James Venes

There are a few things I’ve shot lately, including my first visit to Alcatraz last week along with finally starting to go back and import some older stuff to the current site, such as New Orleans back in March, but the main focus this time is the Media Day event the Golden State Warriors held last Friday.

To be clear, I’m still just an amateur when it comes to certain things. When I do work for Scout.com I have media credentials but it’s an unpaid thing at this point. At A’s games, I’m just a regular ticket-buying fan and they’re pretty lenient on letting people in with an SLR as long as people don’t try to sell the images and they don’t block others. It’s a little different with the Warriors. I can’t bring a professional camera into the arena, so I’m restricted to using my old “prosumer” camera, one that’s SLR-like in shape.

Point is, to gain access to certain things it helps to have connections. I’ve been on Warriorsworld for a number of years now and they, along with Golden State of Mind, are two of the largest fansites for the team. GSOM has a pretty good relationship with the team and usually has one or two games a year where a large group of fans attend. Warriorsworld is more of a free-flowing site with much less moderation, which basically means anything goes. That definitely gets interesting.

The Warriors have done a pretty good job of understanding the role blogs and fansites play overall. The people who use those sites are among the most diehard fans you’ll find if for no other reason than the fact they’ve sought out a site to communicate with other fans. As part of this, the Warriors have extended invitations to both Warriorsworld and GSOM to cover their annual Media Day. Last year I went for the first time (and ended up transcribing about 20 pages worth of interviews in one evening, ouch) and I was asked to go again this year. There are certain limits on what we can do, which basically amounts to “Working media has first priority when asking questions, but feel free to ask your own at any empty tables.”

This isn’t too hard to comply with, especially when the first group that came out on Friday consisted of veteran Stephen Jackson, second-year player Marco Belinelli and three rookies/training camp invitees. Immediately, all the media gathered around Jackson’s table and I got the other four players one after the other. Not long after that, Belinelli had a few people at his table while I set my recorder down at Jackson’s and still got over 12 minutes worth of questions and answers as I snapped a few photos. Pretty simple stuff.

I may not yet be at the level of someone paid to do this but it’s still fun to have the chance to go to something like this. Whatever anyone thinks of the way the Warriors are run - and the opinions range from one extreme to the other among the fans - it’s great that they give people who wouldn’t normally have any access the chance to observe and take part in a few things.

For a recap of Media Day along with a link to the photos, go here.

For about 70 minutes of audio from the various interviews, go here.

Usually, as training camp goes on, material the reporters obtain on Media Day is cycled through little by little. In my case, I can get it all out there at once and provide a different type of coverage that isn’t limited to so many words per article or column.

In a season that started out well for the Oakland A’s, one that has soured in the midst of a 10-game losing streak as part of a 2-19 slide since a win on July 11, it becomes important to look for some positives in the wake of all the negativity that can be found about the A’s offense, some of their pitching, etc.

One of the biggest positives is Brad Ziegler, holder of a Major League record.

On July 22 in Tampa Bay, Ziegler set the new American League record for scoreless innings to start a career when he passed Dave Ferriss, whose 22 innings stood since 1945. Ziegler didn’t pitch the next day and they had a day off before returning home for games against Texas and Kansas City. With the chance to see history made, albeit history even Ziegler initially thought was too obscure to really warrant all the attention, I decided to go to as many games in Oakland as it took to see it.

On July 25, he entered the game in the seventh with 2 out, a runner on second, and Ian Kinsler at the plate in a 5-5 game. Kinsler was the first hitter Ziegler faced in his debut at the end of May and he allowed a run-scoring single up the middle before picking Kinsler off. Unfortunately, Kinsler got him again with a liner to right that gave the Rangers the lead in a game they’d put away with 8 in the ninth after Ziegler worked a scoreless eighth, tying George McQuillan’s record of 25 inning, set in 1907.

While Ziegler allowed a run, it went into the books as an inherited runner scoring because it was not one he let get on base. Inherited runners is a stat many see as more important for relief pitchers than ERA because of the situations they’re often used in. For example, three of the first six runners Ziegler inherited scored. Since then, he’d been used a lot to start innings but there have been situations where the A’s needed a ground ball to get out of a jam and he delivered. Now, he’s only allowed four of eighteen inherited runners to score, just one of his last twelve. Looking at that, it’s evident how much he’s improved in that department.

