GR firefighter brings Tigers to TV

DETROIT (AP) - Even a full day before Game 3 of the World Series Series, which is scheduled for Saturday night, there was a lot of activity at Comerica Park.

The Tigers are back in Detroit and ready to erase the sting of their losses in Games 1 and 2 of the Series in San Francisco.

One Grand Rapids resident was part of the buzz to prepare for Game 3. His job is to help bring the game into fans' living rooms.

Gary Metcalf will have one of the best seats in Comerica Park Saturday night. Even though he'll be perched high above the third base line, he can easily change the view by zooming his camera.

"Quarter-mile, half-mile away, you're looking at a picture that's six feet tall, it's amazing," said Metcalf.

Metcalf is a freelance camera operator. This week, he's working for FOX Sports.

He's been freelancing since graduating from Central Michigan University in the late 1980s.

Even though you've probably seen his work, you probably wouldn't recognize Metcalf. But sometimes, anonymity can be a good, especially for some of his camera work -- like the play he zoomed in on during the game between Lions and the Green Bay Packers last Thanksgiving.

"People were a little upset with me because I had a shot of Ndamukong Suh stomp down the Green Bay Packer," said Metcalf. "Cost him two games."

Metcalf's full time job is saving lives as a Grand Rapids firefighter.  His 24 hours on-duty, 48 hours off-duty schedule works out well for the freelance jobs.

But the games are still more work than play.

"They'll be certain specific things you have to do the whole game," said Metcalf. "So you in part of the environment, but you can't enjoy it like a normal fan could 'cause you are working."

And like his full-time job, sports shooting has it's high and lows. But for Metcalf, a bad day in the fire department is much more difficult to shake off that a bad day at the game.

"Unfortunately, you see Prince Fielder get tagged out," said Metcalf. "But that's not going to change anybody's day to a drastic degree."

And when he wakes up Sunday morning, Metcalf will walk across the street to Ford Field, shoot the Lions game, walk back across to shoot Game 4 of the World Series at Comerica Park.