more than expected

Blog by: Breanna Daugherty

Going into the some of the facilities, I wasn’t quite sure where I was allowed to go.
 
Hammond Stadium for the Twins was no different. I was switched to cover the team and went in with little knowledge of what I was going to cover for the day.
 
After some confusion, we made it up to the press box and set free.
 
There was no location briefing.
 
There was no map.
 
A small group of us went on a mission to see where we could go. Along the way we met a Ball State alumnus near the Twins’ bullpen. He was very helpful in our adventure and didn’t shy away from asking questions Ball State.
 
I made it to the practice field and stood outside nervously for a few minutes. I made some photos of the players walking out of the dugout, and left.
 
I went back a few minutes later and a staff member was standing outside. He asked me if I was scared to get on the field. I simply said “no” with a laugh and told him I wasn’t sure where I could go and that it was my first time in an MLB atmosphere. From there, he told me where the best places were to go, especially to not get hit.
 
I walked out onto the field, cautious of flying baseballs and being the only female on the field.
 
They didn’t pay any attention to me. Perfect. I didn’t want them to.
 
I really didn’t think I would ever be that close to players. Nor did I realize how tall they actually were.
 
In a sense, I was “fangirling” at the opportunity, rather than the players.
 
It renewed my feeling of wanting to go into sports photography and telling the stories of players, player interactions and the game overall.
 
It was refreshing to have more access than I expected, not just for my photography but also for my sense of direction for my work. 

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