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The Boys of Summer – Our Florida Adventures at Spring Training – Part 4
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on April 10, 2024
The Boys of Summer – Our Florida Adventures at Spring Training – Part 4
Our fourth day involved packing up because we would be moving up the coast later that morning. Our hotel luggage cart looked like we were running away from home. With cool nights and hot days, it was a challenge to pack light. To support our four road days, there were also bags of cookies, nuts and peanut butter pretzels as well as a cooler with luncheon meat, cheese and bottled water. After the last haul to the car, as I waited for the elevator, a tall guy sprinted past me and down the hallway with a tall drink container in his hand. The elevator arrived. I peeked around the corner. The guy was in the final stages of the fill. “Would you like me to hold the elevator?” Despite, the short ride, I did find out the telling athletic frame was indeed a player for the Minnesota Twins organization. Alec Sayre was at the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the A affiliate of the Twins and on a rehab assignment from a right thumb fracture.
Within ten minutes, Rick and I were on the road to Bradenton. It was a beautiful day for the ride up the Florida Coast. As we passed the exit for Port Charlotte, spring home of the Tampa Bay Rays, I remembered the years we attended spring training when the Texas Rangers were there. Those were fun times especially the year I took my mom and she got to meet Nolan Ryan and Craig Reynolds. When we got to the Bradenton area, we witnessed several intermittent groups of law enforcement vehicles thankfully going the opposite direction. Things finally calmed down and the count was at fourteen which had passed us with sirens wailing and lights flashing! Throughout that day, I asked around including a policeman on duty at the ballpark what might have been going on. No one knew. Maybe it was a practice drill for spring break the following week.
Our first stop was Pirate City, practice fields for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unlike most of the teams we visited, the ballpark for the games was five miles away. We were welcomed by a couple of staff members and a security guard. On the card table were handouts about the team. I explained to the three that I had a friend that was coaching in the minors for the Pirates. The security guard motioned us towards a walkway. The complex had four practice fields that were named after Pirates Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Pie Traynor, Honus Wagner, and WIllie Stargell. To my right was a group of players gathered around a picnic table studying a laptop and watching batting practice while another group of players rotated in the batting cage as two coaches looked on. Neither of the coaches was Gary Green, former Olympian and shortstop for the Texas Rangers. I paused near the table. “Do any of you know which field Gary Green is on?” I must have looked official with my coiled notebook dangling from my neck as I got an immediate answer. “He’s at LECOM today for the game.” I glanced at my watch. The gates were opening in about forty-five minutes. Since we weren’t sure about where the ballpark was or the parking situation, we headed to the ballpark.
When we arrived at LECOM Ballpark, a line of fans was already wrapped around the building and we still had to find parking. We did the block once and settled on fifteen dollars parking behind the left field fence. “We’ll be fine unless someone hits a homerun,” I thought to myself. As we stood in line, we people-watched the photographers and scouts going in an early entrance. One fan walked by the line saying he was most impressed with the set-up at “Steinberger Stadium.” I thought to myself, “George Steinbrenner must be rolling over in his grave.” Once the gates opened, the line moved quickly since the stadium was no bags of any kind even clear ones. I was getting quicker at the magnetometer with my “life” in four pockets and my baseball cap.
According to an usher, the Pirates players would be coming in from a building outside right field. When I got there, several fans of all ages were already gathered so I squeezed in by an elderly couple. It was a good location as their grandson was a pitcher for the Pirates. The odds were that he would be coming over to see them. After several minutes, the players started trickling out from a building behind right field. It was as though someone stepped on an ant hill as fans infiltrated the right field corner. “Hey Mr. Honeywell!” a little kid next to me with an open marker and a ball shouted. My guess was right. A player with long dark locks proceeded to the grandparents. After a brief visit with them, I interjected, “Is Gary Green coming out?” “Who?” I explained he was a coach for AA Altoona. “Don’t know him” and he walked back to the clubhouse. It turned out that Brent Honeywell was a free agent who was under the White Sox organization last year. His status was an invitee to spring training. In other words, he knew no one with the Pirates!
As I patiently waited for more to come out, the field staff started positioning the batting cages in front of my vintage spot! A savvy fan by me assured me that our little area was still where players could come up. He was wrong as more big equipment was positioned. We had to relocate down into a narrow corner. As players stopped to autograph for the savvy fan, I would ask about Gary Green. He was still inside. I was just about to give up because the game was getting ready to start when I spotted two older guys looking like coaches coming out. When asked about Green they pointed to two guys who had walked out in front of them. By now Gary was halfway to the dugout. By the time I weaved through the fans blocking the aisles, he was already in the dugout. I took the five steps down to one end of the dugout. Murphy’s law – he was at the other end. Thank goodness for informalities at spring training. I called out to one of the guys near my end. “Could you please tell Gary Green that Carlotta is here?” Success! Gone were the long dark curls Green had the last time I saw him. “It’s been a while,” he said. I laughed. “Try early nineties.” I had less than a minute with him, but it was long enough to get a picture and tell him how I was working for a ball club.
Our seats were about twelve rows up from the Pirates dugout. They were playing Toronto and as in the other spring training games, the stars played five to six innings and then were replaced by the minor leaguers. We got to see Honeywell pitch and he did not have a good outing, giving up two go-ahead runs in the eighth inning. I felt bad for his grandparents. The Pirates came back in the eighth inning with three runs and escaped with a 6 – 5 win! Remember the parking lot? It was a correct premonition. Three homerun rockets were launched that afternoon! After the game, I returned to my post at right field and got to meet TSung Che Chang, who had one of the home runs. There was another small world moment when I met catcher Abrahan Gutierrez who knew Vassalotti. When I messaged Michele our picture, he messaged back, “AB! He’s a great guy.” I laughed. He had said same thing about Vassa.
