2008 PBVCA Meetings SUMMARY

Bellagio Las Vegas December 10 – December 11, 2008

The Professional Baseball Video Coordinators Association (PBVCA) met in December at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. PBVCA members discussed various topics aimed at improving their performance and contribution to their respective clubs.

Our primary guest speaker was Frank Marcos with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. Mr. Marcos outlined the MLBSB Clipss service and how it will benefit clubs’ ability to upload, download and distribute amateur video throughout the organization.

We also had several vendors speak to the group about the latest technological advances in the industry. Each company explained how their product would benefit video coordinators and their teams.

What follows is a chronological recap of our meetings and topics.

MLBAM

• Ordering any MLB games without fee
• Future potential of MLB games and data, compatible with BATS
• Look into PBVCA having input with tech committee

Visitors Clubhouse video feed quality

• Consistent, acceptable video quality in visitors clubhouse at each park
• Future: separate video line run directly from tv truck to vis. Clubhouse
• Wireless/Internet connection in all Visitors Clubhouse
• Make sure each clubhouse has high speed web access

PBVCA website – Adam Hermsdorfer, San Diego SEO company BigTuna Interactive

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2008 PBVCA Meetings
2008 PBVCA Meetings to be held Wednesday, December 10-Thursday, December 11 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The meetings will take place during the Baseball Winter Meetings. Guest speakers include Joe Inzirello of MLBAM (Major League Baseball Advance Media) and Frank Marcos of MLBSB (Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau).

Phillies outlast Rays to win 2008 World Series
Congratulations to PBVCA member and Phillies Video Coordinator Kevin Camiscioli on being part of a world championship. Also, kudos to PBVCA President and Rays Video Coordinator Chris Fernandez on his first World Series and post-season appearance.

Nationals name new Video Coordinator
Erick Dalton has taken over as Video Coordinator of the Washington Nationals. He most recently served as Assistant-Statistical Analysis for the Nationals. Dalton replaces Tom Yost, who left in September after 3 years in Washington.

2007 PBVCA Winter Meetings

Check out all the pictures from the 2007 Meetings.

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The Professional Baseball Video Coordinators Association (PBVCA) presented the 2007 Pioneer Award to Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gwynn at the 2007 PBVCA Meetings — held in conjunction with the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville.

Mr. Gwynn, who was the keynote speaker at this year’s PBVCA Meetings, received the award at 3 PM on Wednesday, December 5 in the Lincoln E meeting room at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. His remarks to the Video Coordinators followed the award presentation.

This is the first time PBVCA has selected a recipient for the Pioneer Award. Mr. Gwynn, Head Baseball Coach at San Diego State, was selected due to his groundbreaking use of video, for both mechanical analysis and scouting his opponents, throughout his Major League Baseball career.

“On behalf of PBVCA, this is a well-deserved honor for a man who has basically led the way in using video in baseball,” said PBVCA President and Tampa Bay Devil Rays Video Coordinator Chris Fernandez. “Because of Mr. Gwynn’s foresight years ago, we as video coordinators are in the position where we are today and are very grateful to him because of that.”

Formed in December 2004, PBVCA is comprised of Video Coordinators from throughout Major League Baseball. Our objective is to elevate standards among all Video Coordinators, facilitate the exchange of information and technical advancements in the field of video coaching, and raise awareness of the role that Video Coordinators play within professional baseball.

2006 PBVCA Winter Meetings

The Professional Baseball Video Coordinators Association, PBVCA, concluded its third annual meetings at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando. This year’s conference included eighteen Video Coordinators, eight video technology vendors, and four guest speakers from throughout Major League Baseball.

PBVCA members held workshops on integrating the latest technology into the daily video room workflow. This was highlighted by a Video iPod tutorial presented by the Colorado Rockies. The tutorial showed Video Coordinators effective ways to copy player highlight videos to their iPods and options for sharing Major League, Minor League and Scouting video with front office staff via their iPods.

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Guest speakers included Dr. Charles Maher, Cleveland Indians Team Psychologist and Director of Psychological Services; Tim Belcher, Former Major League Pitcher and current Cleveland Indians Special Assistant to the General Manager; Dan Feinstein, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Director of Baseball Operations; and Joe Inzerillo, MLB Advanced Media Senior VP of Multimedia and Distribution.

