Glenn Diamond stepped inside the express media elavator and turned to its operator, Albert. A moment later, he began to sing.
“What’s it all about, Albert?” Diamond crooned as the elevator operator tossed his head back and chuckled.
During his 31 years as the executive producer for Turner Sports’ Braves coverage, Diamond saw Albert and the many, many Turner Field employees as often as one sees his own wife and kids. But nowadays, Diamond sees folks like field director Ed Mangan and bullpen catcher Alan Butts about as often as an uncle three times removed.
Last August, Turner Sports decided not to renew Diamond’s contract. He spent a couple of months looking for a new gig before getting in touch with the Dodgers organization, which was in the process of launching its own network in the coming months. By SportsNet LA’s launch in February, he could call Vin Scully and former Braves president and current Dodgers president Stan Kasten colleagues. The minute he got ahold of the Dodgers’ 2014 schedule, the now executive producer of SportsNet LA began orchestrating his plan for the Braves vs. Dodgers four-game set for Aug. 11-14.
Diamond, a Los Angeles native but Roswell resident (he and his family had absolutely zero intentions of moving to Los Angeles when he took the job), would return to Turner Field to work the series — he had but one simple request. He wanted his old Turner Sports crew back in the production truck by his side.
It’s not unusual in the world of sports broadcasting for crews to come together. A Twenty-year colleague of Diamond, Turner Sports EVS operator Andrew Siegle is used to it. But for SportsNet LA to specifically contract out Siegle, six other truck crew members and a slew of cameramen and technicians from TBS would depend solely on logistics. Had the series been slated for a weekend, it wouldn’t have been possible. Had it coincided with any of Turner’s NBA responsibilities, forget about it.
Luckily for Diamond, the four games stretched from Monday to Thursday, and his former crew was up for grabs.
“There’s been a lot of anticipation on both sides,” Diamond said.
He brought five members of his SportsNet LA truck crew to Atlanta to reunite with the old gang.
“We never get to work with Glenn anymore, so to work with him for this week is a quite a treat,” Siegle said.
Even Diamond’s daughter, Ashley Segert, a freelance stage manager, was able to add the series to her own schedule and manage the broadcast booth during her father’s homecoming. That’s exactly what Diamond calls this particular business trip: a homecoming.
“They have welcomed me with open arms, from (Braves president) John Schuerholz, to the security guards, to Albert,” he said.
As Diamond walked past the enterance of the Braves’ clubhouse on his way to the production truck for Wednesday night’s game, Butts, the bullpen catcher, peered over his shoulder from a few feet ahead.
“You glad to be home?” he asked.
“It’s good to be home,” Diamond replied.
