Pitchers and Catchers report dates?

Usually position players report 1st week in march pitchers catchers a little earlier...

JD,
Are you counting down the days until he leaves?
He should get a letter end of January when he is to report along with a questionaire whether he needs air transportation or not. All teams do things differently.
Don't worry they will let him know when he is expected to show up.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
JD,
Are you counting down the days until he leaves?

Naw, just trying to get a handle on things for planning purposes. (I was hoping to convert his room to a cigar lounge but jerseymom said no way! )

Some friends are going to be in the area attending the Big 10 - Big East Challenge sometime in February and wanted to know when he might be reporting.

Guess we will just have to wait for the letter.

Forget planning....those days are over! They some times have mini camps 2 or 3 wks in January...or ask a player to come to camp a week or 2 early..

If your visiting your son during the season your lucky if you can drive.... other wise book with Southwest because tickets are transferable,they don't charge for changes and if you have to cancel they will credit your account for 1 yr.

Know of a player who had tickets to fly home for a couple days during allstar break, except the club reassigned him a few days before the break and his tickets were useless and couldn't afford tickets on another airline on short notice.

son just got a letter a few day's ago. his team,reports march 12 for milb. the questionare looks to be bigger than before.

njbb

we found driving to be more ,controllable,if that's a word.than flying. even with the high fuel last summer it was also cheaper. southwest is the most user freindly, or was anyway.

good luck all.

I'd used a lot more vacation time if I drove to the west coast...

One day we sat through a game with parents whose player was not even there, he had been sent up the day before, they had a 4 day weekend planned and got about an hour in with their son.
Mine got called in mid febuary last year for a pitching mini camp, all teams do things differently.
Pack light, players don't really need much in the way of personal things, the most valuable of their possessions, PC, xbox, ipod and phone. At anytime they can be sent somewhere else, and have to pay airline fees for more than baggage allowed. What new players tend to forget, they have to travel with all of their equipment, practice clothes, shoes, bats, gloves etc and son was told this should all fit into one bag. The other bag all personal items.
Mine brings just about everything he owns that is near and dear to him being close to home, mom and dad can come get what he doesn't need if he gets shipped out. Also, if son has brought transportation with him, most likely mom and dad will be responsible to get it to the next detination. Be aware and willing to do that. Shipping cars/trucks is expensive.

Pitchers and Catchers is generally around Valentine's Day (I've always thought that was appropriate ). But P&C is for MLB.

For the most part, plan for early March (with the exceptions already noted).

The Pack Light can't be emphasized enough....though prepare to be ignored.....

Pitchers and Catchers report this year on Feb 12th. My son's report date is March 8th. He's already gone to FL on his own nickel and happy to get to some warmer weather where he can get some work in everyday to get ready for spring training.

Son reports 3/1/09 but he will go out a week or 2 early.

Mine's already out there working out with other players on the team. He loves to go out early and hang around with the players from other teams before the season starts.

For those of you that have mentioned going in early, how does that work? I assume when they go in early they would be reporting to the complex to work out.

Can they just make request/arrangements with their club to go in early or do they have to be invited?

JD,

If he reports early he may have to provide his own lodging/meals until the actual "report" date or perhaps not(been a few years since we dealt with minor league report dates) or perhaps stay with another player that he may have met in instrux. If he marches into the front desk at Pirate City early, they will not turn him away from the work out facilities and will steer him in a good direction.

Mine will be getting there on the 13th of Feb.

JD,
You can go early and "hang out". Sometimes that may mean getting in some work with the Big League team, shagging, or perhaps pitching or hitting in practice. My son has some friends who are already here, because they can't throw in the cold.

My suggestion as a first year player, ask his agent to make a call to the appropriate person (usually the spring training coordinator). It's usually on their own dime, but just may be he's called a bit earlier because he is a spring training newbie.

Mine is planning on arriving about 8-10 days earlier for pens before his 3/9 report date.

In the past son was "invited" to go out early so the team paid for his motel and food. This year he is on his own if he goes out early.
So he will be staying with a host family that he contacted though a local church.

I could see a teen ager feeling a bit lost his first spring training may be he would rather start off with the rest of the Rookies..till he gets the lay of the land

quote:

Originally posted by njbb:

I could see a teen ager feeling a bit lost his first spring training may be he would rather start off with the rest of the Rookies..till he gets the lay of the land

I do have to agree with the above.

Thanks OPP, TPM and NJBB. Q isn't looking to go early I was just curious how it worked.

We too are learning that scheduling anything in advance is not wise. JS got notice a couple weeks ago that they report March 5 but then he was called and told he need to report to a mini camp on Feb 28.

Unfortunately the player that was going to ride the 18 hours with him will not be attending the camp. Not sure I'm thrilled with him making an 18 hour solo drive but I guess he will split it up over a couple days.

jd

i'm not sure what your siuation is, my son went early last year. i drove with him, then got a 1 way ticket back. southwest has some cheap flights, at times.

we had 24 hr drive. i've done it alone.......with people.

