Rounding Third but Heading for Home

Sorry for the gap in reports, but I have been shoveling 2 1/2 feet of snow. This will be the final Ponce blog -- and a bit of a long one.

On Friday morning as I was flying home to beat the Blizzard of '10 that was about to hit Washington, undefeated Team C-Cliburn took the field against Team D-Rasmussen in the championship game in the main stadium. Before I landed in Washington (one of the last planes of the day to make it in) Team C-Cliburn, with just 8 players, won the Ponce Florida championship. I don't have details, but here is a picture of the winning 9 (or rather 8 -- three of the original 11 had left early.) The remaining team looks sharp with Coach Cliburn in red and my teammates with their medals. (The medals are actually somewhat controversial -- most people would prefer a cheesy trophy such as those given in the past. After all it is easier to put a trophy casually someplace in the house where family, friends or neighbors might see it and, believe it or not, be impressed. As Elizabeth says, "There's no medals in Baseball!") To Legs, Gags, Mo and the rest of the team, congratulations.

So for me, a great week of baseball in Florida ended a day early and not with a bang but a whimper. I was very sorry to miss the championship game, but given the storm in DC, I am sure I would not have got back to town before Tuesday if I hadn't left early on Friday.

Still there are some final thoughts. Cleaning up an earlier mis-impression, at the suggestion of Elaine Learch I asked Coach Cliburn if he might be related to Van Cliburn. He said, "Oh yes, the piano player. Yes I am sure we are kin from somewhere -- we're from Mississippi and he's from Texas. So I'm sure we are kin." Glad to clear that up.

While I was warming up to start the game on Thursday morning, Jose Cardenal walked by and said, "Oh that looks good." He was referring to a hanging slider I had just thrown. He said, "You throw that, I'd hit it a long way!" Fair warning.

Victor Rodriquez' son -- also Victor -- was at the complex on Tuesday. He played baseball at Miami Dade College and Florida Gulf Coast University and has now graduated with a degree in sports administration. I saw on the FGCU website several years ago that his goal is to become general manager of the Red Sox. Victor said that Major League Baseball runs a program to train new scouts in the fall in Arizona -- and the Red Sox chose young Victor to attend this past fall. He is working but also doing some part-time scouting on the side. Speaks well of Victor, his son, and the Red Sox, I think, to give young Victor an opportunity to pursue his dream.

Coach Victor said that about 20 minor leaguers -- Rizzo, Anderson, Westmoreland, Daeges, etc. -- were already in the Red Sox complex to get a head start on spring training which doesn't start for minor leaguers until the end of the month. Victor also participated in the Red Sox Minor leaguers orientation week (for about a dozen top-rated prospects) in Boston last month. "They work from 7 to 7 every day -- working out, classroom, speakers, etc." He said the Celtics coach Doc Rivers spoke to the rookies and was very impressive.

In our third game on Thursday, the opposing team had a 140 year old battery -- a 71 year old pitcher, Dave Wheeler, and a 69 year old catcher. It may be one of the oldest batteries in organized baseball history -- so once again a Ponce (dubious) record. Dave Wheeler is actually a bit of a legend in Ponce -- he doesn't throw hard but has good control (keeps putting a little sinker on the low outside corner), has a rubber arm, and, as he says, has never visited the trainer or used ice. It is reported that people will pay his entrance into senior tournaments so that they will have a pitcher who can pitch every day. A month ago, he told me that last fall in November he played in Arizona one week in an over 60 year old tournament, the next week an over 65 tournament, and the next week an over 70 tournament -- and then the following week went to Florida to play in the Roy Hobbs over 60 wooden-bat tournament! My new life goal is to be Dave Wheeler.

It takes a lot out of everyone physically to play 9 games in five days. The trainers do a great job to prep and rehab people every day -- and the line to the trainers room, morning and evening, grows longer as the week goes on. For everyone by Wednesday and Thursday bending over to field a ball becomes a challenge and straightening back up even more so. Atomic Balm, ice, massage, and stretching all become more critical as the week goes on. I came through better this year than in the past -- I had very tight quads by Wednesday (but no hamstring problems), muscle spasms and tightening in the lower back by Thursday, and rotator cuff tendinitis that stayed irritated throughout the week but didn't keep me from throwing.

The support facilities at Terry Park -- in the past quite drab and in need of rehab -- are in the process of a complete makeover. Fencing, landscaping, new restrooms and upgraded dugouts have all been completed. The locker room we used was "in process" -- new lockers, but no running water - no toilets. That was a chilling thought to aging baseball players (average age of players about 54.) Fortunately the toilet facilities were nearby each of the fields -- so new meaning was given to the term "relief" pitcher.

