Brian Waller - AngelsWin.com Columnist
Baseball fans rejoice! After several months of cold weather, spring is here and baseball is back! As baseball fans, it’s difficult to keep up on every team and every off-season move that was made, fortunately the MLB Network has its series “30 Clubs in 30 Days”. Returning for its fourth season, "30 Clubs in 30 Days", will not be resting on its laurels. In an effort to provide the viewer with the most in-depth analysis and coverage “30 Clubs in 30 Days’ analysts will be hitting the road and visiting the teams at the spring training camps. That's right, for the first time Kevin Millar, Al Leiter, Harold Reynolds, Sean Casey, Dan Plesac, Bill Ripkin and Mitch Williams will be visiting the spring training facilities and will be taking part in "Diamond Demos" with players such as the Rockies' Dexter Fowler who shows the viewers tips on base stealing. Other demos include the Indians' Derek Lowe with tips on throwing a slider and the Padres' Cameron Maybin and tracking fly balls to the wall.
Although I enjoy all episodes of 30/30, I think all Angel fans look forward to the episode covering our beloved Halos. Good news, the episode covering the 2012 Angels will air on Sunday, March 18th, at 11:00 p.m. PT. For those that miss the first showing, it will re-air on Monday, March 19th, at 12:00 p.m. PT. MLB Network does not skimp on the coverage they provide as the episode will feature interviews with Albert Pujols, Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, and Dan Haren. And if that wasn't enough, Vernon Wells will be giving a tour of the Angels' Spring Training facility and our very own gold glove candidate Peter Bourjos will be giving a demo on how to rob a home run. The episode will be hosted by Matt Vasgersian with analysis being provided by Larry Bowa in studio and the always fun to watch Kevin Millar who will be on-site at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, AZ. With the anticipation and hype surrounding the 2012 season, this is a cant miss episode for all Angel fans.
For those wondering just want goes into an episode of 30/30, it is no small feat. A crew of 8-10 individuals make their way out to Arizona and Florida to cover the Cactus League and Grapefruit league. The crew consists of producers, camera and lightening men, technical managers, audio managers and an operations manager. Specifically, as pertains to the Arizona crew, on-site producers Richard Savino and Mark Capalbo have worked very closely with Plesac, Reynolds, Millar and Williams to provide us, the viewers with the best possible coverage. Once the on-site crews gather the audio and video footage they send it back to MLB Network headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey where dozens of more individuals work hard to put together the previews we've waited all winter to see.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan prepping for your fantasy draft or a casual fan just catching up on your favorite club, "30 Clubs in 30 Days" is a great way to get fans ready for Opening Day. With one of the most prolific off seasons in Angels franchise history, the analysts will have their hands full covering all aspects of the teams upcoming 2012 seasons. Once again, it's a cant miss for all Angels fans.