Our hotel was east of Bradenton in Lakewood Ranch near I75 which we were taking to Tampa the next morning. The only restaurant near the hotel was Texas Roadhouse. The parking lot was packed. We did not have reservations so while Rick was parking, I found myself rotating on circles across from the hostess stand until I got to one saying “On Deck.” As Rick came through the door, I had just moved to “Now Batting.” Dinner was pretty good. I had grilled shrimp with garlic lemon pepper and the best seasoned rice I’ve ever had. Rick had a rib eye steak with a huge baked potato with the works. We texted with Vassalotti during dinner pretending he was eating with us like a year ago. Dessert was to go. Once again, I negated the “good” main meal with dessert! I had the homestyle apple pie and Rick went with a cheesecake with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. “Tomorrow I’ll be better,” I promised myself. Really.
To be continued.
The Boys of Summer – Our Florida Adventures at Spring Training – Part 3
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on April 3, 2024
For day three of our baseball adventure, we headed west in Ft. Myers to Lee Health Sports Complex which was spring training home to the Minnesota Twins and year-round to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. After parking in front of the stadium, we proceeded to a small group of security guys as I needed to find out their bag policy for the game that afternoon. I had used my clear bag at the two Boston games, even though the Red Sox still had a relaxed policy of a small purse and sealed bottle of water allowed. It was a good thing I checked at the Twins complex as I found myself in a return trip to the car. No bags were allowed – not even a clear one. After re-organizing, it was amazing what all I could fit in four jean pockets and under my baseball cap! I had to laugh as sometimes Rick would pawn off his program, purchased merchandise, rain gear, ballpark peanuts and glasses to my clear bag. Not that day! Our ponchos stayed in the car.
The batting cages were adjacent to the stadium. Several fans were peering through the chain link as one batter hit balls being thrown by a coach. I recognized my former Red Sox fantasy baseball catcher immediately. I turned to the man next to me. “Is that Christian Vázquez?” I inquired. “Yeah, but he doesn’t do any autographs or pictures.” The fan was right! Despite the clamors for Vázquez, he ignored everyone and eventually left the cage. “See? That’s what happens when you win a World Series!” the fan called out. No one else came out so we headed to the Practice Fields.
We spotted a group of players doing stretching on a field to the left of the walkway. Straight ahead was the area where pitchers warmed up before heading to the practice fields on the right. We started towards the pitching area and were met by a sign on the fence “Authorized Personnel Only.” Instead, I went back to where they were stretching and leaned on a fence by the water cooler. I hadn’t been there long when a gal named Asja Morello, the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Mighty Mussels and a guy with a clipboard came over to refill bottles. I chatted with the guy briefly about my friend, pitcher Michele Vassalotti. I shared how the Twins tried to get him in a trade last June when he was in High-A Wisconsin, but the Brewers parted with Tanner Floyd instead. Despite very good performances in the World Baseball Classic and European Championships last year and most recently with the Cardenales who went to the Venezuelan Championship, surprisingly he remains unsigned by any US team. The Cardenales’ only win in the finals went to Vassalotti. The guy with the clipboard planned to share the update at their next meeting.
A few minutes later, a player came over. “Hi! What level are you?” I asked. “I’m AA Wichita,” he replied as he filled his bottle. “Nice. I work for an A club – the Carolina Mudcats.” It turned out that one of his friends he grew up with in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, played for the Mudcats a couple of seasons ago. I knew immediately who the friend was – Joe Gray Jr! His dad, Joe Gray Sr. and I used to share high 5s every time his son launched a homerun at our games! Also attending our games was Justin Finn, Joe’s financial advisor out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The player smiled. “Justin is my guy too! I’m Regi Grace, Jr.” Another small world moment but the talk ended. It was time for Regi to get back to stretching. I laughed as I started back to the stadium when I spotted several fans walking by the “Authorized Personnel Only” sign and proceeding into the restricted area. Not me!
I met up with Rick at the security checkpoint. As I approached the magnetometer, I emptied my pockets of anything that might compromise my walkthrough. When I collected my cell phone, Canon pocket camera, ID/wallet on a metal belt loop clip and car keys on another belt loop clip, I whispered to the same security guard from our initial arrival. “It sure would have taken less time to screen my clear plastic bag” and winked at him. As in the previous two days, I saw a scout I knew from Mudcats visits. This game it was Cory Melvin, former scout with the Brewers and now with the Yankees. I also met Jose Almonte who scouted for the Marlins.
The former World Champion Atlanta Braves were the visiting team and got off to an exciting start in the top of the inning. The third batter, Braves Matt Olson, launched a 418 foot home run which scored Michael Harris II who was on base. The Twins answered with their own arsenal; three homeruns, two in the fourth inning by Ryan Jeffers and Will Castro followed by one in the fifth, compliments of former Guardians Carlos Santana. Rick moaned what could have been if Santana had stayed with his team. We also saw one of Vassalotti’s teammates from Team Italy, Braves David Fletcher. He had an infield single and a stolen base. Final of the game was the Twins edging the Braves 4-3. After the game, we took the walkway above the bullpens around the ballpark. Beyond center field, the walkway overlooked a small pond with an ominous sign about feeding and harassing alligators!
