60 Minutes: The Incredible Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols, Courtesy of: Pro Fantasy Baseball

Being a native of St. Louis, Albert Pujols is an icon. He hits towering homeruns, is the benchmark for consistency, and is a clean-cut, church-going, family man with a true passion for helping people. His efforts are well known in the community, as the Pujols Family Foundations helps thousands each year. For a man who tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, I was glad to see Pujols open up during the 60 Minutes interview. 

His charity work for the underprivileged in the Dominican Republic, as well as with children afflicted with Down Syndrome, is some of the most outstanding humanitarian work any athlete of our generation has done. Pujols' adopted daughter (his wife Deidre had the child with another man) has the disease, and Pujols has done everything in his power to help those in need.

The baseball numbers speak for himself. As Peter Gammons alludes to in the video, Pujols is a top 10 player in history right now, and it's not even arguable. He has dominated the diamond for 10 years, averaging a .300 batting average, 30 HR's and 100 RBI's in each season. No one, not Babe Ruth, not Hank Aaron, not Willy Mays, not Lou Gehrig, has ever done that. He is the best player in the game right now, and at the end of this season, he is going to get paid like one.

From a journalistic standpoint, this piece was another fine work by the people at CBS. Bob Simon is one of my favorite on the show; his voice is easy to listen too and he carries the interview without dominating the dialogue. There are a lot of great shots in this piece; Pujols taking batting practice inside the batting cage is a great shot, not only because you get the natural sounds of the wood bat sticking the baseball, but also it is at a level where you can see the flawless mechanics Pujols has. To make it more impressive, batting cages are tiny and dangerous, further complicating the shots. I liked that Simon traveled to the Dominican Republic to see what Pujols does, and while Simon holds hands with the little girl in the village, you can tell how excited these people are to see a glimmer of hope. There was great writing in the piece, especially in the opening, as the show the shot of Pujols dancing with every kid at the "prom" he holds for Down Syndrome sufferers, and then a tight shot of Pujols' forehead with beads of sweat. Simon then alludes to "Pujols sweating as if he just played a double-header", and then cutting away to Pujols' work on the diamond. Just a great sequence there.

Preview video, courtesy of: YouTube

One thing I didn't like was that the piece didn't really come full circle to me. I would have ended that piece with a final parting shot of guests leaving the Pujols benefit, taking us back to the place we started. It would have enforced the fact that Pujols is a family man, especially if there was a shot of him carrying his daughter out of the ballroom. I think that could have been very powerful and a great way to end the piece.

You can also find the full video on the CBS website--60 Minutes: The Incredible Albert Pujols

Weekly Warrior

This week in journalism:

I have enjoyed my couple of weeks off from the grind of Broadcast, but I am back in full swing, having to complete my five required KOMU shifts in the next three weeks.

Tomorrow I have my first VO Patrol at the station, from 8 AM-1:30 PM. I am excited to get to work and put everything into action that I have learned over the last year. I need to look at some story ideas to get ahead, and hopefully everything will go smoothly. I know everyone has the "sky is falling, everything is going wrong" day to start at KOMU, but I'm hoping to avoid that.

In my next blog entires I will hopefully post some video that I capture and what I have accomplished, but that will have to wait until my shifts get underway.

Sports Report

Observations from the last week or so in sports:

-Startling number of guys returning to the NCAA instead of entering the NBA draft. Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller have all recently announced their intentions to stay in school for another year. These four could and probably would have been drafted inside the first 15 picks, with Jones and Sullinger going in the top 5. This tells me one thing, NBA agents are catching word that the labor situation in the NBA could lead to a lockout. Another tough break for American sports.

-ESPN's Year of the Quarterback should be another fantastic production in the growing line of ESPN films. Last night's "The Brady 6" was a great piece. Six quarterback's, only one of which has experienced success in the NFL (Marc Bulger), were drafted before Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. What this shows me: Drafting is a crapshoot. Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, and the rest of the bunch project these guys on measureables, game tape, and schemes for NFL teams, but no one knows what can happen. Being a Mizzou fan, I hope Blaine Gabbert turns out more Tom Brady then Gio Carmazzi, Spurgeon Wynn, Tee Martin, and Chris Redman.

-The Cardinals record is a little troubling to this point; 4-7 through 11 games in series against the Padres, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Giants. The Giants are obviously a good team, coming off a World Series win, but the others are not playoff teams, and in the case of the Diamondbacks and Pirates, they could be the worst two teams in the NL at the end of the season. The offense is finally starting to come around, with Lance Berkman, Colby Rasmus, and David Freese catching fire as of late, and that is something I'm not concerned with. Albert Pujols is going to hit; Yadi Molina will drive in some runs. But, is their middle infield good enough to get the job done? Ryan Theriot was brought in to play solid defense and provide an offensive threat at the top of the lineup. He has shown flashes of success at the plate, but his defense leaves much to be desired. He and Skip Schumaker have to be the worst defensive middle infield in baseball. Let's face it: The Skip Schumaker second baseman experiment has not worked. It was a valiant effort to get his bat in the lineup, but Skip is no more than a utility OF. Rookie Bryan Augenstein and newcomer Brian Tallet went down last night in a 13-8 defeat, causing more problems for a bullpen that has been under much scrutiny already this year. If Tallet goes on the DL (Augenstein already is) the most likely call-ups will be Fernando Salas and Eduardo Sanchez, two pitchers with great promise. Mark it down now, Eduardo Sanchez will be the Cardinals closer within the next two years, he has electric stuff. Finally, free Tyler Greene, dude needs to play.

