shot in case he earned the loss. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 1/1000 sec.,f2.8) In the ninth, normally automatic closer J.J. Putz came in to protect a one-run seattle lead. Unfortunately for him, he gave up a two-run homer to Texas’ Josh Hamilton and the Mariners were unable to answer in the bottom of the ninth. (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 1/1000 sec.,f2.8) Because of our deadlines, we published two different sports covers. Kudos to the editors and designers for creating two nice pages under pressure.
Doma speaks
F Natalie Doma sounded optimistic in an interview with the Idaho State Journal regarding her being cut on Thursday. “I’m just taking this experience and moving on with it,” she said. “The coaches were all very positive about releasing me. They had good things to say. It’s just kind of what happened, and I have a bright future ahead of me.” Doma plans to play in France beginning Sept. 30 and she’ll also try out for the Canadian national team, being a native of Victoria, B.C. Those experiences coupled with confidence should make the free agent ready for the WNBA next season. “It challenged me, and I stepped up the challenge some of the time,” the Idaho State grad told the newspaper. “This level is definitely a step above the college level and being able to be here for a few weeks will help me. It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do. I’m used to being in class. [But] They were very positive, and they just wished me the best of luck. “The future’s bright, that’s what I’m hearing a lot.” Doma, like most who glance over the Storm roster, was star struck by the names of All-Stars and all-decade players. And that’s before co-captains Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson had a chance to arrive. “It’s like the dream team, and I feel very honored to be able to play with these players and have met them,” Doma said.
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UW Crew: The Rain and Windermere Cup
Well, at least the sun was shining the other morning that I was assigned to shoot crew racing. The races that are held on the Opening Day of boating season (Opening Day? Does that mean the first tilt of your boat to the left is the “first pitch?”) are the local highlight of the crew season. Washington’s oarsmen will have more important races (last week’s victory over Cal in Berkeley, the upcoming Pac-10’s and the IRA Championships after that), but none will be bigger for local race fans. Yachts started lining the log boom outside of Montlake Cut on Thursday in anticipation of the races and the boat parade that follows: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/640th sec., f6.3) Despite the drizzle, fans still lined the Montlake Bridge and the shores along the cut: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/250th sec., f5.6) (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 100-400mm lens @ 300mm, ISO 800, 1/400th sec., f5.6) Meanwhile back in Conibear crewhouse, men’s varsity eight coxswain Kaitlin Snyder put the finishing touches on her race plan: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 26mm, ISO 1000, 1/160sec.,f2.8) And the guys in her boat stretched out to get ready for their Windermere Cup race against Poland and the US Naval Academy: (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 1000, 1/100sec.,f2.8) One of the things that makes this race so special is the Montlake Bridge, which is lined with fans watching the shells pass beneath it during the race, so I wanted to make sure to incorporate it into my image for the sports cover. The men’s varsity eight is undefeated this year, so I chose to focus on their race: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 35mm, ISO 800, 1/1008sec.,f2.8) Moved to a telephoto lens as they passed. One challenge with shooting the wide-angle from close to the bridge is that I wasn’t able to shoot the finish line. As the men won by a fair distance, not having photos of the finish didn’t end up being a problem: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 100-400mm lens @ 270mm, ISO 800, 1/500th sec., f6.3) As I looked towards the finish line, a group of young women in swimsuits had jumped into the cut at the conclusion of the last race. I found out they were members of the UW swim team, and that this is somewhat of an annual tradition: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/250th sec., f10) One of the great sights of Opening Day is seeing all the boats make their way back through the cut back to the boathouse after the races. It’s a cool sight from the top of the bridge, but I couldn’t hustle up there fast enough and settled for a shot from the shore: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 100-400mm lens @ 375mm, ISO 800, 1/250th sec., f14) An awards ceremony followed the races, but the best part of post-race is when they throw the winning coxswains into the water. It’s an easy, cliche’ photo, but one that’s always fun to shoot: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 75mm, ISO 800, 1/1000sec.,f4.5) (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 16mm, ISO 800, 1/1600sec.,f9.0) Shooting crew is a blast. I wish I could follow them as they compete in the Pac-10 championships and the IRA Nationals. And the added bonus to hanging around all those fit bodies is it makes me want to go work out!