The fields we played on are professional quality, and very well kept. Between games each day a grounds crew would rake the infield, repack the pitching mound and batters box, water the infield, and re-line the field. In the beginning of the week when it drizzled, 6 grounds crewmen would come out between innings to put sand and water absorbent on the field to keep it playable. The fields we played on were named for Connie Mack, George Brett, and Roberto Clemente -- all of whom played at the complex when the Philadelphia A's, Royals, and Pirates trained there -- and, the main field, Park T. Piggott -- a Fort Myers resident who helped maintain the complex.

Each year on Thursday night there is an Awards Dessert (if there can be an Awards Dinner I guess there can be an Awards Dessert.) Steve Liddle, camp director, gives his review of the week, including things he has never seen in his years in baseball, such as: "someone trying to steal third with the bases loaded." Its baseball humor, but sidesplitting and I am sure Steve could make a living as a stand-up comedian. The coach of each team will give his impressions of the week and then give awards to that team's MVP -- and this year -- another award for most inspirational player. The most striking thing is how these professional coaches talk about how much they enjoy the week working with geezers (even though they work all year long with real players), how they admire the love of baseball of the (aged) campers, and how they look forward to the week each year. Most of the coaches have done this camp for all 11 years it has existed. For us, they -- and the week-long immersion in baseball -- make the week.

Sorry for this long blog post. I hope the blog captured the week for those of you who are interested. This is the last post, but if you have questions or comments -- either post them on the blog or email me.

Three final thoughts: (1) Heard "Attaboy" all week from the coaches -- its been a long time since geezers heard that -- it warms the heart. (2) Mark Kosmo keeps reminding me of the retort: "It's better to be a has been than a never was." (3) And, as we used to say in Boston every winter until the 2004 championship season, "Wait until next year."

Let's Play Three

When the Chicago Cubs used to play only day games, Mr. Cub Ernie Banks would go onto the field on a beautiful summer day and say "let's play two." Well Ponce camp had the first day of truly beautiful Florida weather -- 75-80 degrees with blue skies -- and we all got to play three five inning games today (one a makeup of the rained out game on Tuesday afternoon.)

Now the news from Flomax Field (as the neph Brian Learch aptly calls it) Team C-Cliburn ended the day with three more wins -- and stands 8-0 going into the championship game on Friday (more later.) We won the first game 15-3; game 2 against the same team by a score of 9-4; and the third game of the day, 15-5 (we were leading by a score of 7-4 going into the last inning but got 8 runs to put the game away. I started pitching in the first game and gave up one run in one inning, hitting 2 batters in the process. In Ponce, for the sake of public health and maintenance, if a pitcher hits two batters he can no longer pitch in the game. So I was giving new meaning to the term, "the most feared pitcher on the team." For the day I was 3-6 at bat with a double and two walks.

The news after the game, for me and many others, is the imminent blizzard in DC scheduled to arrive Friday mid-day. My flight home Friday afternoon (scheduled to arrive in DC at 7:59pm) was canceled and I was rebooked on an 8:15am flight on Friday morning. So I will miss the Championship game. A real let-down after such a great week, but the only way I would get home before Monday, or more likely, Tuesday.

I will cut this blog short -- and will do a final posting of some more baseball information and reflections on the week when (or if) I get home on Friday.

Fantasy Camp

Today I was taking batting practice with Steve Liddle, bench coach for the Twins, pitching to me and Don Buford, a former Major League All Star for the Orioles and other teams, giving me batting adjustments to my grip and stance at the plate. I thought of the players they have played with and coached (for example, in the next few weeks Steve will be pitching batting practice to Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau -- two AL MVPs.) Here they were patiently giving the benefit of their experience and knowledge of baseball to a 63 year-old geezer who loves baseball (and another 70 geezers and near geezers here this week.) It helps make me realize what a great experience it is and how lucky I am to be here, but also an appreciation of the bond the love of baseball creates across ages, professions, background, and ability.

(not really) Hump Day

Wednesday is usually considered Hump Day for Ponce week -- the two days on Monday and Tuesday leave you tired and sore and wondering if you can make it. This year is a little different. First, since yesterday's afternoon games were rained out, getting up this morning wasn't so difficult and Wednesday didn't seem quite so daunting. Second, they announced this morning that they will make up yesterday's rain out by playing 3 5-inning games (or 1:45 minutes whichever comes first) on Thursday. So Thursday becomes the new Hump day -- likely to be very sore and tired tomorrow night -- maybe even wibbled.

