[Chicago Slices raw: Women In Baseball Clinic #1]

WOMEN IN BASEBALL CLINIC at Comiskey Park. Interviews with staff and participants in a baseball clinic designed to encourage female involvement in baseball. White Sox 3rd base Coach demonstrates hand signs of previous season. Tips on batting from the batting Coach.

00:00Copy video clip URL Videographer Patrick Creadon walking down sidewalk recording slate, “This is People on TV take 2. New tape.”

00:06Copy video clip URL Creadon interviews random people on the street and asks if they’ve ever been on television. Kennise says, “No.”

00:27Copy video clip URL Steve Owens says he has been on TV before. He’s a PR spokesman for his job. Creadon notes that to be on TV nowadays is not a big deal. Owens does not remember the first time he was on TV.

01:40Copy video clip URL Creadon approaches two young girls, Vanessa Rotondo and Susie Lupovitz, who ask for ID. Rotundo says while working for a radio station she did a television interview. She says it felt weird to see herself on TV. Her voice sounded different. Lupovitz says she’s never been on TV but feels special now.

03:38Copy video clip URL Jeremy Haines says he’s never been on TV before and the feeling is no big deal.

04:00Copy video clip URL Tom Haines starts to answer but the audio signal goes away. The signal returns and Haines repeats his answer: no.

04:21Copy video clip URL Audio signal fades in and out. Steve Sorenson says this is his first time on TV and notes that it feels strange.

05:01Copy video clip URL Creadon walks down the street recording notes to the editors about the audio trouble.

05:26Copy video clip URL Kate says she has been on TV when her dad was mayor. The first time she saw herself she hated it. It makes you feel uncomfortable.

05:54Copy video clip URL Angela Denise Price-Freeman says she has been on TV before and tells the story of when the Bulls won the second Championship game. A news crew recorded a sound bite of her. She and her family got to see the newscast later. She said it was wonderful.

07:24Copy video clip URL Audio goes away and comes back. Sean says he’s never been on TV and says the feeling is no big deal.

07:53Copy video clip URL Ulysses Gissendanner says he’s never been on TV and that it feels ok. “I’ll know when I see it.”

08:18Copy video clip URL Heading down a street, Creadon records a note to the editor stating that it is Saturday at about 1:15pm and that he’s heading into Comiskey ball park.

08:32Copy video clip URL Creadon in the ball park following White Sox employee down underground passages.

09:04Copy video clip URL The employee takes Creadon onto the field. She notes the baseball clinic today will tell women about baseball, talk about careers in baseball, listen to ladies who played in the All American Girls League. She introduces Creadon to Christine Lukowski.

09:53Copy video clip URL Creadon interviews Lukowksi, Director of Community Relations. She notes that the program wants to educate women on baseball. She notes they sent out a survey asking women if they were interested in baseball and wanted to learn more. The positive feedback allowed the clinic to commence. She says they had two clinics last year and two this year. Women from White Sox front office and throughout the field join to talk about the game and the sport. She says the group finishes the clinic sitting in the visitor’s dug out. She says registration was in an upper terrace room that accommodates around 300 people. They worked with a comfort level with the amount of people they could fit in that room. They have about 250 women there today. She says the speakers coming up will be Terry Bevington with a demonstration on batting and running signals, and Tom Paciorek and Craig Grebeck with batting demonstrations.

13:30Copy video clip URL B-roll of clinic participants filing into the stands.

13:58Copy video clip URL B-roll of crew washing down the stadium seats.

14:35Copy video clip URL B-roll ballplayers warming up.

15:07Copy video clip URL B-roll of Bevington talking with a female about the players. Bevington introduces himself and explains what he’s going to be talking about with the ladies: signs and signals used last year. He says he’s never spoken to an all-women group.

16:49Copy video clip URL Lubowski introduces Bevington and points out a video on the scoreboard monitor, highlights of various signals used in baseball.

18:26Copy video clip URL Bevington starts his demonstration. He talks about the importance of communication on the field and the need to signal for a runner to steal or a certain hit for the batter to attempt, pick off plays. He says the manager will give him a sign and he will relay it to the batter.