Ziegler did not see action the next day, a 9-4 loss to Texas where an appearance was not necessary. On Sunday, July 27, it was. Entering the seventh, the A’s clung tightly to a 6-5 lead against a team that could erase it with one swing of the bat. Knowing that, the A’s sent Ziegler to the mound, someone who had not allowed a home run since converting to his sidearm delivery beginning in 2007. That run of success was not about to change, even facing three of this year’s All-Stars in Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley.

When he struck out Young looking on a slider that caught the outside corner, some fans, myself included, believed Ziegler had passed the record. We were wrong because of a rule that makes sense when you think about it. For this streak to fully count, Ziegler would have to finish the inning or be taken out without any runners he was responsible for scoring (here we return to the inherited runners thing). It goes back to “closing the book” on a pitcher’s line when they’re removed in the middle of an inning.

It didn’t matter. He struck out Hamilton swinging. Bradley singled. When Marlon Byrd hit a broken bat grounder third baseman Jack Hannahan charged and barehanded before throwing to first for the out, it was official: Ziegler’s streak had reached 26 innings and he was the holder of a new Major League record. He added another inning to the total in the eighth, capped off with a double play. With his help, the A’s held on to the lead and won.

During a post-game interview the always-humble Ziegler was quick to credit his teammates, saying, “You can’t say enough about my defense behind me. That play Hannahan made to end that seventh inning was unbelievable. Absolutely tremendous.” Talking about the success he’s had he explained, “I’m not going to strike a lot of guys out. To be able to get ground balls and rely on my defense, these guys have made plays all year.” He then added, “It gives a guy a lot of confidence knowing that when he gets ground balls guys are going to make plays behind him.”

The thing I remember most about being there to witness it is feeling so happy for him. I knew he tried to downplay the whole thing and just keep his focus on getting outs, but I hope since then he’s had the chance to take a little time to enjoy it. He laughed when he was asked about some things of his going to the Hall of Fame, glad that it wasn’t because he was involved with something embarrassing for him. As someone who’s met him and sent photos to him, there’s also a small personal connection that makes all of this even more special to me. Being able to work minor league games, I do get to meet some people and it makes following their careers more interesting. In this case, there is absolutely a rooting interest that goes beyond just hoping some random guy does well because he plays for your favorite team.

Moving on to the series with Kansas City, he didn’t pitch in either of the first two games. In the last one, he entered in the sixth after Sean Gallagher ran into trouble, allowing a go-ahead single: two on, none out. Ziegler’s job was to get out of the inning without things getting worse. He did so with a strikeout and a double play. In the seventh, a one out single was erased by another double play and the A’s tied it in their half of the inning. Then the A’s sent him out for another inning. A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt left the Royals with a runner at second and one out. Alex Gordon was intentionally walked to set up the double play and Jose Guillen obliged. Three innings, three double plays (four dating back to his last inning against Texas). 30 scoreless innings. The A’s would lose in extra innings but Ziegler once again gave the team a chance to win.

Taking the show on the road, Ziegler pitched in three of the seven games in Boston and Toronto, adding five more innings to his total. In the process, he’s climbed the ladder of Oakland pitchers with scoreless streaks at any point in their career. He passed Rollie Fingers, Cory Lidle and Paul Lindblad, currently sitting at 35 innings. That’s also 10 more than McQuillan’s old one. Now, only starter Mike Torrez remains ahead of him among Oakland pitchers. That mark? 37 innings.

It’s a little premature to be thinking about Orel Hershiser’s 59 scoreless innings in 1988, but that record was set much faster. In Ziegler’s case, and with any relief pitcher, it’s a lot different. There are more appearances but it takes much longer for the innings to pile up. A starter can put up 35 scoreless innings in four games. That’s still very impressive, making what Hershiser did amazing. At the same time, doing this as a relief pitcher is also something special. Part of it has to do with getting out of jams. Another factor is when you let someone on base. Giving up a couple singles or walks with two out is much easier to get out of than doing it with nobody out. That’s just what Ziegler did yesterday. Two quick grounders, then two singles, then one more grounder to escape trouble.

