Meetings

2009 PBVCA Meetings summary

• Tuesday, December 8, 2009
• Canterbury Hotel conference room
• Indianapolis

Opening remarks by Chris Fernandez, PBVCA President and Tampa Bay Rays Video Coordinator

• Individual member introductions, team they represent.
• PBVCA discussed how NFL and NBA teams share video with a central league-owned database/ftp site.
• Goals for 2010: improving Minor League video; Scouting and Amateur video; HD capture; capturing additional angles on the road; etc.
• Forming a relationship with MLB and MLBAM.

MLBAM (Major League Baseball Advanced Media) Senior VP Joe Inzerillo

• Joe is in charge of all video and any multimedia on MLB.com/MLB.tv
• Started his career as Chicago White Sox Baseball Operations Video Coordinator.
• MLBAM has signed a deal with Bloomberg do take care of Baseball Operations video/data for "back-office" scouting functionality.
• Bloomberg is very capable of providing a solution for the ‘back-office’ scouting video and data.
• SportVision’s Pitch F/X could also be incorporated into the video and data software teams us.
• Minor league video solution from ‘k.’ could possibly be ready for 2011 in all AAA ballparks.
• Update on latest MLB and Minor League Baseball video available to teams directly or via MLB.com

SportVision, Ryan Zander

• SportVision invented the NFL "1st and 10" yellow line, the MLB "K Zone" for ESPN, and NASCAR speed graphics, among other innovations.
• They keep a "digital event record" for sporting events on television.
• Developed "Pitch F/X" and "Field F/X" in a raw format.
• Cameras are permanently installed at every MLB park (from high locations such as on top of light stands, top of concourse, etc.) to pick up the pitching and fielding images and data.
• Pitch F/X shows the release points of each pitch type, along with trajectory, pitch location, etc.
• Hit F/X calculates the initial hit ball velocity, direction, elevation, contact zones, etc.
• Examples of Hit F/X hit ball velocity: HR 100mph, triple 95mph, double 94mph, single 84mph.
• They keep track of hit zones by hit ball velocity (ex: +88mph hot/-70mph cold)
• Field F/X tracks the location of each fielder (and runner), reaction times, throwing speeds, distance covered, dive distance, distance traveled, etc.
• Field F/X also tracks baserunners: leadoff distance, response time, speed, angles, etc.
• SportVision offers a database tool with querying and reporting capabilities.
• Custom data integration.
• Next phase: incorporating this raw data w/existing video coaching and front-office scouting system/existing data providers.

Sydex Systems, Mike Phillips, Senior VP/TVTI, Mark Phillips, VP

• New optional procedure for capturing/logging minor league video.
• Using camcorder w/memory card or hard drive (as long as its in the .mp4, .avi or .mov formats, but not .mod files), you set up on a tripod in CF, or wherever you prefer to shoot from, and record to memory card.
• You log the game live from a laptop anywhere you can see the game action. Preferred laptop is by "Gigabyte", selling for $750, or a similar touch-screen laptop w/stylus pen and screen flip capability.
• As you log the game into BATS, it "time stamps" the game action.
• Preferred camcorder is by "Sanyo", selling for $315. Shoots on 16GB or 32GB SanDisk card. 16GB records 3 hrs and 45 minutes of HD game video. 30x optical zoom.
• Take card and put into card slot or use a USB card reader.
• In BATS, click on "process camera file", then click "find cam file" and browse for disk.
• This will link up the video on card with the game data you logged. With the "time stamp" that was marked for each pitch, you’ll have the entire game logged within minutes.
• You can do multiple angles as well, if you set up more than one camcorder as in step "b." above.
• Compression time will be increased by 50% doing it this way.
• Missed pitch location button.
• Intentional walk button on result screen.
• EZ Video "remove all" button.
• If we purchase laptop with Windows 7, make it the road logger.
• HD upgrade will cost approximately $4,500 per angle.
• HDSD 1 line from truck is needed.
• HDSDI Canopus box will cost approximately $7,000 (for road HD).
• Best short-term option is to simply take the tv HD feed from truck into a digital tuner (dvd recorder, etc.).

Great Lakes Multimedia, Robb Taylor, Director of Sales

• Signifincant discounts for PBVCA members attending meetings.
• One-stop shop: all video hardware and media can be ordered from Great Lakes and shipped next day.
• Microboards dvd duplicator and printer distributor.
• Sony, Panasonic, Phillips (among others) distributor.
• Will beat any pricing (and will even match or beat big-box retailers).

Olympic Case, Otis Jackobice, Director of Sales (presentation via web)

• Highest quality cases in the sports and entertainment industry.
• Competitive pricing.
• Parts covered for life of the product/Cases fully guaranteed.
• Will make any case to exact specifications of the teams.
• Cases specifically produced for video and audio, breathable foam, casters that won’t be damaged on airplanes, etc.

Meetings Summary

• PBVCA executive committee will remain intact for 2010:
  • Chris Fernandez, President
  • Jeremy Kelch, Vice President
  • Mark Topping, Treasurer/Communications
• New York Yankees Video Coordinator, Anthony Flynn, to meet with MLB Commissioner’s Office in order to establish relationship and keep them in the loop.
• Amateur and Scouting video: continue to develop the best means possible to share this video and data.
• Minor League video: BATS Web and other FTP based platforms for sharing video and data.
• 2010 Membership fee invoices will be sent out before end of December.
• PBVCA website will continue to be hosted by Adam Hermsdorfer, San Diego Social Media company BigTuna Interactive. Member profiles will be added, along with surveys and tips/message board, meeting and sponsor information.
• 2010 PBVCA contact list will be distributed, including Minor League video coordinators.
• 2010 PBVCA meetings will convene in Orlando.

MEETINGS CONCLUDE