PHILADELPHIA -- As it turns out, last week's blockbuster trade that brought Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia involved a little more than the Phillies sending two Top 100 prospects to Minnesota in exchange for an elite closer.
It also included an elaborate graphics package.
By now, you've probably seen Duran's electric entrance. The ballpark lights go off, then turn red. The videoboards around the field fill with flames as giant tarantulas stroll through them. Farruko’s "El Incomprendido" (mixed with "Hot" by Pitbull and Daddy Yankee) blares over the speakers.
So, how did the Phillies' game production crew have it all ready to roll for Duran's Philly debut on Friday night just 48 hours after the deal got done?
Well, they had some help from their counterparts in Minnesota.
Within an hour of the trade, Mark DiNardo, the Phillies' director of broadcasting and video services, was already getting inquiries about how his team would tackle the massive undertaking. The next morning, he got his graphic designer, his game producer and his programmer on a Zoom call.
"We dissected it, looking at all the different components, talked about things like, 'OK, what's a good place to find the template for the fire?'" DiNardo said. "You know, we're talking all our geeky, nerdy stuff -- and then we sent everyone on their way."
As good as DiNardo's crew is, there was another factor at play: This past weekend was also the Phillies' Alumni Weekend -- an event that requires significant time and resources from the graphics department.
"We knew we were going to be up against it, so I thought, 'You know what, let me just throw a Hail Mary here,'" DiNardo said.
With that, he sent a text to Twins senior director of gameday experience, Sam Henschen.
"I said, 'Listen, Sam. I'm not asking you to do it for us, and I'm not asking you for your stuff, but can you at least point us in the direction of where you obtained the stuff?'" DiNardo said. "Because I know we have the people here who can assemble it, but it would just help expedite the timeline."
Henschen talked to some folks in the Twins' front office. Next thing DiNardo knew, Henschen was putting his graphics person in touch with Phillies motion graphics designer Sydney Worek. Then he sent over the audio file of Duran's custom-mixed song.
"I just have to commend them for building such a terrific piece of entertainment, and then for being so professional and classy to work with us," DiNardo said. "And they did that because of their respect for Jhoan Duran and also their respect for the game of baseball."
Even with the Twins' help, the Phillies still had a ton of work to do. They built it all out and programmed it. They came in on Thursday night -- an off-day for the team -- for some test runs. They then tested it some more during batting practice before Friday's series opener against the Tigers.
Then, after the Phillies rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, it was show time.
Typically, that means pressing one button that DiNardo's team has programmed to handle everything -- the lights, the music, the videoboards and so on. They haven't had time to do that just yet. For now, every element of it is handled by a different member in the control room.
"It wasn't perfect," DiNardo said of Friday's first run, "but it was pretty damn good."
The 43,241 fans in attendance went into a frenzy, immediately doing their part with their phone flashlights. The videos went viral on social media.
The production crew didn't realize the full impact until they got home and saw all the fanfare online. Always working behind the scenes to provide the best fan experience, they started texting one another as they watched the number of views continue to climb. Video producer Emily Rutzen told DiNardo she couldn't sleep that night because of the adrenaline.
"That's not why we do these things -- we do it for the 40,000 people here in the ballpark," DiNardo said. "But watching it take off, it was mind-blowing for all of us."
And it might not have come together so quickly without an assist from the Twins.
"For me, it was a feel-good story about teamwork, execution and commitment to the game of baseball," DiNardo said. "Our people worked together as a team and we worked together with the Twins, and the end product was something that was good not just for the Phillies, but it was good for baseball."
DiNardo wants to be clear that the Phillies will not be changing Duran's entrance -- but expect some new bells and whistles by the next homestand later this month.
"We'll add Phillies twists to it," DiNardo said. "We're not done with it yet by any means."