My First AAA Baseball Game - Tacoma Rainiers vs Albuquerque Isotopes
On Thursday, June 15th 2023, I received a media pass for my first ever AAA baseball game. It had been raining all day the day before and the next day it did the same. I was fortunate to be able to get a decent night of baseball in. I was told I had my run of the place, just can’t go into the dugout. Before the game, I went up to the press box and stood outside for 4 minutes as I am a fraud and dont belong in there. I finally worked up the courage to open the door and about 9 press people just turned their head and stared at me. It was very off putting…I’m just a humble photographer, dont kill me I thought. I took at lap around the tiny press box and feeling accomplished, I walked out and went down the first row next to the Rainiers dugout and took photos of warmups.
I had a really nice conversation with a gentlemen who was a collegiate baseball coach before the game. Spent about 25 minutes chatting with him. I regaled him with tales of my lone year of college baseball back in Dickinson, North Dakota and tales of Montana Legion Baseball. He was a fascinating man. I wish I wasn’t writing this blog 9 months later, I might have remembered where he coached and what his name was.
I reached out to Ryan Divish, former baseball coach and current beat writer for the Seattle Times for the Seattle Mariners, and asked who I should focus on. He gave me two names of players that are on the up and up. Trammell and Moran. I spent most of the night taking photos of these two.
It was an exciting start to the game. Tacoma went up 4-0 by the end of the first with a lot of great hitting. The Isotopes settled in though and solidified their pitching and started shutting down the Rainiers. By the end of the second, it was 5-4 Isotopes. I was able to get some close plays at home and almost robbed home run.
I wandered from my perch on the third base line over to the first base line. The sun started falling by this time and this is when I realized if I want to be a serious sports photographers, I need to have serious equipment. 2 days after this game, I bought my Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GMII. I had loved my Tamron 35-150. It was so versatile, but for sports, it doesn’t get the job done. I still to this day, miss the wide end of that lens. Being able to shoot from 35-70mm in the same lens was awesome and I do miss it, but this GMII lens is no joke. Super sharp and it allows for the full 30fps shooting on the a1. The a1 is another tool that came out of a desire to shoot more sports photography. I waited 3 months before I found the right deal on that camera, but I knew that if I wanted to be more professional in shooting sports, I needed to make that investment as well. Or maybe I am just a gear whore…Probably a mix of both I would say.
After nightfall set in, I found my way into the infield suite area right behind home plate and had a blast getting those photos of the pitcher straight on. That is a very fun perspective that I think is underrated in baseball photography. As the score kept racking up for both teams, I found myself watching a 10-8 ballgame with the Isotopes leading late into the game. Since I am an old man now and managed to get all the angles in the infield, I worked my way out to the outfield grandstands where I parked. I took a couple of shot from out there and everyone was hammered drunk out there. I didn’t really need to be around drunk screaming people at that hour, so I walked out to the car and started the 3 mile drive back home, smiling ear to ear as I just took photos of a AAA baseball game.
As I write this in February of 2024, I have reached out to the Springfield Cardinals in Lauren and I’s new home town to see about becoming a staff photographer for them. I haven’t heard back at the time of this publication, but I am hopeful. Being associated with the St Louis Cardinals Organization would be a great experience for me and I hope it works out.
I have been a staff photographer for the ECHL Hockey team in Rapid City, SD for about 3 months now and having a blast with it.
Equipment Used:
Sony a7IV
Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8
Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3