While one mistake can end a streak at any time, Ziegler’s now appeared in 27 games without allowing a run charged to him, earned or not. He has faced 123 batters and of the 21 hits he’s allowed not one has gone for extra bases. 21 hits, all singles. He’s walked 9, 2 intentional, and struck out 15. Like he said, he’s not a strikeout pitcher. He’s also coaxed 11 double plays, a rate of nearly one every three innings, something that’s even more impressive when factoring in his WHIP of 0.86. He doesn’t allow many runners to reach base in the first place, but when he does (and when he enters the game with runners on) he’s been better than average at getting the double play.

Put all that together along with pitches that have great sink, a trajectory that’s much different than what hitters are used to seeing and, yes, no small amount of good timing and some luck and this is what you get. Of course Ziegler’s not going to go his whole career without being scored upon and there will probably come a time where he gives up a number of runs in a short period of time. Things have a way of balancing themselves out. However, what’s becoming clear is Ziegler has quickly proven he has the stuff to make it in the Major Leagues and do more than just hang around. His path has been filled with setbacks and some difficult decisions but he’s remained focused, determined, and has continued to keep the faith and believe he would one day make it. Now he’s being rewarded for all the hard work and perseverance.

A quick summary of his stats this year:

2008 MLB: 1-0, 0 SV, 0.00 ERA, 27 G, 35 IP, 21 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 15 K, 9 BB, 0.86 WHIP

2008 AAA: 2-0, 8 SV, 0.37 ERA, 19 G, 24.1 IP, 15 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 20 K, 4 BB, 0.78 WHIP

Total: 3-0, 8 SV, 0.15 ERA, 46 G, 59.1 IP, 36 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 35 K, 13 BB, 0.81 WHIP

A brief sidenote: so far in 2008, Argenis Reyes stands out because he’s the only batter keeping Ziegler from having an ERA of 0.00 for the entire season, Majors and Minors. On May 11 in New Orleans, he had a 2-out single in the bottom of the ninth to plate Victor Mendez and tie the game against Ziegler. Sacramento would still win that game in ten innings. The only other run he allowed was an unearned run on April 10 in Portland, coming on an error by the catcher.

This is all a lot to say about one person but when you look at what it’s taken for him to get here (outlined in my last entry) and what he’s done so far, it’s one of those things I want people to understand the significance of.

As for the photos, there are a number of them. I rented a lens that’s better for shooting night games before I went to the first one against Texas and I’ve also had the chance to use it at some Minor League games in Stockton, Sacramento and Fresno. Somewhere down the line I plan to get one like it and that will really expand my ability to cover more games instead of having to search for just day games based on the equipment I have now. All the same, I was glad to be able to see Ziegler set the Major League record during a day game because that meant I could get even better shots in the process by using the lens I already have thanks to being able to get closer with it (300mm compared to 200mm). All four games here:

7/25/08: Texas Rangers at Oakland A’s

7/26/08: Texas Rangers at Oakland A’s

7/27/08: Texas Rangers at Oakland A’s

7/30/08: Kansas City Royals at Oakland A’s

Added: Tonight, Ziegler picked up his first save in the Major Leagues with 2 more innings of scoreless baseball against the Detroit Tigers, ending the game with another double play. He has now tied the Oakland mark of 37 innings by Mike Torrez.

I love day games, especially when the weather is perfect, there’s a breeze, and the home team wins. I got all three yesterday but the last was in doubt until some late heroics helped the A’s to a 3-2 victory.

Greg Smith and R.A. Dickey matched up in this one and neither let a run cross the plate. The A’s bullpen surrendered a couple runs late in the game but the A’s used two solo homers by Jack Cust and pinch hitter Kurt Suzuki (whose came with 2 away) against Brandon Morrow to force extra innings, then Emil Brown ended it with his first walkoff homer in the bottom of the 11th.

