Fochtman: Late last week, Assistant Photo Editor Mark Mulligan lined up several staff photographers to cover the Houston Astros' home stand awaiting Jose Altuve's 2,000th career hit.
Entering Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners, he was just three hits away, so I figured there was a good chance he would get to that career milestone during the game I was covering.
I talked with fellow staff photographer Karen Warren about covering the game and we tossed back and forth various scenarios about how to cover the milestone achievement. Karen's knowledge about the Astros is extensive, and she's forgotten more baseball than I'll ever cover.
To me, the best way to cover such an event is to have a plan. In the moment, you can't be thinking: Now, I'm going to pick up this lens. The one stowed away in my bag.
Sure enough, in the fifth inning, Altuve deposited a solid single into the left field corner. I stayed on him with my Canon f4.0 200-400 mm lens and had planned to switch to my 70-200 mm lens as he came into first base.
Had planned.
Like former Houston Astros and Hall of Fame player Craig Biggio did in 2007, Altuve had no plans of simply taking first base and soaking in the cheers.
No, he blew through first base, attempting to stretch his single into a double where he was tagged out at second.
As he made his way back to the dugout, fans cheering and Seattle players applauding from the steps of their dugout, he raised his helmet and looked the opposite way from where I was in the first base photo well.
Just before he made his way past my line of view, he turned my way. Helmet still raised.
Rigid flexibility...and a little luck.
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