By Will Lingo
(contributing: J.J. Cooper, Matthew Eddy, Will Kimmey, Chris Kline, John Manuel and Alan Matthews)
May 17, 2004

NINTH INNING

They've almost made it. It's the Bulls' television crew's first live broadcast of the year, which usually involves hiccups, missed shots and the occasional rough transition. And with the Bulls' new video board, it was the first chance to see how the crew coordinates producing shots both for the stadium crowd and the at-home television audience.

"It's the first broadcast of the year, so there are some butterflies," director of multimedia operations Aaron Bare says. "Plus it's prom night, so we're shorthanded."

Director Robin Segreti is the experienced veteran, as the 19-year-old is a sophomore at N.C. State. All the other members of the 14-person crew are high school students--a product of a joint effort between the Bulls and a local youth organization that allows teenage boys and girls to try their hand at television production.

Tonight was a chance for the crew to think on their feet and improvise. With a good chunk of the crew off at the prom, one person works as both a camera operator and the statistician, providing graphics for each batter while he readies for the next pitch. Bare slides into the producer's chair, allowing Segreti to jump from producer to director. The group's adviser, Ken Bland, handles the replay unit and gets the commercials ready.

In this case, learning is a hands-on experience. And it works surprisingly well. Once the game starts, the crew manages to once again pull off a solid effort. Segreti bounces from one shot to another as the crew uses five cameras to cover the action. At home, no one will ever know that some of the cameramen aren't old enough to drive yet.

"We've sent playoff games to be broadcast in Pawtucket and Toledo," Bare says. "And we didn't even tell them that we're doing it with teenagers. Lots of people don't even know."

That's the goal. One these high school kids usually pull off.

As fans rise to their feet anticipating the game's final out and a victory for their Bulls, many are glad the home team won, but an equal number are awaiting a major reason for their attendance: the postgame fireworks show. Meanwhile, most of the eight scouts in attendance are taking their final notes and stuffing their ever-present radar guns and stopwatches back into their leather bags.

"Scouts love fireworks, too" says a scout from the Major League Scouting Bureau. "They're a scout's best friend because you can get out of the park quickly. Most get their bags packed with two outs in the ninth and hit the aisles as soon as the third out is made."

Most fans just see the scouts' work during the game. They overhear a mix of industry lingo. This is the best he's been for me. His slide-ball is fringy. That's pretty good arm-side run. Fans might not see that scouts do a little more than just show up for the first pitch. Most have arrived at 3:45 for the 7 p.m. game so they can watch batting practice and infield, which starts at 4. Getting there early is one sign of a hard worker. It also allows for a closer parking spot, making it a shorter walk to the car as the fireworks begin to pop and crackle.