-The NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and I for one, am excited. So many story lines are prevalent this year: Are the Spurs too old? Do the Bulls have a sidekick for Derrick Rose? How do the "Big 3" play in the playoffs? What's up with the Lakers? Are the Thunder ready to be legitimate title contenders? Can the Celtics hold off the Knicks? All will be intriguing. Many of my friends claim that the NBA is boring to watch because no one plays defense; I whole-heartedly disagree with that statement, and encourage anyone who feels the same way to watch these playoffs and enjoy the best teams with the best players in the world.

-If the NBA draft was today, and the lottery went as scheduled, the draft order would be: Minnesota, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, New Jersey, Sacramento (tie here). Here are my picks, considering that Harrison Barnes enters the draft.

1. Minnesota: Harrison Barnes, G/F, University of North Carolina.
This makes sense for the awful drafting Timberwolves. If a top-flight center was available for this pick, the Wolves would have to take it, but I think that Barnes is the best value for a Timberwolves team that needs scorers and tough-minded players. Backup: Enes Kanter. If this guy impresses after not playing this entire year, he could be a sleeper for this pick.
2. Cleveland: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke University.
All reports are that Cleveland is ready to rebuild with Irving as their PG. They luck out in this scenario because the Wolves drafted Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio just two years ago. Irving brings youth an a strong on-ball presence to a team that just needs playmakers. Backup: Harrison Barnes. Proven scorer who can immediately impact the Cavs.
3. Toronto: Derrick Williams, F, University of Arizona.
Not following "Canada's team" very much hurts my knowledge here, but I know some about the make-up of their roster. Demar DeRozan, Leondro Barboza, and Jerryd Bayless provide a solid backcourt for the Raptors, with Ed Davis an up-and-comer at the 4 slot. Andrea Bargnani needs to be shifted to the 3, but I think unless Kanter impresses, Williams provides a great value. Backup: Enes Kanter.
4. Washington: Jan Vesely, PF, Czech Republic.
I don't take the time to read everything about international players as I probably should, but Vesely has a perimeter game that the Wizards could highly desire. The Wizards have a team full of potential, and Vesely would be another "potential pick", but they need something to go with John Wall. Backup: Trade down, draft Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State University.
T-5. New Jersey: Enes Kanter, F/C, Kentucky.
Brook Lopez is the future for New Jersey as their center, but Kanter could be the missing piece at the PF position for the rebuilding Nets. Kris Humphries had a nice year, but his best accomplishment is dating Kim Kardashian, not being a starter in the NBA. Kanter would be an upgrade offensively, and give them another young player to build around for the future. Backup: Terrence Jones, SF, Kentucky. High volume game if he can realize his potential, would be an immediate threat at the 3 for the Nets.
T-5. Sacramento: Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky.
For some, this pick may not make sense. Sacramento's best player is Tyreke Evans, right? Absolutely, but from everything I have seen out of Tyreke, he needs to play off the ball. He may never be a great shooter, but he needs to have the ball taken out of his hands and put into someone's that can give him a chance to score easily. Knight could accomplish that, and he has the second highest upside of any PG in this draft. For a young team, take Knight over Kemba Walker, just based on potential. You can afford to work him along slowly because the Kings are not going to be relevant in the West for a while anyway. Backup: Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania. The 18-year old PF could grow with Demarcus Cousins inside.

E:60 Season Premiere

ESPN has grown over the last 15 years into a media empire. As they continue to expand, cranking out daytime shows, multiple channels, and expansive radio coverage, the thing I have enjoyed the most is their commitment to true journalism through the "E:60" series and the documentaries presented in their "30 for 30" line.

E:60 premiered the first episode of its new season last night, and it was phenomenal. The story of Ryan Westmoreland hits home for me; the kid was a baseball player that only wanted to be a pro for his hometown team. Growing up in St. Louis, most kids have that dream and it is hardly ever realized, but for Westmoreland, it was a real possibility. As a fifth round pick of the Boston Red Sox, Westmoreland was quickly rising through their minor league system as an 18-year old, but a strange growth on his brainstem thwarted his dream. He could have died in surgery, but is now working his way back into baseball, albeit battling his fine motor skills. The ultimate story of courage and strength.

Ryan Westmoreland,  courtesy of: Projo

There were a couple of very interesting and redeeming stories of Dwayne Wade and his mother's struggles, as well as the story of Anil Kane, an aspiring golfer from the slums of Mumbai, India. Wade's mother battled through heroin, crack, and alcohol addictions to become a Baptist minister in inner-city Chicago. Kane lives on less than $2 per day, dropped out of high school in the 9th grade to become a caddy at an upscale club, and earns less than $900 a year, but still has dreams of becoming the next great Indian golfer.

Preview of Mumbai Masters

Courtesy of: YouTube

The story that was really outstanding was a piece by Chris Connelly about Christina-Taylor Green, the youngest victim in the Tucson shootings in January. Green was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, a World Series champion manager for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. Her father also works as an advanced scout for the Dodgers, making this a sports family. However, it was Christina's ambition as a little leaguer that connects this story to our sports world. She was a symbol of courage, hope, and competitive nature. The story is outstanding an I encourage everyone to take a look at it; it will bring you to your knees.

Christina-Taylor Green, courtesy of: CSU Pueblo Today

From a journalistic standpoint, ESPN does a great job with this series. The interviews brings questions from every angle, and most of the stories come full circle. However, there were a couple things in this first episode that I had a problem with. On two separate occasions, interviews were distracting because the camera was moving. It happened during the Ryan Westmoreland piece during an interview with Theo Epsetin (GM of the Boston Red Sox) and also during the interview with Jolinda Wade. The camera was shaky, zooming in and out, and it was very distracting. For such powerful stories, such minor mistakes cannot be made. The soundbites were important to the story, but I couldn't focus on what was being said because of the movement.