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Newspaper project on balls fouled off at MLB game
Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 12:20 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> The Detroit Free Press sent many of us to Comerica Park where the Detroit Tigers play to do a project tracking, charting and telling the stories in words, stills and video of all the foul balls hit into the stands and the people who caught them.
MLB stats say an average of 50 balls are fouled off in a game and this game played on July 22nd against the Toronto Blue Jays, 44 were fouled off but only 32 went into the stands for fans to have a chance at.
The Tigers loved the idea of the project and let us do what we wanted to without any restrictions except I couldn't shoot video of the game or anything on the field (which was not a problem or needed really)
Here is a link to the video I shot and produced of fans and their stories mixed with nice stills three other photographers shot.
http://tinyurl.com/theArtoftheFoulBall
Link to the story, graphic and pictures of the project
http://www.freep.com/article/20100801/SPORTS02/100731011&template=altart
Eric |
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Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 12:28 PM on 08.01.10 |
| ->> Eric- what a great idea and it was executed beautifully. I really enjoyed the video. This is something I have never seen before. You and your staff did a real nice job. Thanks so much for sharing it with us! |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 12:46 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Thanks Brad! It was fun to work on.
I believe our publisher came up with the idea and our sports picture editor planned the project.
Here's a link how we did it --> http://www.freep.com/article/20100801/SPORTS02/100801001/1319/
We had;
1. Three sports photographers dedicated to just shoot from two dugouts and an up position.
2. Myself doing video; shooting b-roll of the crowd and finding the best foul ball fans who had good stories to tell about the experience.
3. Two picture editors coordinating everything.
4. Reporter working on the main story and many interns tracking the balls and shooting portraits of fans with their balls.
I didn't want to presume but I thought, as did others at the paper and the Tigers organization, that it was an original idea....regardless of that it was fun and at one point one foul ball sailed over me about three feet. Part of me really wanted to reach up and grab it!! LOL!!
Eric |
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Mark Goldman, Photographer
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Silver Spring | MD | USA | Posted: 2:45 PM on 08.01.10 |
| ->> Great idea and really nicely done. Hats off to the Free Press team. You can take a bow now. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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| | | Posted: 4:24 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> This is a fantastic use of new media & journalism!
Even if I dislike the Tigers ... I loved watching this video! |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 4:28 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Dislike the Tigers?
Oh say it ain't so Steven!!
Maybe you were a Padres fan and still pissed at us beating you in the 84 World Series? Long time to hold gruge huh?? LOL!!! |
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Andrew Fielding, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 4:44 PM on 08.01.10 |
| ->> I was always wondering if someone would do something like this. I've seen some great foul ball stories (including a ball being hit about 10 inches above my head in to the first row of seats above the well and breaking a ladies arm), but the way this was done is just very cool. Great job on the story, I'd love to see follow ups with those people in a year or two to see if they've actually kept their balls :) |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 5:35 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Eric,
Nice to see people thinking of unique ways to cover the same-old-same-old. A new look on a baseball game and well done by the staff.
Also nice to see a paper commit such manpower to a project rather than sending one person or giving the "we can just use wires" line (which I say even though I work at a wire, so please use the wires).
Creative thinking like that is a great thing to see. One of my favorite baseball-related ideas came when Hank Aaron was chasing the home run record. The sports editor of one of the Atlanta papers (still split with separate Journal and Constitution at that time) sent a reporter to the men's room. Sure enough, when Aaron hit the record the reporter found the one guy who thought "there's no way he'll do it this quickly and on this at bat" and missed the historic moment. |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 5:36 PM on 08.01.10 |
| ->> And, Eric, you see I can say something complimentary about Detroit. |
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Dan Megna, Photographer
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Coronado | CA | USA | Posted: 5:43 PM on 08.01.10 |
| ->> That was a heck of a lot of fun to watch AND very nicely shot and put together! I was with my 8 year old son last month at a Padres game when we were graced with a foul ball. It was pretty cool and something we'll not forget! |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 5:58 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> George, hell has frozen over man. You saying nice things about Detroit??? What are you smoking?? LOL!!