For our last night in Ft. Myers, Rick chose Two Meatballs in the Kitchen for dining. The place was packed since some restaurants in the area were closed Mondays and it was very noisy. There was no doubt that they served Italian food as the place reeked of garlic. We both had a house salad of Romaine, mixed greens, olives, cucumbers, croutons, carrots, celery, tomato with a house Italian dressing. I decided on Luigi’s Favorite Pasta. It was baked rigatoni, a meatball, ricotta, and Bolognese sauce, topped with mozzarella. The plate was much larger than a dinner plate and atop the rigatoni was a single gigantic meatball resting on the pasta and sauce. The meatball was almost the size of my knife blade! Rick had the Linguine with Clams sautéed in fresh garlic and olive oil. Our dessert was the other half of last night’s carrot cake. I could feel the pounds growing on me and vowed to be more disciplined the next day!
To be continued
The Boys of Summer – Our Florida Adventures at Spring Training – Part 2
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on March 25, 2024
The plan for Day Two was to be at the Red Sox practice fields by the ten o’clock public opening time and later attend the game with Boston hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. I immediately found myself in a quandary of what to wear. Laid across the bed were my David Ortiz Red Sox shirt, Ryan Fitzgerald WooSox shirt and Road to the Show [with the minor league affiliates emblems for the Red Sox] shirt. After several minutes of self-debates, I settled on the Ryan Fitzgerald shirt and put Big Papi’s shirt in the car to change into for the game. I met Ryan in 2019 when he was with the Salem Red Sox and playing against the Mudcats. Note – A fun story about our meeting is in my blog under August 2019.
As I exited the hotel elevator and started across the lobby, a man stopped me. “Are you a fan of the Red Sox? I like your WooSox shirt.” I turned and modeled the back of the shirt. He continued, “Oh, Fitzy! I hate it that they traded him to the Royals.” I gave him a capsule version of being from New England originally, working the Red Sox Delta charters in the eighties and nineties, my continued allegiance to them despite being employed by a rival team and why I was wearing “Fitzy’s” shirt. “My name is Mark Schroeder. My wife Mary and I are here for spring training too. My daughter Maria is the Manager of the Boston Red Sox social media.” I suggested taking a selfie together and I would post it on the Red Sox Instagram. He loved the idea and said, “I’m not saying a word to her! We’ll surprise her!” We both laughed.
When we arrived at the ballpark, we easily found parking on the third base side of the stadium. There was a walkway to six practice fields. As in the day before, I had a specific goal for the morning. I wanted to find Alex Binelas, former Mudcat and as of last year, with AA Portland. I surveyed the six practice fields not knowing where to even start. Fortunately, there was a guide with a group touring near us. When she was between talks, I told her who I was looking for. She got on her radio and relayed the information. “It will take a few minutes. I have someone looking into it. Just hang here near me.” I left Rick with her and I continued down the walkway looking at the next practice field. I heard the sound of feet behind me. Passing me was the guide with a parade of kids and their parents following her. Rick was taking up the rear! They stopped at the next field and I sighted a field opposite that one with players taking a break in the dugout. I ran up to the fence and reached through the wiring, tapping a player on his shoulder. He turned. “Do you know Alex Binelas?” He smiled and pointed a few feet away to his left. “Alex!” I called out. When he came over, I turned around so he could see the back of my shirt. “Fitzy!” he exclaimed and several guys cheered. We took a selfie and chatted a few minutes until he was called out to the field. I ran over to Rick who was still diligently following the guide. “I found him!” As we were watching Alex do drills, a security person came up. “You’re in an unauthorized area.” We had no idea. He pointed to a dangling sign on a dropped rope. “Carts transiting must have left it down,” he mumbled as he secured the rope. We apologized and left.
By now, it was time for the gates to open. As we headed toward the ballpark, we spotted the guide with kids racing around her in an unauthorized area. I’m sure she had long forgotten about us. I did a quick change in the car to my David Ortiz shirt. We entered on the opposite side from yesterday. The first thing we spotted was a Big Papi statue made of Legos. As we admired it and took photos, a darling older staff member offered to take our picture with it. Her arms resembled someone directing a plane to park as she motioned us to the right positions for the picture. As we proceeded to the seating area, a gal dressed in red and white on stilts passed us. She was conversing with the fans as she threw them souvenirs. As I turned to go to my seat, I spotted a Rockies backpack on a seat near the Blue Jays dugout. I knew that backpack! John from the Colorado Rockies had scouted at the Mudcats last May. I proceeded down the aisle. It was John! He told me he’d be back at the Mudcats in July.
Our seats were between the Red Sox dugout and Left Field. Adjacent to our section was the tunnel where the Toronto Blue Jays exited after BP [Batting Practice]. The concrete tunnel walls were quickly filled with fans of all ages with balls and autograph books. I was there too with my red Lotta Sports T-Shirt loaded with autographs from last year’s Spring Training in Arizona. We all figured out quickly that the players only stopped to sign for the kids. I yelled to every player, “Please…… I’m almost 74! Please sign my shirt! I’m not selling it.” A player stopped and looked up. “Sure.” It was Bo Bichette. His autograph was very recognizable with his two looping “B”s and tiny “o” in the middle. A familiar voice was heard in the background. “OK Folks. Time to return get to your seats.” It was the usher and the same guy who busted us at the practice field! I just couldn’t get off his radar!
