Venue Crew Trusts Daktronics and Ross Video Solutions for MLB Game Presentation
Major League Baseball is aiming to match the energy of a sellout crowd in Arlington, Texas, as it descends on one of the league’s newest ballparks for this year’s MLB All-Star festivities. The in-venue environment at Globe Life Field is being produced by Texas Rangers’ TXR Productions. To get through five consecutive days of game-day production, the crew is relying on lessons learned from past events and help and support from trusted vendors.
“We operate under a philosophy of wins and lessons learned, not losses,” said Chris DeRuysher, senior director of ballpark entertainment for the Texas Rangers. “We work at breakneck speed, but we want to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.”
Last season’s preparations: Seattle trip in 2023 helps outline show schedule
It’s an unspoken tradition for this year’s MLB in-venue production organization to host production crews from next year’s host city. For example, at the 2023 MLB All-Star at T-Mobile Park, Seattle Mariners senior director of production Ben Martens opened his doors to DeRuisher. Being out west allowed DeRuisher to get up to speed on certain elements and workflows he might not have been able to see if he’d stayed in Arlington. It also gave him a chance to see how much these events have expanded since he joined Kauffman Stadium in 2012 as director, event presentation and production for the Kansas City Royals. Coincidentally, Martens was his colleague at the time as manager, event presentation and production for the Royals.
“The first time I did MLB All-Star, the event was only three days,” DeRuisher points out, “Now that it’s a four-day event, we want the Atlanta Braves to come and see the rehearsals and all the detail that goes into a production like this.”
To give back, TXR Productions welcomed the Atlanta Braves, hosts of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, into their control room with tour crew members Scott Cunningham, vice president of fan experience, and Scott Brooks, director of production.
The most important takeaway for DeRussher is that the pace of the Midsummer Classic is unforgiving, and it’s something he’s keen to impart to the Braves. “We’ve been adapting as we go,” he said. “One of the big lessons is that even though it may be frustrating in the moment, you have to do your best to adapt.”
Outside help: The league and trusted vendors provide production support
For projects as big as MLB All-Star, MLB’s Game Presentation department is heavily involved in the production. Led by VP of Events and Game Presentation Brian O’Gara, the team is tasked with helping TXR Productions create an enjoyable atmosphere for the fans who make the journey to Globe Life Field, an atmosphere that is often reflected in telecasts on MLB Network, ESPN and FOX Sports.
“Brian is always pushing the boundaries of creativity in game presentation,” DeRussher said. “Even though people are watching these events from home, we want to ensure that their in-park experience is the best it can be.”
A big difference from when DeRuisher last took the helm is that in addition to receiving technical and production support from the league, the team outsourced some creative duties to vendors the league trusted. With the Royals, he and his team were asked to develop all of the graphic templates as well as the video content that would be displayed on the video boards, a process that took up a lot of time in an already busy schedule. The venue’s IP-based control room, which came online this year in 2020, incorporates services and solutions from Ross Video and Daktronics.
On the creative side, Ross Video’s Rocket Surgery is the leading provider of graphic and workflow design and data management for the elements displayed on the LED displays. Since the 2019 MLB All-Star Game took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the on-site team that has assisted with this aspect of the project includes Art Director Matt Zidik, Senior Motion Designer James Westerheide, Senior Designer Carl Claudy, Graphic Design and Workflow Team Lead Ryan Wallace, Graphics Programmer Grant Tiberghien, and Project Manager Kristina Vann. Their work has included working with MLB’s creative team to curate the look and feel of the weekend’s HBCU Swingman Classic, MLB Futures Game, All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, last night’s MLB Home Run Derby, and tonight’s highlight, the MLB All-Star Game.
From a technical standpoint, Ross Video’s Sports & Live Events onsite team includes Matt Morell, Project Manager of Solutions, Rob Rowe, Software Developer, and Alikhan Manji, Business Manager. The production uses six XPression Graphics units feeding the main and auxiliary displays, XPression Tessera, DashBoard software, and Ultrix Carbonite. The company’s Unified Display Control allows the workflow to work in harmony with TXR Productions’ existing Daktronics equipment.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the help from the league, RossVideo and Daktronics,” DeRuisher said. “It’s been a truly collaborative effort.”
Outside of the control room, each videoboard show deploys equipment owned and operated by TXR Productions, including four hard cameras, two handheld cameras and multiple POVs, as well as additional video feeds from the broadcast stations.
Texas Tip: Staff incorporates Rangers game-day elements into graphic events
From a production standpoint, the biggest challenge was balancing MLB-centric elements that would resonate with fans of all 30 teams, with activations that would resonate with Texas Rangers die-hard fans. Working closely with Chuck Morgan, EVP of Ballpark Entertainment, Promotions and Production for the Texas Rangers, and representatives from MLB, the team produced a mix of shows from both categories.
“Chuck and I made a list of must-have elements, like the Golden Chick Dot Race,” DeRuicher said, “and we’ve had discussions with MLB, but at the end of the day, this is their event and we’re happy with the way Texas and the Rangers are being represented.”
Four Fun Years: TXR Productions has produced several major events since the venue’s debut
From the opening of Globe Life Field during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, to that season’s World Series eventually being held inside the bubble-like infrastructure, to the franchise’s first-ever World Series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, the past four years have been a rollercoaster ride for TXR Productions. While few in the industry have ever experienced days like these, the crew is looking forward to tonight’s chance to showcase their skills to a league-wide audience.
“All of these events have been in preparation for MLB All-Star,” DeRuisher said. “We have a great team of people who have been through these productions together.”
Immediately following MLB All-Star, TXR Productions will produce a seven-game homestand from Friday, July 19 through Thursday, July 25, including three games against the Baltimore Orioles and four games against the Chicago White Sox.