The stories that stick with us: Learning to make the best of a bad photography position

Sammy Sosa Day, Sept. 20, 1998, is one of the stories I covered that stuck with me through the years.

I remember being excited to be assigned to be one of the photojournalists to cover the big event at Wrigley Field.

Sosa a week earlier had smoked three homers into the stands against the Milwaukee Brewers, and this was to be a homecoming day for Sosa in his season-long battle with Mark McGwire to eclipse Roger Maris' 61-homer record.

News media from all over the country were in attendance, so the spaces to photograph from were limited.

I wasn't thrilled when I was given an overhead position in a television platform in the upper deck along the third base side of the field.

Where I wanted to be was on the field itself.

Looking back at that day, what I thought was an unwanted spot turned out to be the best spot to witness history.

After a lot of ceremonial speeches, Sammy did a lap around Wrigley Field that ended in front of the Cubs dugout where he was mobbed by his teammates. That spot was directly below me.

The perfect spot.

Had I been on the field, I would have been blocked from this moment.

Since then, whenever I was issued a less-than-desirable position at sporting event or bigger news event, I always looked to make the best of it.

And, for the most part, it always worked out for me.

There is always lemonade to be made out of lemons.

• Director of Visual Journalism Jeff Knox has worked at the Daily Herald since 1990.