JD,
I agree with 20Dad, you might want to consider taking the drive with him and flying back.
One reason is that it is very tiring and he doesn't need to begin his first spring training wiped out. Then you could hang for a day to see if he is settled in.
Just a suggestion.

It's great for your player to have a car, but be mindful of what team(s) he might be playing on this year and where they are in relation to each other. Parents here have reported having to fly someplace midseason to pick up the car because it was impractical for the player to drive to his new team. That might mean you'll be driving it to the new team or home.

This may not happen, or it may not be a problem for you as you were planning to go see him anyway. Just another thing to keep in mind.

I'm mindful.

I think I am going to drive from Dallas to Phoenix the weekend before ST starts, stay a day or two, then fly home.

Thats, an 1100 mile one way trip.

Then, I am planning on flying out for the last weekend and driving home, or to one of two likely spots that he could be assigned.

The closest team assignment will be 700 miles from Phoenix, the next is 1800 miles, or 1100 miles back home.

But, it will be the first time he's had wheels since he's been in the minor leagues.

Now that I've typed that out, it might make sense to just rent a car for a month.............

It costs about $600-$800 to get a car shipped, and, by the time it's gets to where it's shipped, he could be 2100 miles away.

I drove to FL with my son, & flew back. Ticket was very cheap last year.

The problem comes when they get assigned to a team. The Marlins will not let players drive to their assignment, so now you have to get the car shipped or drive it there for them. Npt sure if all the teams follow that policy????

Now, assume they get a new assignment mid-year. More $$$

My son is going "car-less" to Spring training this year.

Son is driving to spring training in Az. (first time he will have a car there).... If players drive they get about $500 to drive across country.

quote:

Originally posted by FormerObserver:

Now that I've typed that out, it might make sense to just rent a car for a month.............

I wish that renting a car was an option for him. Unfortunately he is only 19 so rental companies aren't an option. (anyone find a work around from the min age of 25 to rent a car?)

We tried to talk him out of taking his car until he got his assignment but he said there is a good chance that he will be there at least through extended spring training and he doesn't want to be stuck at the complex without a car. I can't say I blame him, it's a beautiful complex but it is not very close to anything and not the best area to be walking around.

My sons team kind of discourages you to bring your wheels to ST. You must show proof that you drove and registration to be reimbursed and you must fly out to your assigned team. Same for when reassigned during season, I am pretty sure, the probel is thst if yuo are reassigned you could leave one morning and be playing that night. This leaves you all to worry about the car or truck.
Not sure how much one needs vehicle at ST, long days and no days off and transportation is provided to the complex. I think son's team provides transportation to downtown for dinner for those that need it. This year sons team is allowing anyone who has been through a ST to live out of the hotel. In the past only those with Florida residency could do that.

There's one bad thing about having transportation while others don't, everyone asks you for rides and very rarely helps you with gas. They also want trips to the store or ask you to pick up stuff for them while you are there. He doesn't mind it, but some took advantage.

JD, I understand your son's point, chances are he might spend more time here in FL than out of FL. But do know that rookie players are usually taken care of better than the other guys.

We gave our pitcher permission to drive the 40 some miles to spring training.

quote:

Originally posted by jerseydad:
We tried to talk him out of taking his car until he got his assignment but he said there is a good chance that he will be there at least through extended spring training and he doesn't want to be stuck at the complex without a car. I can't say I blame him, it's a beautiful complex but it is not very close to anything and not the best area to be walking around.

A couple different looks....

My son (23) drove to ST last year and wouldn't have it any other way. He wanted the opportunity to have "his time" when it presented itself. At 19, Jerseydad's son that may be in a different situation.

As a parent of an adult, I don't think he needs my permission to do anything. Also, what I think may be important as far as a schedule is concerned may not be the same as his. While the schedules may involve many days a week, I know my son and other pitchers from every level made a point of getting 9 holes of golf in at least once a week last year.

we just sent my 22 yr. old catcher off to his 1st s.t. in tampa.It's a bitter sweet event,he's going to work playing a "game" that he love's leaving his loved ones behind.These last 4 months have been the longest time spent at home in the last 4 yrs.He is making the drive alone in his S-10 pickup to stop overnight in Mobile then to Tampa for his physicals wednesday.As much as I want to ,I will help him only a little,he negotiated college scholly's ,draft signing,and agent hiring on his own to this point.We talk exstensively about decisions he must make but he has his own needs and wants and must make his own way.Mitch is much smarter than me anyway.Good Luck to all!!!

My comment about giving permission to let son drive to ST was in jest, he only has 40+ miles to travel to spring training.

The problem with driving is that if they get assignment and leave by plane, the car is left behind. Most organizations will not let you drive to assignment.

I am sure that all players are aware of that.

Best of luck to your catcher.