The game itself went quickly with the only scoring in the sixth and eighth innings. The Blue Jays had a homerun and the Red Sox responded with a trickle of hits scoring one run. Midway through the game, a guy sat down next to me. A ball came soaring towards us. He extended his arm, caught it barehanded and tossed it in the stands above us. I turned to him and said, “Nice catch! Are you a ballplayer?” “Yes, but not anymore. I drive the bus for the Blue Jays and the Yankees.” I learned a lot from him including that the Yankees players frequent a strip club near their ballpark. Oh my! Boys will be boys! In the eighth inning, Tessie, one of the Red Sox mascots, led our section in cheering. It must have motivated the Red Sox minor leaguers as they got two more runs with two outs for a 3 – 1 win over Toronto.
Dinner that night was at Deep Lagoon located on a yacht basin! The place was packed and I was thankful I made reservations. As she seated us, the hostess suggested the carrot cake for dessert. Our table overlooked the yachts and we witnessed a gorgeous sunset. Like the first night, the food was very good. Rick chose clam strips while I got a salad and grilled shrimp which would leave room for that recommended carrot cake. We ordered the dessert to-go and thankfully, the waiter warned us to split it. It was a huge four-layer cake slice taking up the entire container normally used for main meals!
to be continued
The Boys of Summer – Our Florida Adventures at Spring Training – Part 1
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on March 21, 2024
If one is a baseball fan, there is no greater fun than attending Major League Baseball’s Spring Training. In order to avoid the Spring Break chaos, the trip to Florida was made at the beginning of March. We left on a Friday morning and battled driving rainstorms which started about three hours into the almost eight hours scheduled drive of the first day. We were spared of speeders on I95 since we couldn’t see much past the car in front of us. Because of the slow going, a reroute by the GPS to an adjacent highway and a construction diversion in Jacksonville, we arrived at the hotel in Gainesville a little after 8:30PM.
Finding a place to eat on a Friday night in a college town proved to challenging. We drove around for about twenty minutes and found waitlists to be no less than an hour. We ended up at Cracker Barrel! I was happy. They have the best green beans in the world! Our waiter – I think his name was Grayson -was a cute, curly-headed college student who carded us! I thought he was joking about checking the ID, but apparently it’s a Florida law according to the signs posted everywhere they served beverages the rest of the week!
It was a short night as we still had a scheduled four-hour drive to Ft Myers and tickets to a 1PM game at Jet Blue Park between the Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. As in every game we planned to attend, I had my reasons for this match-up. I wanted to “scout” my fantasy team which has several Red Sox players and I also wanted to talk to Nationals bullpen coach Henry Blanco who managed the Cardenales team my friend Michele Vassalotti had pitched for in Venezuelan winter ball.
Our seats were between home plate and the on-deck circle for Washington. When we got there, the Nationals were already stretching on the field. In the bullpen, the starting pitcher and catcher were warming up with Blanco observing. I sprung up from my seat and briskly walked toward their bullpen off the right field corner. The fans could observe the bullpen from about 12 feet above it. I squeezed in the one opening left between two fans and patiently waited as Blanco loaded balls in a dispenser which hurled balls to the catcher. There was a break when the balls had to be replenished in the canister and I jumped on it! “Hey Coach Blanco! Go Cardenales!!” As expected, he immediately looked up in amazement! “You should have brought Vassalotti with you!” I yelled. He grinned. Michele had gotten the only win for their team in the Venezuelan championship tournament. Sadly, a player came up to Blanco and he had to get back to work so I started the trek to my seat.
Spring Training isn’t just about baseball. It’s discovering the area restaurants and when visiting in Florida, it’s all about fresh seafood for me. For the first night there, I found a restaurant within a few miles of our hotel and the ballpark. Conner’s Steak & Seafood proved to be a great find with a very diverse menu appealing to both my health-conscious self and my “meat and starch” husband. The evening served as our delayed anniversary celebration and since I had noted that in our reservation, placed on our table was a nice Congratulations card signed by our waiter Nash and some of the staff. The Baked Parmesan Encrusted Alaskan Halibut was amazing. And as predicted, Rick had the Ribeye and a Baked Potato. The excellent meal was finalized with a complimentary Strawberry Shortcake to split. To be continued…
Building for a Future in the MLB – There’s No Rest in Professional Baseball – Part 3 of an Exclusive with Pitcher Michele Vassalotti
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Baseball European Championship, Minor League Baseball, WBC on February 10, 2024
Several of my followers have asked for an update on my friend and pitcher Michele Vassalotti. What better time to write one than on the one-year anniversary from when Team Italy announced the World Baseball Classic roster. Despite his young age of 22 and only having accomplished A ball in the minors, Vassa had been invited by Team Italy to pitch on the world stage just a few weeks later.
Thanks to an online company out of Ireland, I was able to watch Team Italy’s games in Taiwan. The downside was keeping up with the day and time change! I found myself sipping hot, green tea at 3AM while I watched MLB Hall of Famer Mike Piazza manage the Team Italy lineup to a successful run for a trip to the second round of the WBC in Japan. Vassalotti did not disappoint! In his four innings, he held Team Panama to just one run and a hit. One of his three strikeouts was Tampa Bay Rays Christian Bethancourt who also threw his bat in frustration against the dugout wall after Vassalotti pitched him into a double play out his next at bat. The one hit he gave up was a homerun by LA Dodgers prospect Jose Ramos, but Vassa came right back at Ramos again two innings later with a strikeout.
There was no rest after the almost two weeks in Taiwan and Japan as well as the travel back to the US. Because the WBC was held during spring training, Vassa immediately reported to the final two weeks of Brewers spring training in Arizona. Then it was on to Appleton, Wisconsin for a summer of High A ball. In my years of watching baseball, I would describe High A as the most challenging of all levels of minor league baseball. It is the level where most players are too good for A ball, but not developed enough for AA. An injury to the shortstop in July stifled the team with much less experienced players being rotated to the position. I felt like I was re-living my brother’s Little League games watching terrible batting and horrible fielding that led to longer innings by the pitchers. A silver lining in the dark cloud was June 16 when Vassa was awarded Pitcher of the Day for Brewers Farm System when he faced 9 batters in 3 perfect innings of relief. When the season ended, Vassalotti became a free agent.