In the midst of it all, Brad Ziegler threw another scoreless inning for the A’s, running his streak to 19 innings to begin his Major League career. He already set the Oakland record a few days ago but now he is 3 innings away from tying the American League mark held by Boston’s Dave Ferriss, who reached 22 innings in 1945. Here are just a few things that make this more special:

* he was let go by the Phillies organization a few years ago because they didn’t think he could make it and he was too old to be at such a low level (Low-A Batavia at the time)
* he was brought in by the A’s after a brief stint in the Independent League and pitched effectively as a starter, then he was approached with the idea of converting to a sidearm/submarine style before the start of the 2007 season and becoming a relief pitcher
* he has had two separate skull fractures from being hit in the head with a baseball. One was off the bat of Fred Lewis in the minors a few years ago while the other came in an accident in the off-season after a youth camp session (he was getting some throwing in and one of the kids that was talking to him reached in front of him for the ball, which deflected off the kid’s glove and hit him in the forehead)
* this season, in a combined 43 1/3 innings pitched in Triple-A and the Majors, he has allowed 1 earned run, good for an ERA of 0.21

So for him to not only reach the majors but pitch well enough to make it almost impossible to think of sending him back down, it’s really amazing. I’ve had the chance to talk to him a few times and he’s as nice a person as you could ask for. I guess there’s an extra sense of me pulling for him to succeed because of all that, plus I’ve had some contact with his family and sent prints to them with more going to him in the next few days. There’s definitely a personal rooting interest there.

For this game, I sat a few rows behind the first base dugout for most of it. Being closer than I was a couple weeks ago really helped, as did a change to the camera’s settings that got some higher-quality shots to work from (I’d used a normal setting before to make sure I’d have enough card space, but I realized I don’t need to worry about that). As a result, I think I got some of the best-looking shots of any game I’ve been to and I’m eager to see how much better I can do it with these settings in the minors.

7/10/08: Seattle Mariners at Oakland A’s

Well, sort of. No credentials yet of course, but I believe it will happen someday.

My first MLB game using the DSLR was close to one for the record books as Rich Harden flirted with perfection for just over half the game before a clean single by Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino ended the suspense. Victorino would get both hits against Harden, who walked a batter and struck out a career-high 11 over 8 innings. The A’s scored twice in the first then got a few insurance runs later, one of them courtesy of Carlos Gonzalez’s second home run in the bigs. Final: A’s 5, Phillies 0.

With me working so many minor league games in April and especially May, I just hadn’t gone out to an A’s game until now and to be honest part of the reason had to do with me not wanting to go back to using the old camera because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to bring the DSLR in. I’m just so accustomed to taking photos at a game, it’s hard to consider leaving the camera home. Of course, cost is a big part of it as well. It’s quite a difference to pay $50 for a seat around the infield compared to free field access in the minors when I cover a game there. I’m also used to much tighter restrictions at Warriors games, where they once told me my Panasonic Lumix was a “professional” camera and I couldn’t bring it in. I never saw whoever said it again and didn’t have any other problems using that camera, but I’m sure the DSLR is a different story.

I was happy to run into no issues taking my camera to the game. The A’s seem to be a lot more lenient about it with the general rule being “no commercial use, no tripod, and don’t block the views of others.” I can easily work with that but I probably need to sit a little closer to the plate next time because I found that I had to use all 300mm of my lens just to have the pitcher/batter in most of the frame and it often left just enough of a focus issue that I wasn’t satisfied with some of the results. I’m picky like that. It also led to me cropping some shots not as closely as I normally would.

Things came out a bit better around the mound but I ran into it again shooting past that around second and first. That’s one thing about all that foul territory at McAfee Coliseum - you’re far away from the field and it really shows when I’m shooting probably a good 100 feet away compared to half that or closer in a minor league ballpark with credentials. Still, I got some good results and I can build on that partially just by sitting somewhere else. I can compare this to past games I shot with the Panasonic and the difference is clear.

6/26/08: Philadelphia Phillies at Oakland A’s

Finally, the last game of the trip. May in particular was packed with games I could cover (ten), but now that we’re getting more into the summer months most teams scale back drastically on their day games except for Sundays. Also, many of the midweek day games I look for early in the season end up being “education days” where kids from local schools attend. That makes for an interesting setting when the first 2/3 of the game is filled with kids making a lot of noise then the place suddenly goes silent as they all file back to their buses around the 7th inning, which I don’t really get. If you’re going to bring a group of kids to the game, let them see the whole thing.

