It's Been Too Long

Too long, and not enough photos! Guilty as charged! Without photos to enhance, all of you reading will just have to enjoy the wordsmithing. (sigh)

We're past the halfway point of the season, and are heading into a little break of sorts. Everyone is locked out of the ballpark tommorrow...all office staff, players, coaches, trainers, and/or visitors. The city of Yuma is working on electrical issues at the complex, so I unplugged my desktop and left the office tonight, wondering...what to do on a non-baseball, non-office Monday? (WRITE ON THE BLOG!)

Thus far, I've had myself one heck of a time down here in Yuma. Everyone has been so busy, and everyone has been enjoying the novelty of baseball here in the winter, but soon enough, the season will go dark. Scoring three games a day and working with all the great people I do, I'm sad to think in two weeks, it'll be over.

So, I was thinking I would recount some of the things I've learned thus far.

(1) The Clubhouse guy has a lot of work to do here in the AWL! Marcus Commander is our clubhouse guy, on loan from the Southern League (AA) Hunstville Stars. Marcus has been great fun to visit with late in the evenings at the clubhouse, and he's got a lot of great stories about his years in minor league baseball. His month in Yuma is without a doubt ten-times busier than mine. Having grown accustomed to only doing two teams' laundry on a homestand, Marcus is doing over 200 uniforms a day, accounting for the coaches from all 8 teams. One busy man! Don't ask him if he'll squeeze in your dirty whites, as I did, or you might end up in the washer yourself!

(2) Major Leaguers put their pants on one leg at a time. I'd never personally met major league players until coming down to Yuma. Beginning with Mike Marshall, and then meeting and working with them as they trickled into Yuma, I have been so very impressed with the "aura" around these guys. Templeton, Virgil, Snyder, Lancaster, Evans, Cadaret, the aforementioned Marshall...all amazing. And they're here, displaying their passion for the game that will never cease, teaching these young kids. I speak of the "aura" around these guys, and I think it stems from the fact that I could sit down with each one of these guys and ask a million and one questions about the memories they have from playing at baseball's highest level. What's it like having Dodger Stadium or Wrigley Field as your office? How does your World Series ring fit? Do you remember the kids asking for autographs? ...Unbelievable. To bring it full-circle, my host family for the month were long time San Diego Padres season ticket holders. When I come home from the office, whose autographed, framed picture is on the wall...TEMPE!

(3) Official Scoring is a tough job. I really really enjoy being the de facto "judge, jury, and executioner" while I'm at the ballpark, but the stat hounds are a drawback. I understand where they're barking from. But it's not like I've got any agenda. I've got my father to thank for teaching me how to keep score many a year ago. I've kept score of just as many Cub games on TV as I have kept score in person. I enjoy the responsibility, take it seriously, and just like the end of the AWL, I know I will miss the opportunity to do what I'm doing.

Well...I think this is enough for now. If my camera batteries didn't drain faster than the time it takes to open a soda-pop, I'd have more pictures for you. But...there you have it.