He headed back to Venezuela just to unpack and repack for his next assignment for Team Italy in the 2023 Baseball European Championship. Training games were held in Trieste, Northern Italy near the Slovenia border and then it was on to Třebíč in the Czech Republic for the tournament with fifteen other teams. In the media for the tournament, Team Italy described the Italian-Venezuelan pitcher as the “Player with the greatest perspective and future.” The most memorable highlight of that stint was not on the field, but meeting up with his sister, Fefi, who he had not seen for six years.
After the two weeks in Europe, he again was not idle long. It was time to try out for the Cardenales de Lara of Venezuelan Professional Baseball League in winter ball. His hard work throughout the year and a velocity in the 90s landed him a spot on the roster. It was a season of being mentored by several major league coaches and pitchers. He made the most of each outing. He regained confidence in his nasty slider – a pitch that left many of the batters he faced including MLB’s Yasiel Puig, befuddled. The Cardenales made it to the championship but ran into a hot Tiburones de La Guaira team out of Caracas. Vassa pitched no-hit ball in middle relief and obtained the only Cardenales win in the championship. The Tiburones went on to Miami and got the MLB exposure in the Caribbean Series.
What happens now for Vassalotti remains an unknown. As a couple of agents explained to me, it’s a bad year to be a minor league free agent, especially one in Venezuela. Shohei Ohtani’s delayed-signing created a log jam of other MLB and MiLB free agents waiting to see what team and salary he signed for. The political climate between the US and Venezuela coupled with the State Department’s Level 4 – Do Not Travel Advisory, prevents American scouts from traveling to Venezuela where they could observe players in action. Vassalotti has an Italian passport and ESTA so getting to the US is not a problem. However, you can’t just walk into spring training and ask for a tryout like they do with football. For now, Michele is weighing all options out there like playing in Mexico, Japan, Independent League in the US or Venezuelan summer ball but his goal remains to be back in Major League Baseball someday as he should be.
The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 4
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, College Basketball, Minor League Baseball, Spring Training on July 30, 2023
The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 4
It was the last day at spring training and a long, full day ahead of us as we would be leaving on an all-nighter back home. Our morning started with a quick complimentary, full breakfast at the hotel. Midway through eating, a chunk of my strawberry waffle went airborne as I cut it and landed in the middle of the table. I quickly scooted the large piece over to Rick’s side of the table while he was looking at his phone – he was none the wiser!
Just like the previous day, we made it to the Brewers practice field before 9:30 to avoid parking fees. We discovered in the two months we were out there, of the ballparks we went to, that was the only team who charged for parking. As we walked up the sidewalk to the practice fields, one of our favorite baseball families – the Avinas – were ahead of us. In addition to Jace’s parents and brother Austin, his grandparents – Kathy and John Flamm – on his mom Jenny’s side, had made the trip to Arizona. The entire family was so excited to be at his first spring training experience.
The familiar sound of cleats on the pavement began and excitement was in the air as the young prospects were all still vying for the final spots on team rosters for Biloxi AA, Wisconsin High A, Carolina A and the Brewers Arizona Complex League rookies. The correct swing and connection of the ball to the bat were imperative as the coaches looked on. Hurlers were tweaking their specialty pitches with future battery-mates. After the workouts, they dispersed to practice fields where they would play visiting minor league teams while some would be playing with the big-leaguers in the Rockies/Brewers game at the adjacent ballpark or because it was a split-squad day, others went to Glendale to play the Dodgers at Camelback.
We had tickets to the Rockies and Brewers matchup. We were thrilled to see several former Mudcats – Noah Campbell, Zavier Warren, Hendry Mendez, Robert Moore, Alex Hall and our friend, Michele Vassalotti at that game. Unlike the rest of the week where I wore my baseball attire, this day I was wearing my University of Houston T-Shirt. My #1 Cougars were playing in the NCAA March Madness against #5 Miami in the Sweet 16 later that afternoon. After the game, plans were to head straight to dinner with Vassalotti and watch the match-up at Dave and Buster’s. In the 3rd inning, I turned to watch a foul ball go by close to us and right behind me was a guy in a Houston Cougars T-Shirt! 4,507 people in attendance at a baseball game in Arizona – what were the odds of a fellow Cougar sitting behind right me??
Starter Corbin Burnes gave up 5 runs with 10 hits in his 5 innings and the Milwaukee bats never caught up. Towards the end of the game, we moved down on the grass near right field and overlooking the bullpen where Vassa was waiting his turn to possibly pitch. Unfortunately, the Brew Crew came up on the short-end of the 9 – 4 score and we didn’t get to see him pitch in relief. After the game, Michele suggested that we meet him out front. He wanted to shower there as we were going straight to dinner and to watch my Cougars game. Rick and I headed to the front of the building to wait. After several minutes, Rick noticed that they were locking the gates to the practice fields where he was parked. He high-tailed to the parking lot. “I’ll find you guys!” So, I’m there and no Michele yet. Players started to trickle out of the building and get on the bus. I walked over to the bus and Darrick, the driver, confirmed that it was the players bus back to the hotel. He also knew Vassalotti. “He’s one of my favorite players,” he claimed. “He’s mine too,” I said with a smile.