20:23Copy video clip URL Delay in the lecture as late comers take their seats. Lubowski notes that there is a game tonight, so the clinic needs to wrap up on time. Bevington continues with his demonstration about signals and signs the Sox used last year. He demonstrates the “take” sign (fingers down and to the left). If he finishes signing anywhere on his face the signal is to bunt. If he finishes signing anywhere on his leg the signal is hit-and-run. The indicator sign is noted by placing both hands on the bill of his hat. He explains the situations a particular sign would be used. If he wipes his hand across his chest he is signaling for the base runner to stay put.

24:41Copy video clip URL Video drop outs. Stop/re-start digitizing. Bevington demonstrates the signals.

27:54Copy video clip URL Various b-roll of women in the audience. Bevington shows the repeat sign and shows how to complicate the signals.

29:26Copy video clip URL B-roll Bevington speaks and takes questions. Are you signing at the same time as the catcher? No. Do you tell which side the batter should bunt? No, but it’s a set rule that if a runner is on first base you bunt to the third base side. Do you signs get stolen? If you trade a player do you have to change the signs? Most often we do. What if you get an itch when you’re giving a sign? You fight it off or scratch it and get on with it. Will women ever be base coaches in baseball? If I was political about it I’d say I can see it happening in the future. Realistically, I don’t think so because most coaches used to be players.

35:25Copy video clip URL B-roll, audience applauds.

35:34Copy video clip URL Video on scoreboard shows game highlights.

36:30Copy video clip URL Tom Paciorek talks about hitting, noting that it’s hard to do. A successful hitter has a 30 per cent success rate. No other professional sport has such a low rate that could still deem a player successful. He talks about the mental preparation of hitting.

38:22Copy video clip URL Sox player Craig Grebeck talks about the physical fundamentals. He says first you need to get a bat you can handle, not too big, not too small. He notes the various stances in the batter’s box: open or closed. He also notes the importance of head position, keeping both eyes on the pitcher.

40:46Copy video clip URL Paciorek takes questions. What makes the bat break in your hands? He notes that a pitched ball hit on various points along the bat will cause the bat to break or not break. One woman asks Grebeck what kind of car he drives. (He drives a Lexus.) How do you get rid of nervousness? Have confidence. Why do players choke a bat? It has to do with a person’s comfort level. Someone asks Grebeck if he ever broke a bat with his hands in frustration after striking out. Yes, once. How do you control where the ball is hit? Sometimes the pitch dictates that. If the pitch is on the outside of the plate the hit might go one direction, if the pitch is inside it will cause the batter to pull the ball.

44:34Copy video clip URL B-roll of the Q&A. Grebeck talks about recovering from a broken foot. Is batting mental or physical? In batting practice it is physical. During a game it becomes more mental, just having confidence.

46:26Copy video clip URL B-roll of the Welcome to Women in Baseball Clinic sign.

47:45Copy video clip URL Audience members are picked to try hitting. Paciorek gives final instructions on how to bunt and notes that the five women picked will get five swings each.

50:05Copy video clip URL Interview with one of the ladies as she heads for the field to hit. Interview with Grebeck. Is it intimidating talking to this many women? At first it is, but once you get going you build confidence.

51:40Copy video clip URL B-roll of Ellen Neiweem hitting and then interviewed. She says she plays softball.

52:47Copy video clip URL Videographer records a note to the editor about Christina Fortt who apparently was videotaped hitting but the footage was not recorded.

53:12Copy video clip URL Christine wraps up the clinic giving away raffle prizes.

55:04Copy video clip URL Video drop outs.

55:10Copy video clip URL Grebeck signs autographs.

56:08Copy video clip URL Interview with Brandy Pisano who says she plays softball and loved the clinic. She says she is a catcher and is a fan of Carlton Fisk. Today’s a thrill but she has been on the Sox field before with her father’s video work. It’s like Field of Dreams. She notes baseball is all she lives for. She says it stinks that baseball is predominantly male because there are some very good female baseball players. She thinks she’ll see women in pro baseball and she thinks it will be her.

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