The schedule is made easier for Team C because we are still on a winning streak -- taking two games today by scores of 5-4 and 12-0. The first game was against the only other undefeated team to date. I started pitching and we had a 4-1 lead when I finished after three innings. We added a run in the fourth and then they got 3 runs in the 5th to make it 5-4. We held them off in the sixth for the win. I was 0-2 at bat. Our team has unusually good (particularly for Ponce) defense with 5 or 6 stellar plays by the centerfielder, shortstop, third baseman and first baseman and pretty much all the routine plays made efficiently. Very easy to pitch when you have good fielding behind you. In the second game, we scored early and often for the win. I was 1-2 with an rbi and was hit by a pitch (if I could learn to skip second helpings it never would have touched me.) We now stand as the only unbeaten team -- and the 2 teams we play in the three games tomorrow (we play one of them twice) have each yet to get a win. Overconfidence lurking again. The teams with the two best records at the end of Thursday will play in the championship game on Friday morning.

For Red Sox fans -- Victor Rodriguez is one of the coaches here (I played for him the other three years I came down) and is the Red Sox Minor League Hitting Coordinator. He is very high on a young left-handed first baseman in the minor leagues named Anthony Rizzo -- he said one of the managers of an opposing team in the Single A league Rizzo played in last year said Rizzo was the best player in the league -- a very good hitter and elite fielder. Rizzo was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago and missed a year and last year was his first year back. Victor also thinks that Lars Anderson, the former top-ranked Sox prospect who had a bad year last year, still has a chance of being a very good hitter and player. Victor keeps saying "remember these are just kids" and they take time to adjust and mature. He thought Anderson might have felt some pressure by being ranked the top propect and put too much pressure on himself. He also mentioned Ryan Westmoreland as a good hitter and a really great runner, but because of injuries hasn't yet been able to show what kind of fielder he is or throwing arm he has. Jose Inglesias is a Cuban-defector shortstop -- just 19 years old who is an exciting prospect. Victor was very impressed that Inglesias hit .280 in the Arizona Fall League against major league/high minor league talent. For both Inglesias and another 19-20 year old prospect, Oscar Tejada -- Victor warns people not to listen when they hear "another Hanley Ramirez." They are just young kids and Ramirez is a special athlete, so it is unreasonable to put those kinds of expectations on the young players.

Someone asked if my coach, Stan Cliburn, might be the brother of Van Cliburn -- I think not. Stan has a twin brother Stu Cliburn (also a coach in the Minnesota Twins system) and they are baseball lifers from Mississippi. Concert pianists don't come to mind this week. The atmosphere here is very much guy and athletic smells (imagine), blue language and sexist humor(?), stories, bragging -- perhaps "aged adolescent locker room chic." It makes you realize that a lot of adolescent behavior (good and bad) may be as much setting-related as it may be age-related. It is part of the charm (and the grimace) of the experience that you get to play like and act like a kid for a week -- even if your body rebels and your mind knows better.

More tomorrow after the new Hump Day.

On a Roll, Barely

Happy Birthday today to Don Buford, 73 years old -- and a Ponce hitting coach for the week (which can only age him faster.)

I sensed a growing overconfidence (two game win streak) for Team C-Stan Cliburn -- and it seemed to come home to roost today. Yesterday we beat Team A 10-4 -- after three innings this morning we were losing to Team A by a score of 6-1. We got two in the fourth and three in the fifth while holding them scoreless so were tied 6-6 going into the 6th and final inning. Our second pitcher shut them out for a third straight inning in the top of the 6th. When we came up to bat, our first hitter (the guy who tried to steal third with the bases loaded yesterday) led off with a hit. The next batter reached on an error -- men on second and first, no outs. Our next batter put a great bunt down the third base line. The pitcher went over to field it and threw the batter out at first, but our fearless base runner from yesterday kept running around third and slid home with the winning run before the throw from the first baseman could get him -- scoring from second on a bunt, shades of Jacoby Ellsbury! Our record is now 3-0. I went 3-3 including a double and was warming up in case we went into extra innings (actually a shoot out - the rules of which I don't really understand.) It drizzled throughout the morning and then at lunch the heavens opened and the afternoon session was canceled.

