CAMP DAY
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The term Camp Day can mean different things to different people.
To the exasperated mother of young children, it means a summer afternoon interlude with her husband or an uninterrupted soap opera. To Rock Cats general manager John Willi, it means a stadium full of screaming kids hanging off railings, rubbing mustard in their friend’s hair and stuffing lavatory hand dryers with cotton candy.
But here at spring training, Camp Day means the Double-A and Triple-A teams do battle instead of engaging outside competition. The teams often take liberties with their batting orders to accommodate players who they deem need extra at-bats.
The smattering of fans who relish the game at its grass-roots best received a special treat Wednesday when manager Stan Cliburn’s Rochester Red Wings met Riccardo Ingram’s Rock Cats. American League batting champion Joe Mauer trotted out to get in a few additional licks for Cliburn's crew.
Mauer is recuperating from what trainers say is a stress reaction in his left fibula. In layman’s terms, Mauer is experiencing some discomfort in his lower leg and is susceptible to a stress fracture. Mauer batted third in each of the first three innings.
In his first at-bat, he laced an opposite-field double. In the second inning, he clouted a homer over the center-field wall. He grounded out to first before trotting off for a session with trainer Dave Pruemer, but was met with a small gathering of fans clamoring for his autograph.
Among them was Rock Cats ticketholder Mike Stevens, who won an expenses-paid trip to spring training simply by renewing his ticket package early and being a pretty lucky guy. Stevens happily showed off his new treasure – an autographed baseball – that softened the displeasure he experience at Tuesday’s major league game between the Twins and Yankees.
The Yanks left most of their stars behind, which some feel is New York owner George Steinbrenner’s way of protesting the luxury tax that the major-market clubs have to dole out to those less financially fortunate, like the Twins.
“I didn’t expect their ‘A’ team to come but I expected to see either Jason Giambi or Johnny Damon,” said Stevens, an East Hampton resident who didn’t get to see Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez either.
Such is the way things unfold at spring training, where a visit to camp can prove ultimately more interesting than attending what ostensibly is labeled a big-league game.
To the exasperated mother of young children, it means a summer afternoon interlude with her husband or an uninterrupted soap opera. To Rock Cats general manager John Willi, it means a stadium full of screaming kids hanging off railings, rubbing mustard in their friend’s hair and stuffing lavatory hand dryers with cotton candy.
But here at spring training, Camp Day means the Double-A and Triple-A teams do battle instead of engaging outside competition. The teams often take liberties with their batting orders to accommodate players who they deem need extra at-bats.
The smattering of fans who relish the game at its grass-roots best received a special treat Wednesday when manager Stan Cliburn’s Rochester Red Wings met Riccardo Ingram’s Rock Cats. American League batting champion Joe Mauer trotted out to get in a few additional licks for Cliburn's crew.
Mauer is recuperating from what trainers say is a stress reaction in his left fibula. In layman’s terms, Mauer is experiencing some discomfort in his lower leg and is susceptible to a stress fracture. Mauer batted third in each of the first three innings.
In his first at-bat, he laced an opposite-field double. In the second inning, he clouted a homer over the center-field wall. He grounded out to first before trotting off for a session with trainer Dave Pruemer, but was met with a small gathering of fans clamoring for his autograph.
Among them was Rock Cats ticketholder Mike Stevens, who won an expenses-paid trip to spring training simply by renewing his ticket package early and being a pretty lucky guy. Stevens happily showed off his new treasure – an autographed baseball – that softened the displeasure he experience at Tuesday’s major league game between the Twins and Yankees.
The Yanks left most of their stars behind, which some feel is New York owner George Steinbrenner’s way of protesting the luxury tax that the major-market clubs have to dole out to those less financially fortunate, like the Twins.
“I didn’t expect their ‘A’ team to come but I expected to see either Jason Giambi or Johnny Damon,” said Stevens, an East Hampton resident who didn’t get to see Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez either.
Such is the way things unfold at spring training, where a visit to camp can prove ultimately more interesting than attending what ostensibly is labeled a big-league game.
posted by Ken Lipshez at
6:14 PM
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