MLB notes: How NESN turned back the clock for acclaimed retro broadcast

Fans these days can usually expect certain things when they turn on a baseball broadcast High definition picture quality slick graphics and a scorebug stuffed with stats a K Zone and more But that wasn t perpetually the affair and this past week NESN turned back the clock and gave Red Sox fans a different kind of viewing experience To commemorate the -year anniversary of the World Series NESN put together a special retro broadcast for Tuesday s encounter between the Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds designed to evoke the look and feel of that era The broadcast featured s-themed graphics music interviews with members of the Red Sox and even era-appropriate outfits for all of the infrastructure s on-screen talent It was a huge hit Rewinding to the best of last night s retro-cast pic twitter com tv IYEl r NESN NESN July To get the reaction we got from the broadcast it was great especially from people that I talked to from that generation how excited they were about it watching it as a kid and getting to see it on Tuesday revealed Amy Kaplan NESN s coordinating producer for the Red Sox It kind of felt like we captured something there It s been unreal man noted sideline reporter Jahmai Webster It s been crazy I didn t think it would be as popular as it became The idea for the retro broadcast first came up last fall NESN s leadership knew the Reds would be coming to Fenway Park and that would mark the th anniversary of the two clubs meeting in the World Series so Kaplan disclosed they circled the series as an opportunity to celebrate the Red Sox It really started very simple and very basic and we kind of built on top of it Kaplan revealed So we landed on doing two innings in the style of a s broadcast Work on the project ramped up during spring training and once word started getting out Kaplan explained everyone at the structure got excited and began offering their own ideas to help take the broadcast to another level We all loved it right away because it was rooted in baseball it was rooted in selected of the great history of this band announced host Tom Caron It was the perfect time to do it During the third and fourth innings of Tuesday night's Red Sox match NESN incorporated graphics reminiscent of those used during TV broadcasts in the s Courtesy of NESN To recreate the technicolor feel of an old s broadcast Kaplan mentioned technical director Michelle Schlickman and the graphics department worked together to create authentic film effects wipes and graphics reminiscent of what was standard at the time Care was also taken to find a happy medium between historical accuracy and serving modern sensibilities the majority notable example being the decision to display the scorebug constantly which wasn t a common practice in the s As far as coming up with the outfits NESN had the perfect guy for the job on staff as well Thomas Csizmadia a longtime NESN designer happens to also run a vintage clothing business Picker Packer Grumb through which he buys and sells pieces from the s s and s The thought came from one of my coworkers because he knows I do the vintage clothing on the side and we were in a meeting and we started talking about hey wouldn t it be fun if they dressed the part Csizmadia stated It just seemed like a natural connection I m a designer here at NESN and my other world is in the past in vintage so it was hey wouldn t this be cool if these two things could connect ' With his deep knowledge of the era s fashion what was worn by sportscasters of that time Csizmadia set out to gather the necessary clothes for the broadcast Beyond just finding suits that Howard Cosell could have worn on Monday Night Football he also had to make sure everything fit not necessarily the easiest task Then there was coming up with something for Webster who had something a little more funky in mind for his outfit When it was brought to me I emailed Amy a picture of Jimi Hendrix in like and I m like if it s not like this I m not wearing it Webster commented And they came through on that promise Editor s Note Hendrix died in NESN sideline reporter Jahmai Webster made waves with his s era shirt during Tuesday night's Red Sox broadcast Courtesy of NESN Through his inventory his personal collection and through his connections in the industry Csizmadia gathered the clothes and came up with something special for Webster a groovy red floral button-up shirt It fit pretty good and my wife liked it so I was like alright let s do it Webster disclosed That shirt was meant for Jahmai Kaplan revealed Originally the plan was for the retro broadcast to cover the third and fourth innings but in an unexpected twist thunderstorms moved into the area before the fourth inning began leading to a lengthy rain delay The irony wasn t lost on the NESN crew given that Battle of the World Series was famously delayed three days by heavy rain but it also allowed the broadcast to continue and gave commentators Dave O Brien and Lou Merloni a chance to interview colleague Jim Rice a member of the Red Sox in the booth Greater part of the time I don t love rain delays but this one genuinely kind of worked out well because we got to have that conversation with Jim Kaplan noted Rice later returned to NESN s centerfield studio where he and Caron continued until the contest was suspended to the following afternoon The line was great I was like didn t you get wet And he announced sugar don t melt which is the perfect Jim Rice line Caron disclosed adding that the rain delay ultimately enhanced the broadcast It really did it allowed the graphics to keep