Storm makes Burse announcement official
The Storm released that center Janell Burse will indeed not return for the 2008 season. The press release is below. In an interview with the Times, Burse said this afternoon that she’s going to have her left foot re-examined by Tulane doctors, where she played college hoops. They may opt to put a pin in the foot to correct the Jones fracture. Burse said she’s managed the shoulder enough to be able to play on it, “it’s really about the foot,” she said. On a lighter note, Burse was gushy when asked about her reaction to Yolanda Griffith giving up the No. 33 jersey number. “That was really sweet,” Burse said. “I was joking with T [Tanisha Wright] though that she [Griffith] could have had it for $1,000.” Burse is staying in Houston with her family and hopes to attend a Storm-Comets game this summer. STORM CENTER JANELL BURSE TO SIT OUT 2008 SEASON 6-5 center and WNBA record-holder to return in 2009 seattle, Monday, May 5, 2008 — seattle Storm center Janell Burse will miss the entire 2008 season, team officials announced today. “We will definitely miss Janell but respect her decision to sit out this season,” Storm head coach Brian Agler said. “I am looking forward to coaching her next season.” Burse averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the 2007 season. She set a WNBA record for rebounds in a half with 16 in the first half, and rebounds in a quarter with 10 against the Phoenix Mercury on May 23, 2007. The 2006 runner-up for the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award has averaged 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over four seasons with the Storm. “We are disappointed but support Janell’s decision,” Storm CEO Karen Bryant said. “We wish her the best this season and look forward to seeing her back in seattle in 2009.”
Mariners: When it Rains, It Pours.
“They” say it’s early in the season, and that there’s time to right the ship. “They” also say that the Mariners are hovering around .500, so they’re okay for now. “They” not to panic, that good teams prevail over the course of 162 baseball games, and the Mariners are a good team. Who the hell are “they”, anyway? Are they us, the media? (Well, technically not ME, because I’m not a reporter), but you get my drift. Who are they (we?) to tell us (us?) how they (them?) will fare? Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I’m speaking to a group of sports editors in the morning, and just so no one gets confused, remind everyone out there that I’m not a writer (one of “them”). As if this elegant wordsmithing could ever be misconstrued as real writing. Back to the game. Felix Hernandez pitched seven GREAT innings, dominating Oakland some innings, and extracting himself out of jams in others. He recorded 10 strikeouts before getting into trouble in the eighth. In those middle innings, I realized he was pitching special, and so I shot from behind the plate hoping to show his dominance: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens + EF 1.4x extender = 560mm, ISO 640, 1/800 sec.,f4.0) Even though seattle’s bats failed them for much of the homestand, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt managed a great smile after his solo home run in the fourth inning gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead And then, as the song goes, “the weather started getting rough…” How bad was it at Safeco Field? Well, it started to rain, and the technicians took an unusually long time to close the roof. It was so bad that SOME FANS ACTUALLY GOT WET! In seattle. In April. I know, right? I didn’t care how hard it rained. The photos are always better with the roof open. More light, and it’s baseball, for goodness’ sake. Anyway, my long-misplaced journalism gene kicked in and I realized it was actually unusual for seattle fans to be rained on during a game. Bring out the umbrellas! (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 400mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 400, 1/800 sec.,f2.8) seattle’s anemic offense couldn’t pick up their pitching once again, and some walks and hard-luck relief pitching left Hernandez at the end of the bench watching his walks become runs in the eighth: (Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 16-35mm/f2.8 lens @ 25mm, ISO 1600, 1/640th sec.,f2.8) seattle gave up four runs in the eighth and trailed 4-2. What looked to be a great outing by Felix Hernandez and a victory over a division rival at home turned into a tough loss that was reflected in the faces of both… …the players… (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 195mm, ISO 800, 1/320th sec., f4.5) …and the fans. (Canon EOS 1D Mark IIN, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 125mm, ISO 800, 1/320th sec., f3.5) Here’s today’s sports cover:
