Tag: Albert Pujols

A Conversation with Rene Knott: 31 years in the news and still loving it

After cigars with Jordan and White House lawn interviews, Knott found his home in St. Louis.

Advertisements

Rene Knott is the epitome of enthusiasm, existing at the intersection of hard work and vigor in the world of news. If being around him for an hour doesn’t make you happy, I don’t know what to tell you.The St. Louis morning anchor on KSDK Channel 5 has been delivering the news for 30+ years, from the West Coast to the East Coast. He’s interviewed Cal Ripken on the White House lawn and shared a private room and cigar with Michael Jordan, but he calls the community of St. Louis the best he’s come across in his life and a reason to plant roots here in the Midwest. Through it all, Knott has maintained a passion for the practice, which broadcast was meant to and always will be: a practice that requires diligent work and a will to inform, which Knott has in spades.Whether it’s working as the sports director at KSDK for 12 years or where he sits now, sharing a desk with the lovely Allie Corey on the KSDK morning show, Knott always has a smile on his face and a sense of humor at his disposal. Continue reading “A Conversation with Rene Knott: 31 years in the news and still loving it”

The Manual Scoreboard and I: 10 Years Later

10 years ago, the Manual Scoreboard closed up shop along with the old Busch Stadium. I remember my time spent there.

J.B. Forbes
J.B. Forbes

October 19th. 2005. The day that the Houston Astros and Roy Oswalt shut the lights on the old Busch Stadium. Every St. Louis Cardinals remembers the Albert Pujols majestic blast off Brad Lidge to extend the series to Game 6, but few remember that the next game ended the season and gave a nod to the construction crews to start swinging the hammers. For me, it was the end of my run on the Manual Scoreboard, the wonderful spot located up in the Upper Terrace Reserved from 1997-2005. I worked for eight years on the Scoreboard, watching the true birth of Tony La Russa baseball in St. Louis, the Mark McGwire spectacle and the beginning of Pujols. Ten years later, I think back on my time there.

If I had a chance encounter with Doc from Back to the Future, I’d ask him to me back to a weekend series at old Busch so I could work the scoreboard again. It was located at the highest point of the stadium, and contained layers of scaffolding and enough metal to attract the sun on the hottest of days. You’d sweat a pint off before first pitch, setting up the board with team names and starting pitcher as well as updating the Dow Industrial Board and leaderboards on the ends of the board. Continue reading “The Manual Scoreboard and I: 10 Years Later”