Anyway, Lancaster changed over to an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox not too long ago and they definitely make sure people know about it (and why not?). They have their “Jethawk Nation,” a “mini-monster” sign above the scoreboard in right, plus they play “Sweet Caroline” and then “Dirty Water” following a win.

Clear Channel Stadium, also known as The Hangar, has a full-size jet mounted in front of the main entrance and it calls attention to the aerospace legacy and military presence in the area, particularly Edwards Air Force Base. The design of the stadium itself is nearly identical to the one the Inland Empire 66ers use in San Bernardino, probably no surprise as both opened in 1996 and I’m certain they were designed by the same architecture firm. The concourse and seating setup is very similar and both have the same general roof design. There’s nothing wrong with it - they’re both cozy places to watch a game in.

The Ports and Jethawks engaged in a game of “Anything you can do I can do” as both scored single runs in the 3rd and 4th. Then Lancaster added the “better” part when they scored 4 in the 7th after Stockton took a brief lead on a solo home run by Matt Sulentic. Jorge Jimenez tied it with a single, Josh Reddick gave the Jethawks the lead with another, then Chih-Hsien Chiang’s double plated the final two as Lancaster won 6-3.

After being a little displeased with some of the results in Visalia and Fresno, I went back to shooting with an ISO setting that got me better photos before and it worked well again here. The early part of the game had a decent cloud cover so the shadows were easier to deal with, but by the time the sun came out I got the usual brightness I’m used to working with during the middle of day. I also had the best weather of any place on the trip: 70s.

This 10-day, 7-game trip ended with 474 photos uploaded along with 55 more from an afternoon/evening in Joshua Tree National Park. Thanks to those who have looked. If you visit Scout.com, you should eventually see many of these on various player pages as well. Without them and the occasional work I do for SFDugout.com, I don’t get this kind of access.

5/22/08: Stockton Ports at Lancaster Jethawks

Of the seven games on my week and a half trip to the southern part of the state, this was the only Triple-A game I covered. While it was another hot day, it wasn’t quite at the level it was in Lake Elsinore, Rancho Cucamonga or Visalia. Mid-90s, decent breeze, lots of water.

It was my second time in Fresno this month and also the second time Nick Pereira threw for the Grizzlies. While he wasn’t quite as good as he was the first time against Omaha he pitched more than well enough for another win, working into the 7th inning and allowing two runs. Justin Leone went deep for Fresno, Brett Harper and Scott McClain had 2 hits apiece, and so did Brandon Wood for the Bees. 6-2 final.

This was another one of those games where I ended up with fewer action shots in the field than I was hoping for but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I hadn’t shot a game featuring Salt Lake before so I spent a little more time trying to make sure I got their hitters accounted for. Occasionally, that left me without enough room to switch over to the infield to set up in time for a shot. Still, I’m mostly pleased with the results. The stuff I tried in Visalia with the ISO settings did work a bit better here but I don’t think I’m going to play around with that as much down the line.

5/20/08: Salt Lake Bees at Fresno Grizzlies

The good news? I finally got a high-scoring game to shoot.

The bad news? It was about 100 degrees at this game and it lasted nearly three and a half hours.

Sometimes I have to be careful what I ask for because on a day like this I’d have taken a quick pitcher’s duel without much offense. I don’t like to leave a game early so it was vital to get a lot of water and what shade I could.

Visalia scored 5 in the 2nd and 3 more in the 3rd and had an early 8-4 lead, but Modesto kept chipping away before overcoming a 9-7 deficit in the 8th inning by plating 4 of their own for an 11-9 win. After Michael McKenry tied it on a walk, Matt Repec gave the Nuts the lead for good with a 2-run bloop single to right, doubling his RBI count on the day to 4. McKenry had 3 of his own. Visalia’s Steve Mena homered and drove in 3 for the Oaks.

I tried shooting a little differently by upping the ISO settings to let in more light, allowing me to work with a faster shutter speed in exchange, but in many cases the digital noise it added left it not worth the trouble. I figured Visalia would be the place to try it since it’s already a bit of a difficult place to shoot in and I did it again in Fresno the next day with some better results. It’s something I can use here and there if I’m careful about the conditions.

