Broken Bat Drama in ALCS


During Game 4 of the MLB American League Championship Series it was a tense moment. Bottom of the fourth inning, game tied 2–2.

TBS cameraman Steve Angel has his camera trained on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is on third and ready to break for home.

Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland throws a fastball. Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner connects with a broken-bat grounder that was caught by a diving Elvis Andrus, the Rangers’ shortstop.

For Angel, however, as he kept his camera on Rodriguez, “all of the sudden ... it gets very frosty.”

The head of Holland’s bat flew into the camera well and struck Angel’s camera squarely on the lens, a Canon DigiSuper 86II xs. The protective cover on the lens broke, but Angel kept the shot steady and continued to shoot as A-Rod crossed home plate.

A new filter was put on the camera and Angel went back to work for the rest of the game, which New York ended up losing 10–4.

MLB.com has video of bat vs. camera moment, and an interview with Angel. — Television Broadcast