Inside Braves' game day with field reporter Kelsey Wingert
ATLANTA -- Game days begin long before the first pitch is thrown for FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast field reporter Kelsey Wingert. After her morning workout, Wingert typically begins communicating over the phone with producers and directors about the night's show. Here's a look at Kelsey's game day routine Tuesday for the second game of the Braves vs. Reds series.
3:10 P.M. - Kelsey enters the Braves' clubhouse four hours before the first pitch will be thrown. Walking in, she reads over the starting lineup for the night and greets the security guards with a smile. She then heads down the hall and into the clubhouse for pregame interviews with first baseman Freddie Freeman and reliever Dario Alvarez that will be used during the game.
4:00 P.M. - Kelsey heads to a routine pregame press conference with interim manager Brian Snitker. These usually take place in the dugout but heavy rain moved the meeting into a small room inside where reporters huddled around Snitker taking turns asking questions.
Wingert meets with Braves manager Brian Snitker ahead of Tuesday's game against the Reds.
4:30 P.M. - Kelsey heads up to the press box for an early dinner. While eating, she chats with a few team members about the night's show and prepped for her opening hit.
5:45 P.M. - It's back down to the field to record her first hit and continue to prep for the show's start at 6:30 P.M.
Following @KelsWingert through her game day routine for tonight's game pic.twitter.com/H0FFRqpdKf
— FOX Sports Southeast (@FOXSportsSE) June 14, 2016
6:39 P.M. Kelsey goes live with pregame hit about the bullpen.
Pregame live shot underway and it's a rainy one ☔️ pic.twitter.com/tgHicBOJyU
— FOX Sports Southeast (@FOXSportsSE) June 14, 2016
Awaiting the first pitch, Kelsey sets up camp in the camera well next to the dugout. She situates herself on a chair that gives her a view of what's happening on the field. She has a monitor to her right showing the broadcast and has an earpiece for the audio. With her notebook in her lap, she's ready to go. The earpiece is also used throughout the game to communicate with her producer about when she will be going live.
7:10 P.M. - Game begins and Kelsey takes book in her notebook. She also takes notes for her first upcoming hit, which she knows will happen in either the secnd or third inning. Prepped and ready Kelsey goes live in the middle of the second inning and talks about changes in the lineup.
After the bottom of the second, a bat was brought into the camera well to be authenticated after being cracked by pitcher Julio Teheran. Kelsey noticed the bat was formerly used by Christian Bethencourt -- a former Atlanta teammate who is now with the Padres -- and prepares to do a hit on the bat later in the game.
As @KelsWingert reports, Julio Teheran used a former teammate's bat in his first trip to the plate. @Braves pic.twitter.com/fRV7aVcKmF
— FOX Sports Southeast (@FOXSportsSE) June 15, 2016
As the game progressed, Kelsey continued keeping book, taking notes and preparing for hits. After the final out in the bottom of the ninth, she went back into the clubhouse where she interviewed Snitker and Teheran.
Wingert keeps notes throught the games which she uses for her in-game hits.
10:40 P.M. - She returned to the field for a live closing hit and after that, Kelsey called it a night. It was time for her to go home, rest and do it all again for game three.
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