Michele came out and told Darrick he wouldn’t be on the bus. Still no Rick. He had passed the entrance once and was looping around a second time. It was almost game time for my Cougars. By now the bus had left. I told Michele that the navigator should have gone with Rick. “Mr. Rick will find us,” he assured me and he finally did. Dave and Buster’s sport bar was packed since it was a Friday and several games were on including the woman’s college basketball games. I spotted a table right below the Houston and Miami game. I looked up at the huge screen. It was already in the 2nd half and it was apparent there would be no Elite 8 for my team. There would be no complimentary massage for me either at my chiropractor’s office in their bracket contest. I had entered the day coasting in first place and plummeted with Houston’s loss since I had them picked as winning the tournament. Yes, while others go for the big-bucks bracket contests, I would have been happy with a massage! Maybe next year!
The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 3 –
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on July 17, 2023
The final days of spring training in Arizona proved to be our favorites. Typical of most vacations, we tried to cram as much as we could in the last two days. By now, we had a routine down and were at the minor league practice fields for the Milwaukee Brewers by 9:30AM to avoid paying for parking. Some of the players were already doing stretches, checking assignments and mingling with fans. I experienced my own adrenalin rush from the sound of the cleats on the pavement between the batting cages and the practice fields. Since we are in our third season with the Carolina Mudcats, the Brewers A affiliate, we knew several of the players by name and even better, they referred to us as “Michele Vassalotti’s US family!”
My first stop was the batting cages where I watched Jace Avina take his swings. I met Jace last season in Kannapolis a couple of weeks after his call-up from the Arizona Complex League. When he took his stance in the batting cage, he emitted confidence with every swing. After he was finished, Jace come over to the door and gave me a quick hug. As I leaned in the doorway of the building, a player was positioned at the door with a sheet in his hand listing the four minor league teams of the Brewers and which field each player was practicing on that day. I was all eyes and ears as each player checked in with him. “I work for the Mudcats. Where do you play?” I asked. He responded, “I’m David Tofu – I’m a coach for Wisconsin.” I laughed. It reminded me of the time when I asked NASCAR driver Timmy Hill what he did with the team.
Adjacent to the batting cage building was a fenced-in area where another coach, Charlie Greene, was operating a machine which threw balls to the catchers. One of the catchers stood from his crouched position and flipped his mask up. It was one of the Mudcats catchers from last season – Jose Sibrian. I waved and he nodded back, then returned to his crouched position. Greene shouted out frequent reminders to the catchers – “Make sure where the Rawlings is!” I continued to watch in awe the flexibility of the catchers as they worked. Catching is truly the hardest defensive position in baseball!
There was more activity on the main walkway as the players started dispersing to the four playing-fields we had access to. Jace’s dad Armando texted me that the family including Jace’s biggest fan, his brother Austin, had arrived and were at one of the fields waiting for Jace’s group to start. For the next couple of hours, I felt like a “Kid-in-a-candy-store” bouncing from field to field watching the minor leaguers vying for positions at different minor league levels which would be assigned by the following week. Every pitch thrown, every at bat taken and every defensive play was being scrutinized by team managers, coaches and development personnel including Bob Miscik and Quinton McCracken.
At noon, we headed walked over to the American Family Fields gate and attended a game between the Brewers and the Padres. It was a gorgeous day for baseball and fans were scattered throughout the grass above the outfield. While I will pass on hot dogs in any ballpark, I could not resist having a brat! And it was awesome! In the 7th inning stretch after singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, the fans sang “Roll Out the Barrel!” The Brewers won 4 – 2. It was double-header time for us as we headed to Goodyear Park where there was an evening game with the Cincinnati Reds hosting the Seattle Mariners. We had been at so many games there between our February and March visits, GM Bruce Kessman joked about me coming to work there for spring training 2024. As I was mentally calculating costs of a short-term rental and what to do for transportation, I heard a booming “No” in my ear! Rick had no sense of adventure even if it was my fantasy!
The game was brutal for the Cincinnati fans. Seattle scored FIFTEEN runs in the first four innings. We were just about “baseballed-out” for the day so we headed back to Glendale. I called Michele enroute and we planned to meet for dinner. When we got to his hotel, I called him from our car. A sleepy-sounding voice answered. He apologized saying he was really tired and just wanted to go back to sleep. Trying to contain my disappointment, I replied that we understood and we would see him the next day. I hung up and turned to tell Rick about the change in plans. Rick was trying to contain his laughter. Michele was standing outside our car holding his phone to his ear and laughing as he mimicked in his Spanish accent what I said. It was a fun ending to a great day!
The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 2
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on May 7, 2023
Arizona continued to battle providing us with good weather as the second day started with overcast skies and below normal temperatures. My decision was either look cute and be cold or to layer and look twenty pounds more than I was! I chose the latter. Our first stop was Camelback Ranch-Glendale, home to the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. We had tickets to the White Sox-Royals early afternoon game.
We arrived a few hours before game time and proceeded to the practice fields. As we were greeted by Stephanie at the practice field gate, we could see the practice field behind her was under water. “We had quite a storm last night, but the main ballpark should be OK for playing,” she revealed. We visited a few minutes with her and found out that she and her husband were both retired and living in the Chicago area, but every February and March, Arizona became their home. They both loved baseball and were White Sox diehards so working at spring training was a fun way to earn extra income.
