Is it just me?

Who wouldn't want to hang up their galoshes and head to the sunshine state in February ?
It's not like they are headed to Alcatraz early. Learning a new position or playing with a new team might have something to do with it.

Pat Burrell and Marlin Byrd were in clearwater a full week before pitchers and catchers. I'm glad to see it. Watch the Phillies this year things are looking up.

TR,

ST begins for my son in the minors on March 7th. He has been at the ST site for 3 weeks already.

I think he must have left something in FL last year and has been using the extra time to locate it.

Why not get there a week early and get a few rounds of golf in?
Pop: what level is you son at? When does the minor league season start?

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"

UNDERGROUND

Talking about getting a few rounds of golf in sure ties into your thoughts in the other thread about baseball being an "easy" job!!!

It don't come easy !!!!!

TRhit

It's not you.

Reporting Early

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

Chill

Thanx for the article

Perhaps they, the players, are developing a new appreciation for the game and how lucky they are to be where they are. $300,000 miniumum salary aint too hard to take-- I know I would appreciate where I was at if I were in their shoes.

TRhit

300,000 Is not the problem. It's the minor league salaries situation that needs some overhaul. They need to be a little more fair to the entry level guys.



"There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by a common goal. To win. Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do." Sandy Koufax

Imagine it.....you're a major league ballplayer. You make good or great money. You're treated very well in the clubhouse. You get to go to Florida or Arizona and be with people who live and breathe baseball. I don't understand why anyone would not show up as soon as the clubhouse manager keyed that door for the first time in February. I'd probably just live there all winter.

"Son, when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know."

Krakatoa, Just some food for thought. Suppose you spend you time between showing up for spring training and October on a fast pace schedule. Now imagine that you have a wife and children as a lot of players have. It is my thought that every moment of the off season is very valuable.
Playing in MLB has huge rewards and huge sacrifices.



"There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by a common goal. To win. Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do." Sandy Koufax

"Talking about getting a few rounds of golf in sure ties into your thoughts in the other thread about baseball being an "easy" job!!!"
Hey, so I'm an easy-going guy, I can talk about lots of things besides baseball!

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference"

Hey Sark

How many months a year do you have off?

My sister is a HS teacher...
1/2 of June, all of July and the better part of August. My husband is envious of their uninterrupted golf trips to the Cape and MLB stadiums across America.

A MLB player, on the other hand, has not one minute of September<edit LOL>, Ocotber, November, December, January and 1/2 of February...of course, taking care of their work-out schedules in the off season...
From the grandstands.......not much to complain about even if the long stretches of time away from family are certainly difficult.

You pick the profession...teacher.....bad pay.
Baseball.......unbeliveable money once you get there.....for the typical player ...7 months.
The operative phrase being "once you get there."

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

Chill, What about the players that spend time out of the states playing. The off season does not really mean totally off as you mention with workouts an such. Your point is well taken though. I was just looking at the buffalo side of the coin.

All in all, It's a great life from my perspective if you can put up with the rigors of the busy times.



"There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by a common goal. To win. Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do." Sandy Koufax

Hey, I thought we had some MLB fans here! The season runs into the first week of October......and I'm guessing players aren't all that happy about having the rest of October off.

Appropos of nothing, but the winter is long enough (as Bart so beautifully said) without cutting 5 weeks off the season.

---------------------------------
From 'Nice Guys Finish Last' by Leo Durocher:

Baseball lives at the center of a never-flagging whirl of irreconcilable opinions.

Professional baseball(at just about any level) is a great way to make a living for young, single guys. Away from your parents and home town, traveling to new places, meeting the occassional female- living your dream.

The less-single(nice term huh!) and older they get the greater is the need for increased compensation($). Most will keep playing the game as long as they are healthy and feeling that they are being fairly compensated.

Geeeez....after the playing days are over, there is still the rest of life to deal with.

Of course others may view baseball life with a less-romantic eye!

Orlando

Thank you for pointing out my blunder.
You are so right...I should probably be stoned and maybe bludgeoned for making such a
mis-NOMAH.........
Imagine sending all that talent home early.
Forgive me oh baseball gods...

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

There are several players from our area that are playing professionally at one level or anaother. To a man, they are busy in the off season with local youth camps and fundraising activities. They also work with local prep teams as much as they can--it provides an on-field workout for them and a valuable service to the schools.

I think these obligations are important to them and they will try to give all that they can right up until the day they report to camp.

Everything Happens Out In Front