This is Rudy Martzke's most recent column, originally appearing Wednesday, July 14. From feature producer Gary Lang's opening, with actor Kevin Costner mouthing the Field of Dreams theme, to the walk-in of the 41 living baseball legends in Fenway Park, Fox captured the attention of fans young and old. We had to do it. Then as Red Sox great Ted Williams entered on a golf cart, Fox producer Mike Weisman pulled off a TV grand slam, capturing Williams' tears as he was greeted by the all-time stars and the current ones. Although Boston's Pedro Martinez fanned the first four National League hitters, including McGwire, the game initially seemed anticlimatic to the pregame.
People have to get their batteries recharged.
Not Fox, which a couple of years ago moved to the forefront of baseball telecasts. Strutting its stuff, Fox almost popped viewers' eardrums with the sound of ball hitting the backstop. A replay caught AL catcher Ivan Rodriguez's wink after he threw out a basestealer. Announcers were in, well, midseason form, with Steve Lyons , Keith Olbermann and Thom Brennaman scoring on interviews. They're not used to playing at Fenway Park in the fall.