As we proceeded down the muddy pathway, we saw another practice field with workers trying to remove the water. We were just about to retreat back to the car when I spotted two White Sox players coming out of a building and proceeding down a walkway below us, to more practice fields. They looked up and waved. Rick was busy talking to another worker as I zipped by him and proceeded down to a fence by the walkway where several men were lined up with huge notebooks of baseball cards! I could tell this was the place to be! And what did I have for the players to autograph – — my Lotta Sports T-Shirt which only had Michele Vassalotti’s autograph and some Cleveland players.
The men were a pain as they attempted to monopolize the players with numerous cards to sign in each book and I was elbowed into the corner. Polite patience turned out to be my benefit as several players came over to me first instead of the shouting men. I was a kid in a candy store and my T-Shirt quickly loaded up with signatures. One of the last players to come out was no stranger — Joe Kelly, former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher. I almost didn’t recognize him as he wasn’t wearing the dorky glasses he wore when pitching for Boston.
Joe looked towards the line of us. As he signed, more fans infiltrated the area. By now I had people standing against me so there wasn’t room to even move. I left my cramped corner and moved to the other end of the fence. Much to my dismay, he appeared to be ready to leave. I shouted, “Hey Joe Kelly!” and waved. He came over to me. “Oh, there you are!” I laughed and responded, “You are one popular guy!” as he signed the cuff of my shirt. Joe turned out to be the nicest of all the White Sox players or maybe I was just partial to him being a former Red Sox.!
Near the entrance to Camelback Park, there was a pretty lake which separated the White Sox and Dodgers practice fields. Once inside the gates, there was a tree-lined pavilion which served as home to a giant statue of Frank Thomas AKA The Big Hurt, former first baseman for the White Sox in the 90s and early 2000s. Since I had already met several of the White Sox players at the practice field, I headed over to the left field side where some of the Royals were already stretching. The playing surface in the outfield was set down about 12 feet from the stands. It was fun yelling down to the players as they came out of the clubhouse alley. What can I say — baseball brings out the child in me!
By the time the game started at 1:05, the sun was attempting to override the cloud cover. The grassy areas in the outfield were sprinkled with fans on blankets taking in the ballgame. Our seats overlooked the on-deck circle for the White Sox. I was thrilled to see one of my former Red Sox favorites, Andrew Benintendi, batting for Chicago. It was a nice surprise because last year he was with the Yankees so I couldn’t allow myself to like him. Royals Bobby Witt Jr. wasn’t at the game since he was still in Miami at the World Baseball Classic for Team USA. Throughout the game, there were a lot of pitching and player changes as this was the week of determining who would play where. Kansas City edged the White Sox 4 – 3.
It was a doubleheader day for us since there was an evening game at Goodyear Park with the Cincinnati Reds hosting San Diego Padres. We would be seeing the Reds the next night also so I opted for the Padres side while the players stretched. The Padres bused in during peak traffic so they arrived a little later than normal. Because of this, they only had time to warmup instead of mingling with the fans. I spotted two familiar faces doing their pre-game ritual. The first was my hero of several years of fantasy baseball, Nelson Cruz. The other was former Texas Rangers Rougned Odor. I almost didn’t recognize him. He had gone from scraggly hair and beard to clean-shaven with a short haircut. Our seats were on the second row behind home plate. Behind us were several scouts. Vassalotti’s teammate at Team Italy, Brett Sullivan, was catching for the Padres. The game was going quickly with San Diego having several three up, three down innings and the Reds spitting out a run in the first inning and another in the second inning when the Reds did a double steal including Homeplate by Spencer Steer.
We only stayed half the game as we were going on ten hours of baseball and I was running on a tray of French fries at the first game. We swung by the hotel and picked up Michele. We voted for something close so Michele suggested Burros & Fries in the Glendale Entertainment Complex across from the hotels. I had a huge stuffed burrito and I believe it’s the best Mexican fast food I’ve ever had! As we gathered our empty plates up to leave, Rick grabbed his drink cup and slammed it down into my drink cup. There was just one small problem. Mine was still half full of water and it went all over the table and me!! It was time to call it a night!
The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 1
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training, WBC on April 23, 2023
It was a return to Spring Training in March when the weather was supposed to be nicer. Minor leaguers were vying for promotions and most importantly, a celebration of our friend Michele Vassalotti’s performance in the World Baseball Classic was in the making. By taking a flight at oh-dark-thirty and thanks to gaining three hours on a time change, we were at the Brewers complex by mid-morning. Skies were very overcast and according to my weather app, rain was in the forecast. We peeked into the batting cages, then watched players at the practice fields stretching. We finally spotted a familiar frame briskly walking towards us. It was Vassalotti. “I’m pitching in the big field this morning! Come see me!” and off he sauntered. I looked at my watch. We were good for an hour and a half before we needed to head to Goodyear Park for the afternoon game. Within minutes, we were seated with scouts and some family members watching a closed scrimmage of the Brewers. After Michele’s successful inning, we left.
Our next stop was at the general offices of the Cleveland Guardians which was located on the road to the practice fields. We were to meet up with Fletcher who was a friend of our boss at the Mudcats. While waiting on “Fletch,” Rick, who was raised west of Cleveland, stood in awe as he viewed a historical wall mural of Indians baseball. For him, as well as the other die-hards, it is still the Indians and the “G” word is not allowed! We then headed across to Goodyear Stadium to watch the visiting Dodgers vs. Cleveland. Sprinkles began and normally I would have said, “Not today.” However, when I saw the LA line-up, I quickly got to my seat which was on the fourth row adjacent to the Dodgers dugout and donned my Red Sox poncho.
