When I started at NESN, it broadcast from a studio inside Fenway Park. I use the term "studio" loosely. The old NESN was small, with only one tiny studio and two cameras. The equipment was not high definition; in fact, we were barely in living color.  
 
For what the old studio lacked in technology, creature comforts, space and a rodent-free environment (Teddy the rat kept me company on many a late night) -- it more than made up for with its proximity to home plate, less than 500 feet away.

When Pedro Martinez infamously rolled Don Zimmer’s rotund body along the infield grass, I could hear the roar of the crowd from the edit suites. When Johnny Damon hit the grand slam in the Bronx during Game 7 of the ALCS in 2004, I could see the crowd starting to congregate around America's Most Beloved Ballpark from my desk window.
 
Two seasons ago, when NESN entered the world of 16-by-9 and moved to the "NESN HD Television Center" (NESNHDTVC for short -- OK, I just made that up), we gained a lot in terms of technology, creature comforts (such as a 25-cent soda machine -- if that isn't a reason to major in communications, I honestly don't know what is), space and a rodent-free environment (miss you, Teddy). The trade-off was we were now five miles from home plate (or a seven minute helicopter trip -- but I'll let TC's Clubhouse tell you more about that).  
 
Although the postgame show is no longer produced from inside the confines of Friendly Fenway, one of our main goals of the show remains the same: to make the viewer feel like they are there. Looking back at the first half of the season, on one particularly memorable game, I felt that we delivered on this goal.
 
May 19, 2008: The Kansas City Royals were in town, and Jon Lester was on the bump. I was producing the postgame show with Tom Caron and Dennis Eckersley. After the Sox put up five runs in the third inning, it seemed like we were en route to a relatively typical lopsided game. Then Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch in the fourth -- a great grab -- but at the time, it seemed like a mere footnote in what was quickly developing into a Royal butt-kicking.
 
We had barely finished our takeout from Bertucci’s in the green room -- as Billy Butler struck out on a breaking ball, followed by Miguel Olivo whiffing on a fastball -- when Eck first foreshadowed what was to come. It was then, with only two outs in the fifth, that he said Lester's stuff looked nasty, and he might not give up a hit. It was not until four outs later, when David DeJesus grounded out to Dustin Pedroia to close out the sixth with a zero still in the K.C. hit column, that the rest of us caught up to Eck's premonition.
 
The content of the Red Sox postgame shows are completely contingent on the game that precedes it. Because of this, you can only prepare so much going into the game; the rest is read and react. The postgame show always starts with a basic format, but we typically throw it out at the beginning of the first segment. More often than not, we make the show up as we go along. I refer to this as the "no-huddle offense."  

This is one of the reasons why working on the postgame show is so much fun. It is also one of the reasons why most of the crew is on a first-name basis with all of the bartenders at Donohue's down the street. You never know if it is going to be an 11-0 blowout or a no-hitter. The key is to be prepared to break down and discuss all the key storylines during the game, and the pieces will fall into place.
 
I am as superstitious as they come. Just like Wade Boggs, I take 150 ground balls before each show and eat chicken parmesan every night. Yet with only nine outs left before history might happen, I didn't have the luxury of not pointing out that Lester hadn't yet given up a hit.  This was to be the only storyline, so I might have to say "no-hitter" once or twice to be sure we were ready.
 
In the control room Justin White, the associate producer, and Justine Pouravelis, the graphics producer, got to work on research:

• What are the dates and lines from the last 10 Red Sox no-hitters?  

• Who was the last lefty to throw a no-hitter for the Red Sox?  

• Who has thrown the last 10 no-hitters in the MLB?  

• Where to the Red Sox rank among teams in no-hitters? 

• How does Jason Varitek rank all time in no-hitters caught?

• When was the last time a team threw consecutive no-hitters?

These are just a few of the questions that we had to answer, and answer fast enough to build graphics so the viewers would know the answers, too. This is not an easy task. Thankfully, no one is better than Justin and Justine with a media guide and the Internet.    
 
In the tape room, Nick Halko, our EVS operator (the machine that generates 90 percent of the video highlights and one of the biggest improvements in the NESNHDTVC), was swamped just trying to keep up with cutting highlights from the game. It didn't get easier for him when I added the task of cueing up and editing the last four Red Sox no-hitters. Nick always gets the job done, even though I always feel like he secretly wants to kill me, though sometimes not so secretly.

Searching archived footage is where having more space in the NESNHDTVC is so important. In the old studio, we didn't have a library (seriously, tapes were everywhere -- I once found a 3/4 inch tape of the 1988 All-Star Game holding a door open), so many tapes had to be stored off-site. Today, thanks to 12 gigantic tape racks and a man by the name of Paul Carroll, most of the NESN archive is on-site.  

Paul is also our resident sports historian. If you have curiosity about the 1945 Red Sox bullpen and 45 minutes of free time, Paul is the man to talk to. His incredible ability to retain information is also how Paul was able to call NESN from home in the eighth inning with the exact number of the tape with footage from the previous Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter, Mel Parnell.  

Tom Caron, who has broadcast about as many no-hitters as Jason Varitek has caught, pointed out that we should also have footage from the one guy in the room who could relate to what Lester was going through. Paul then helped with the hunt for Eck's no-hitter from May 30, 1977, too.  

With the tireless efforts of everyone on the crew, in just over a half-hour we had almost everything ready with two outs in the ninth. Jon Lester just had to do his part now. After the third strike of the third out in the ninth, everyone on the crew took about ten seconds to enjoy the moment. Then the no-huddle offense began, and we were off.  

The postgame show that night was outstanding. TC -- armed with Justin and Justine’s research, years of experience, the excitement of a sports fan and the energy that some highly caffeinated cups of coffee can give -- put the whole night into perspective. More than anyone in the building, Eck knew what an amazing feat Lester had accomplished, and was able to tell us what goes through a pitcher's mind with two outs and no hits on the board. Jon let his guard down a little during his emotional interview with Heidi Watney after the game, and Terry Francona was as proud as a father during his postgame press conference.   

There is a reason why Fenway miraculously held 20,000,000 people the night Fisk hit the foul pole during the World Series, if you believe the stories. As a sports fan, you always want to say you were there when something historic happens. On the night that Jon Lester kept the Royals from getting a single hit, I felt like I was -- even if I was five miles away in a studio in Watertown. My hope is that our viewers did, too -- even if you were 500 miles away on your couch.