Dr. Maher lectured on the Psychological Foundations for using video for performance development and enhancement in professional baseball. He covered the learning styles of professional baseball players and watching video with a purpose.

Tim Belcher expressed what players require, need and want with regard to video and how Video Coordinators can best deliver their services. As a former major leaguer who used video as a primary preparation tool, he went on to explain that “video analysis is a player’s greatest asset when attempting to find and fix flaws in his game… seeing is believing!”

Dan Feinstein, a former Video Coordinator with the Oakland Athletics, gave us a front-office perspective on video usage. He explained how the front-office uses video and specific ways this can be effectively delivered to them.

Joe Inzerillo, also a former Video Coordinator with both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls, gave us a report on the status of MLB Advanced Media. He helps decide how MLB video content will be shared between the league and each team. Mr. Inzerillo also discussed the latest technology in video coaching and how MLB Advanced Media will increase it’s coverage of Minor League Baseball and various international leagues.

PBVCA presented the Carl Hamilton Award of Excellence to the 2006 Co-Video Coordinators of the Year, Mike Hamilton and Brian Jones of the Colorado Rockies. In addition, members decided to continue meeting at the site of the Baseball Winter Meetings. The 2007 conference will be in Nashville.

The Professional Baseball Video Coordinators Association (PBVCA) presented the 2006 Carl Hamilton Award of Excellence to Mike Hamilton and Brian Jones, Video Coordinators for the Colorado Rockies. The ceremony was held Thursday, December 7, 2006 at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando.

The award is given annually to the Video Coordinators who have demonstrated superior work in the field of video coaching. Hamilton and Jones developed an exceptional process for sharing video with players, coaches and front office staff using the iPod Video. The award is named in honor of Mike Hamilton’s father, Carl Hamilton, the Seattle Mariners Video Coordinator for the past seventeen years.

“I am very honored to receive this award,” said Mike Hamilton, “To have been voted for by your peers makes it special, and that the award has been named after my father makes it something I will cherish forever.” The 2006 season was Hamilton’s seventh season as Rockies Video Coordinator.

Jones added, “Being recognized by others in your profession is the most meaningful honor one could receive. I am excited about the advances of the PBVCA as a way of sharing new ideas and technologies throughout baseball.” Jones recently completed his fifth season as Rockies Assistant Video Coordinator.

Formed in December 2004, PBVCA is comprised of Video Coordinators from throughout Major League Baseball. Our objective is to elevate standards among all Video Coordinators, facilitate the exchange of information and technical advancements in the field of video coaching, and raise awareness of the role that Video Coordinators play within professional baseball.

The Professional Baseball Video Coordinators Association (PBVCA) has awarded its first-ever award for excellence to Carl Hamilton, Seattle Mariners video coordinator.  The award has also been named the Carl Hamilton Award, and will be given each year to baseball’s top video coordinator.

PBVCA President Bob Chester, who is the manager of baseball video operations for the
Cleveland Indians, said that Hamilton was an easy choice to receive this honor because of “his commitment, years of service, and most importantly, his positive contributions to the role of video coordinator in Major League Baseball.” Chester says Hamilton first suggested that video coordinators should form an association to facilitate the exchange of ideas and technological advancements in the industry.

The association was formed in 2004 at the MLB Winter Meetings in Anaheim.  The association’s goals are to elevate professional standards among professional baseball video coordinators; facilitate the exchange of information and technological innovations; advance ethical procedures and quality techniques.

Hamilton joined the Seattle Mariners in 1990 as the team’s video coordinator.  He also served for 10 years as the video coordinator for the Texas Rangers.  Hamilton records all Mariners games and many other Major League games, and videotapes players during Spring Training and the regular season for scouting and training purposes.  He also produces instructional, motivational, training and highlight videos for all levels of the Mariners organization.

Prior to his 27-year career in baseball, Hamilton was a police officer, private security officer and a Marine Corps veteran.  He resides in Kent, WA, with his wife Betty Lou.  They have four adult children and seven grandchildren.  Hamilton’s son Mike is the video coordinator for the Colorado Rockies.