Thanks Andrew, George and Dan for checking it out. I'm also glad the Free Press gave us all the time to shoot, write and edit this project. We are getting tons of web traffic and can only hope we will do more projects like this.
I'm thinking of a cool project following the Detroit Lions this season as they head to the Super Bowl :-) |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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| | | Posted: 6:33 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Eric,
The Pardres? Does San Diego still have a team?? I don't recognize the National Team since the Expos left Montreal for DC!
...oh and in general I don't recognize the Midwest as part of the United States ... except as a place to change planes ... isn't that why we have Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis? :0) |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 7:30 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Ok Steven you wanna play that way?
The main TSA guy in Detroit is a friend of mine and all it takes is one phone call from me and he'll added your name to the list of guys to mess with, so good luck when you come through Detroit :-)
Always say nice things about Detroit. Just ask George Bridges, he's learned his lesson! LOL!! |
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Andrew Knapik, Photographer, Assistant
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Lincoln Park | MI | USA | Posted: 10:55 PM on 08.01.10 |
->> Eric, very nice. I read about this story in bed this morning from my iPhone. The video was fantastic.
Takes me back to the day when I caught a foul ball at Tiger Stadium when the Tigers were playing an exhibition game against the Cincinnati Reds when Pete Rose was their manager. |
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T.J. Hamilton, Photographer
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Grand Rapids | MI | USA | Posted: 9:00 AM on 08.02.10 |
| ->> Great job Freep staff! Jealous here from West Michigan.... |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 4:26 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> Thanks Andrew and TJ.
I hope our paper will do more team effort projects like this.
Eric |
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Bob Ford, Photographer
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Lehighton | Pa | USA | Posted: 4:51 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> Eric, I thought the coverage was great. I also sent the link all around the newsroom and sports department. Everyone loved the originality and final product.
Oh, and I gave you a "Funny" regarding the Lions reaching the Super Bowl. |
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David A. Cantor, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Toledo | OH | USA | Posted: 9:30 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> Eric,
You can come and do this project with the Toledo Mud Hens where you will chase fowl balls.........
http://tinyurl.com/2b7baw |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 10:56 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> what a great idea and job well done.
GO TIGERS! |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 8:18 AM on 08.04.10 |
| ->> David, the way the Detroit Tigers are playing right now I bet the Mud Hens would beat them. |
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Rene Mireles, Photographer
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Holland | MI | USA | Posted: 10:42 AM on 08.04.10 |
->> Great Job Eric,
I'll be at Tigers game vs Wht Sox tommorow :) |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 8:04 PM on 08.04.10 |
->> Cool Rene,
If this will be your first time there and have questions, etc look for Julian Gonzalez or Kirt Dozier from the Detroit Free Press. They'd be glad to help you out on best shooting positions etc |
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Willie J. Allen Jr., Photographer
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St. Petersburg | FL | USA | Posted: 12:17 PM on 08.07.10 |
->> You took the mundane and made a great feature out it! My hats off to Eric and those at the FREEP!
williejallenjr.com |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 3:49 PM on 08.07.10 |
->> Thanks Willie, it was a big team effort :-)
Hope you had fun at NABJ in San Diego, saw some stuff on facebook.
Eric |
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Steve King, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Ann Arbor | MI | USA | Posted: 8:37 PM on 08.07.10 |
->> Eric,
You and everyone else at "the Freep" do a great job on a daily basis. I've stood next to Julian at many games, and talked about the "near perfect" game with him and Kirt afterwards, so it's really great to see how much everyone likes this kind of work that you do with regularity.
I've never caught a foul ball myself, yet, but I've had a foul ball zip over my head (yikes!), one go off of my long lens too, the white mark is still there, and I've given a couple back to young kids from the well after they dropped them. Looking back at the kids who got those balls a few innings later you know how special that is to them, those are smiles that you never forget.
That was a very cool project to see, keep up the great work! |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 11:33 AM on 08.08.10 |
->> Thank Steve!
I've shot many games at Comerica Park in the photo well in Tigers dugout and have had 6 or 7 come flying into our area as well, I'd grab them and give them to kids as well. You're right the look on the kids faces are priceless
Eric |
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