5/19/08: Modesto Nuts at Visalia Oaks

The first (and last) time I was at The Epicenter in 2005 I saw Andy Sonnanstine dominate for the Visalia Oaks. In this game, Rancho’s Tommy Mendoza came close to one-upping him as he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning before allowing a 2-out, 2-run homer to Greg Halman. He’d end up going a full 7 before two relievers finished off a 6-5 Quakes win. Rancho was aided by 2 RBIs apiece from Anthony Norman and P.J. Phillips while Halman had 2 of the 3 hits on the day for the Mavericks.

Working in such a nice stadium is a lot of fun. Nothing against places like Visalia or Bakersfield, but they’re simply not equipped the same because of how old they are. To Visalia’s credit they’re in the middle of renovations but I’ll have to see if they allow for any field access or not. Like I said before, Lake Elsinore and Rancho Cucamonga have what I believe are the two best ballparks in the California League and I think the photos help show it. On another 100-degree day, the shade I was able to take advantage of in the dugouts helped beat the heat a lot.

You’ll see a lot of non-action shots because they’re easier to get and use later on for player pages and such on Scout.com, but I ended up posting a few more shots than usual here. Part of it was for the stadium itself but there are a few from the Maury Wills appearance as well. He threw out one of the first pitches and looked pretty good for 75 years young. As an aside, I also love Rancho’s uniforms. I think they’re among the best in the minors.

5/18/08: High Desert Mavericks at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Along with yesterday’s game in Rancho Cucamonga, Thursday’s in Lake Elsinore resulted in me working in what are, in my opinion, the two best ballparks the California League has to offer. In fact, the way they’re built and handled, they could pass for a Double-A facility, if not Triple-A (capacity notwithstanding).

On a day that neared 100 degrees, I watched Stockton’s Jason Fernandez dominate the Lake Elsinore hitters to the tune of 2 hits over 8 innings. He doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, so he kept his defense active with a good mix of grounders and fly balls. The Ports rallied for a pair of runs and that was all Fernandez would need. He’s not getting as much attention as other pitching prospects like Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, James Simmons, Henry Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez or Fautino de los Santos are, but it looks like Fernandez has just as good a shot at progressing through the system as any of them.

I enjoyed shooting at the Lake Elsinore Diamond quite a bit. Though the sun was a little tough when it came to shadows caused by the hats, it was in a very good position for me to get a lot of good, sharp shots. I got more action away from the mound and the plate in this one, including a couple diving catches in the outfield (though just after the ball went into the glove). Still working on timing grounders about to be fielded, though. It’s definitely a place I’d like to work again sometime.

5/15/08: Stockton Ports at Lake Elsinore Storm

Yes, I do more than just sports photography, but this stuff usually means needing to be out of town for more than just part of a day.

The last time I was down in Southern California for a tour of minor league ballparks, I only had enough time to spend a couple hours in Joshua Tree National Park and fairly quickly do the upper loop drive from the Joshua Tree entrance to the Twentynine Palms one. I would’ve liked to go see some other things there but I just didn’t have the time.

On Friday I was able to put in closer to three and a half hours in there and I started out going in through the south entrance about 20 miles east of Indio. I got to check out some of the different desert terrain before it changed over to the higher desert that features the distinct Joshua trees. This time I also made it up to Keys View and that was pretty spectacular. I had just enough time to get back down to the main loop and head back toward the Joshua Tree entrance to try some sunset photography with and without the camera flash, and the results were pretty satisfying. All told, the drive from Indio through the southern entrance, then out the westernmost one and back to Indio was about 150 miles.

I want to get out to some more places and do work during the sunrise and/or sunset because of the lighting and shadow effects. I think you’ll see how much they can add to a photo. I also like to bring out the color in these a bit more. It’s a personal style when I shoot landscapes, nature, etc. compared to sports. With people, I have to be careful not to oversaturate them so their skin looks like they’ve been crossed with a lobster. When it’s just trees or rocks and stuff like that, I have more freedom to make it as colorful as I want.

55 photos in this gallery:

5/16/08: Joshua Tree National Park