Clayton Kershaw was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers. The North Texas native still had his “stuff” throwing in the persistent drizzle. After witnessing his work, I no longer looked at him as an adversary; I appreciated even more what a master he was at his craft. Midway through the game, the rain picked up and the fans in front of us got their umbrellas out which are allowed at Goodyear Park. For the most part, I could position myself and view the game between two of their umbrellas. I couldn’t complain as their umbrellas kept my legs and feet dry. However, when the rain let up, one of the guys positioned his umbrella back to fold it and you can guess where all the rainwater went! All over me!! It was a good time to leave, but not before meeting Bruce Kessman, GM of the Goodyear Ballpark and Player Development Complex. The former flight attendant manager came out in me and I complimented him on the personnel of all levels at the ballpark. What a great springtime gig that would be I thought to myself.
After a brief nap, it was time to finalize plans for dinner. Since we would be celebrating Vassalotti’s World Baseball Classic appearance, we chose an Italian restaurant north of Glendale. Michele brought his Team Italia jersey. The jersey had a soft feel to the material and it was so exciting knowing that I was holding a jersey that had been worn in the World Baseball Classic! During dinner, Vass discussed his experience playing in Taiwan and Japan for Team Italy. He agreed with me that the hardest game was Game 2 when they played against Chinese Taipei. It was definitely a home game for the Chinese Taipei with 37,000 spectators, cheerleaders on the dugouts and a guy banging a drum. All the noise happened while Team Italy batted and of course, quieted when the “home” team was at bat.
We then talked about Game 3 – Italy and Panama. I remembered that one so well. I had gotten a text from Michele that he had been named the starter for Team Italy. He had not pitched in the starting role since 2021 for the Carolina Mudcats. Last season, he was very successful in long-relief and as a closer. Ironically, his number with Team Italy was “37” which was also his number as a starter in 2021. Against Panama, I witnessed an improved starter with great command over his pitches. His velocity had also improved from the 80s to the mid-90s. He pitched four Innings allowing only one hit – a homerun to Jose Ramos, two walks and three strikeouts. His confidence did not waiver after the longball and he struck out Ramos the second time he faced him. Unfortunately, the bats for Team Italy were quiet and bullpen gave up another run making it 2 – 0 loss. It was because of allowing only the two runs in that game and a 7 – 1 upset over favored Team Netherlands in Game 4, that Team Italy emerged a victor in a 4-way tie of the pool and moved on to the quarterfinal in Japan! Sadly, the team was no match for Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan who eventually also won the tournament. According to Michele, a positive they took away was scoring runs against both Ohtani and Yu Darvish.
Rick motioned towards the people dining at the table adjacent to us and the reminiscing ended when I burst into laughter. It was the group who were in the row in front of us at the rainy game earlier in the day. Seated right behind Michele was the umbrella culprit! We took it as a sign to end our evening!
Check out Vassalotti in action against Panama!! https://www.mlb.com/video/michele-vassalotti-s-solid-outing
The Boys of Summer – Adventures at Spring Training – Arizona Fun in February – Part 3
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training on April 2, 2023
Our final day was the Royals at the Guardians so we were going to see Bobby Witt, Jr again. Rick was decked out in his Indians attire as were many Cleveland fans. We headed over to the practice fields but it was harder to get to see the players since the closest that fans could get was at chain-linked fence at left field. I had to squint to see who was batting. According to Andy and Rick, two older guys that we met, they used to have the practice fields very open to fans but it changed after COVID. We saw Josh Naylor bat and then go over to the right field fence to take pictures with fans. Figures. We were on the wrong side! A little boy next to me belted out, “Stephen Kwan!” The leadoff player headed our way! After the boys got his autograph, I timidly asked for a picture with him and he obliged.
The Goodyear Park was our favorite of the three ballparks. The parking was free and they permitted purses in as well as sealed bottled water. When I was leaving the restroom, our usher was in there and she said, “It will be very sunny in the seats you are in and you’re going to need sunscreen.” I was glad she said something but unfortunately, I didn’t have sunscreen with me. She pointed to a dispenser adjacent to the restroom door. Complimentary sunscreen! I coated my nose with it and headed out. The guys from the practice field, Andy and Rick, were on the concourse on the lookout for us. “We’re going to show you where you can get player pictures and autographs.” The area was the rail between first base and right field. I got my picture made and my Lotta Sports T-shirt autographed by several players including Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, his brother Bo and a few pitchers. I was a kid in a candy store! When Josh Bell came out to warm up, the fans went crazy yelling for his autograph – me included! A guy next to me said, “Forget it. He doesn’t sign.” Well, guess who came over and signed!?! Josh Bell! He was bigger than life! During the game, Cleveland’s David Fry was brought in to pitch hit. A voice boomed from a few rows behind us, “Hit it to Colleyville!” That’s where Fry was from and also home of Bobby Witt, Jr. as well as a town away from where we lived in Grapevine, Texas. Unfortunately, the former Indians players were scalped in their game getting beat 12 – 6 by the Royals.
We headed back to Tempe to meet up with Michele for dinner. We had asked him what kind of foods he liked and he responded anything but Thai. He loved sushi so Rick found a seafood restaurant in Tempe that had several sushi dishes. Michele was amazing with the chopsticks! We had a real nice dinner and we discovered our waiter had played baseball. I think he told us it was in high school but he got injured pitching so he didn’t get to play after that. After dinner, I asked Michele to sign my T-shirt. “It’s all Cleveland players!” “Well, I just started it! They’ll be more!” We both laughed and he signed it.
We dropped Michele off his hotel and wished him the very best. The next day he was leaving for Taiwan to play in the World Baseball Classic! Little did he realize, that Taiwan would not be his only destination in the WBC journey or did he….
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