going it allowed for a little more long-form storytelling and Jim had particular great insight to what was going on in and ultimately it carried it over another day Related Articles Red Sox erupt for seven runs in third inning blow out Nationals - Farm Assessment Top Red Sox pitching prospect making declaration in Portland Red Sox players meet President Trump on White House tour Red Sox allow eight runs from seventh inning onwards drop finale to Reds Red Sox right-hander undergoes achieving wrist surgery When play resumed on Wednesday the retro broadcast picked up where it left off and carried through to the end of the fourth inning as planned By the time it ended the broadcast had generated considerable buzz both from young fans who determined the aesthetics fascinating and from older viewers who grew up in that era Chosen of the comments on social media have been hilarious especially from our younger audience Webster mentioned But certain of the older folks too about how it s taken them back to that time so I think we nailed it in that regard That association whether you were alive for it or not it was a really pivotal season in revitalizing and building the passion for the Red Sox in Boston and a lot of what we have now is built on that Caron declared I was really excited that it struck a chord with people because it was all a lot of fun and there was certain silliness to it all but it was all rooted in baseball and the incredible history of the Red Sox The retro broadcast won t be the only special initiative NESN undertakes this season This week the architecture is also planning Monster Week which will focus heavily on the Green Monster and will be highlighted by O Brien and Merloni calling the entirety of Monday s series opener against the Colorado Rockies from atop the wall Would NESN consider doing another retro broadcast in the future perhaps an s-themed broadcast next year commemorating the th anniversary of the squad Kaplan stated they haven t turned the page to next season and haven t discussed any plans like that but she s determined the entire experience working on this past week s broadcast to be rewarding and is grateful viewers enjoyed it A lot of people made this happen and a lot of people got excited about it and were excited by the challenge Kaplan noted We had as much fun behind the scenes as greater part people had watching it Will Red Sox get three All-Stars The complete MLB All-Star rosters will be unveiled Sunday and while the Red Sox did not have any position players voted in as starters there s a good bet left-handers Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman will be among the American League s pitchers Will any of their teammates join them Three other Red Sox players have a realistic situation for earning All-Star honors Alex Bregman was the runner-up in the AL third base vote and still ranks among the league s top players at the position in Wins Above Replacement home runs RBI and OPS despite having now missed more than a month due to injury Bregman largest part likely wouldn t play even if he is able to return before the All-Star Break but it wouldn t be shocking to see him earn the nod from his peers anyway even if he wound up just handing the roster spot off to the next the majority deserving candidate Carlos Narvaez has a strong development for being the No catcher in the AL behind Seattle s Cal Raleigh He ranks second among AL catchers in WAR while also boasting an OPS of around and a few staggering defensive metrics Will that be enough to earn him the nod over Toronto s Alejandro Kirk Kirk was the runner-up in the fan vote has been an All-Star before and plays for a company higher in the standings so even if Narvaez has a stronger argument on paper he might still have a tall hill to climb The biggest longshot of the realistic contenders is Wilyer Abreu who is having a terrific season but faces stiff competition amid a crowded AL outfield group Abreu is on pace to approach home runs and still ranks as one of the top defensive right fielders in the contest but he ll have to crack a reserve unit that will almost certainly include Mike Trout and Steven Kwan leaving perhaps one spot up for grabs Would Abreu beat out Minnesota s Byron Buxton Seattle s Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena or Toronto s George Springer It s doubtful The full MLB All-Star rosters will be publicized Sunday at p m Joshua Baez shown here playing for Dexter Southfield in is in the midst of a breakout season in the St Louis Cardinals minor league system Paul Connors Boston Herald Boston s Baez enjoying breakthrough Joshua Baez was one of the area s top prep standouts a minimal years back becoming a two-time Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year at Dexter Southfield before signing with the St Louis Cardinals out of high school But since being chosen in the second round of the MLB Draft the Boston native has taken various time to find his footing in the professional ranks But now he s starting to take off Baez is enjoying a breakout season and at the time of was batting with home runs RBI stolen bases and an OPS through his first games split between High-A and Double-A Baez was promoted at the end of May and has continued to produce with the Springfield Cardinals maintaining a consistent OPS to what he had at High-A while hitting six homers in his first games at Double-A Still only Baez now ranks as St Louis No prospect according to MLB Pipeline The outlet notes that while Baez has long struggled to make enough contact to allow his plus power to play he s now significantly cut down on his whiff rate and has flourished as a outcome