Cal Ripken World Series

A few weeks ago I got to shoot the Cal Ripken World series, which essentially is the older cousin of the Little League Word Series. The field is a little bigger and the rules are more towards traditional baseball rules rather than those geared towards younger kids but the kids are the same age.

I was working for my awesome friend/mentor/guy Scott Serio as a second shooter for Ripken Baseball. There were a total of 54 games for the series over nine days and we had to cover all of them. I was on 35 of those games, which was 4-5 games a day (10am [not always], 1230pm, 3pm, 5pm, 8pm). The majority of the series was played on two fields and we rotated who was on which one throughout the week, until everything was on the main field for the payoffs.

Shannon, Scott's wife, was the backbone of the whole operation. We probably would have been in a stress-induced coma if she wasn't there.

Some quick little fun facts;
- ~85,000 frames over the nine days/54 games
- We drank over 4 gallons of liquids
- We had 4 remotes setup for the championship games and 5 angles on home plate
- Scott's 12 year old daughter did all of the editing during the games with his youngest being the runner
- For the 6th to last picture (Japan pitcher) I waited 6 days for the light to work
- In the sequence for the 10th picture (glove flying), my 1DX managed to track the flying glove in the air while on single point AF mode

July 31, 2015: Israel Espinosa (5) of Mexico in the dugout before the International Championship between Japan and Mexico during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball/CSM

July 31, 2015: Joel Ibarra (left) of Mexico, German Duarte (center) and Roque Salinas (right) celebrate with the team after their 7-3 win in the International Championship between Japan and Mexico during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 31, 2015: Joel Ibarra (12) of Mexico pitches against Japan to get the save in the international championship between Japan and Mexico during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Mexico won 7-3. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

August 1, 2015: Hector Mora (8) of Mexico is called out at home as Timothy Pate (22) of West Raleigh (NC) covers in the World Championship between Mexico and US, represented by West Raleigh, during 2015 the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 29, 2015: Austin Teixeira (19) of Manoa (HI) is congratulated after hitting a home run during the second inning in the game between Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball 

July 30, 2015: Ryu Taguchi (16) of Japan celebrates their victory over The Republic of Korea in the international semifinal game between Japan and the Republic of Korea during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Japan won 2-1. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 26, 2015: Tommy Whiles (7) of Meridian (ID) slides into home plate as he scores on a wild pitch for the winning run during the eighth inning as Shane Kirby (5) of Charles County (MD) covers in the game between Maryland and Pacific Northwest during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 26, 2015: Jacob Hughes (left) of Meridian (ID) and Bennett Webster (center) celebrate after Tommy Whiles (right) scored on a wild pitch to give them a 5-4 victory in their eight inning game between Maryland and Pacific Northwest during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

August 1, 2015: Mexico Erick Ordonez (6) celebrates after winning the World Championship of the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 28, 2015: Patrick Munley (30) of Manoa (HI) slides safely into third base and knocking off the glove of Ethan Webber (16) of West Mobile (AL) in the game between Southwest and Pacific Southwest during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 25, 2015 : An Australian fan dances during activities between innings in the game between Canada and Australia during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 30, 2015: Koshiro Miyamoto (11) of Japan throws to first base for the last out of the game against Republic of Korea in the international semifinal game between Japan and the Republic of Korea during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Japan won 2-1. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 26, 2015: Grayson Nichols (12) of West Raleigh (NC) is called out after attempting to avoid the tag of Austin Carr (5) of Harford County (MD) tags  in the game between Harford County and Southeast during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 25, 2015 : Benjamin Hewett (1) of Australia steals second base as Alejandro Cazorla (7) of Canada covers during the second inning in the game between Canada and Australia during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 31, 2015: Nao Kaneko (18) of Japan pitches against Mexico in the international championship between Japan and Mexico during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 31, 2015: Fans celebrate Southeast winning the U.S. championship between Southeast and Mid-Atlantic during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 25, 2015 : Jordan Shillingford (11) of Australia is unable to make a catch during the second inning in the game between Canada and Australia during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 25, 2015 : Hans Chacon (14) of Mexico steals home plate as Rui Nakayama (12) of Japan is unable to catch the ball during the second inning in the game between Mexico and Japan during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 30, 2015: Japan celebrate after winning their international semifinal game between Japan and The Republic of Korea during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball

July 31, 2015: Joel Ibarra (12) of Mexico celebrates hitting a home run in the International Championship between Japan and Mexico during the Cal Ripken World Series at the Ripken Experience powered by Under Armour in Aberdeen, Maryland. Mexico won 7-3. Jon Durr/Ripken Baseball