We have a couple of great trainers from the Twins system to put liniment on sore muscles -- some special hot stuff called Atomic Balm -- and ice us down after, etc. When I was getting the hot stuff in the morning I asked the trainer, Larry, about a knot in the back of my right shoulder -- he said "just some rotator cuff tendinitis -- keep it stretched out." A philosophical question: How are you supposed to react when the trainer says to you, "You aren't pitching today are you?" When I told him I expected to, he said, "Well then see me again after lunch?" I didn't take that as a positive sign.

Some scuttlebutt picked up from the various coaches. The Twins coaches hope the report that Mauer is signing a 10-year contract with the Twins is true -- and they think the new stadium in Minnesota that opens this season will help them get the revenue to keep players like Mauer and Morneau. They said the Dome really prevented them from keeping stars like Hunter and Santana.

Darrin Garner, a coach in the Mariners system, was giving some guys fielding tips in the clubhouse and used Adrian Beltre, formerly of the Mariners now with the Sox, as the example of a naturally gifted fielder who continues to work hard to stay sharp. He said that no one works harder at fielding than Beltre -- who he called the best fielding third baseman he has seen in a long time. He said that Beltre works so hard taking ground balls ("hit them as hard as you can") in practice that he wears out the coaches hitting to him. He said he is a hard worker, great teammate, and a real good player.

Rick Knapp had spent 15 years as a minor-league pitching coach and pitching coordinator for the Twins and then last year was hired as the major league pitching coach for the Tigers. We all give him credit for the vastly improved pitching for the Tigers last year but he -- perhaps too modestly -- said he thought the improvement was much more due to the improved defense the Tigers had. For example, the Tigers pitchers had much more confidence in Adam Everett as their shortstop (2009) than Edgar Renteria (2008) -- a "cardboard cut out" in the field. It was interesting to hear Rick talk about the relationships and process that led to his hiring by the Tigers and the adjustments of going into a new system after 15 years with another team in the same division.

One of the coaches said that Boof Bonser is likely to be much more help to the Red Sox than "that kid Masterson who they sent to Cleveland. He just can't repeat his pitching delivery. If he weren't so tall he would have been injured long before now." Interesting insight considering how high Red Sox fans, including me, were on Masterson.

A brighter weather forecast for the rest of the week.

Some have asked about pictures -- I didn't bring a camera (imagine Big Papi taking pictures in the dugout of Pedroia sliding into second base!) However, there is a professional photographer here for the week (he did my poster that is on the side of the blog.) You can see his pictures that he posts each day at www:wagnerphotography.com. Just hit the links for Ponce baseball. My team is Team C for the pictures from our games.

A juggernaut

The rain held off -- it drizzled all day -- and our home team, Team C-Stan Cliburn, took two games today by identical scores of 10-4. In the three previous years I have been here (2006-2008) our total record was 1-26 (with the one win coming on the last game of the third year.) Doubled that total today. We have a very strong team with 11 players, including 6 pitchers and 3 catchers (players play multiple positions.) With 9 games in five days, having enough pitchers and catchers is critical. Our team also has some very good fielders and hitters. (Maybe two wins are getting me overconfident.) Of the 11 players on our team, four are in our 60s (two pitchers, including me) and the average age of the rest of the team is probably 52 or 53. I went 1-3 at bat in the first game and 1-2 with an rbi in the second. Played the outfield in both games and pitched 2 innings in the second game - giving up 3 runs in the first inning on a hit batter, stolen base, walk, hit, wild pitch and passed ball -- just about everything except a balk.

You see things here you don't see elsewhere. In the second game, one of our players was on second base with the bases loaded -- and he tried to steal 3rd base (even though it was already occupied!) Fortunately the batter hit a foul tip and we got everyone back to their own base. While it was strange, it wasn't quite as eye-opening as a play the last time I was here. That day, the team we were playing had a man on first. The batter hit a hard ground ball into the hole between third and short. The third baseman went to his left and the shortstop went into the hole to his right. The third baseman made a nice play and stabbed the ball -- and, perhaps excited by his nice play, proceeded to tag out our shortstop! (Now you can see why we lost so many games in earlier years.

For Red Sox fans -- as you know the Sox signed Boof Bonser, a former Twins pitcher who had shoulder surgery a year ago. The Twins coaches here like Bonser a lot and think he will be healthy and could be a good pick-up. One of the coaches thought coming back to be a relief pitch could be difficult after the shoulder surgery (labrum) Bonser had, since starting pitchers have a more controlled game preparation. Steve Liddle said, "I know he is very tough and has a lot of guts." They also said the Twins really liked Ortiz when he was with them but didn't re-sign him because they had some other contracts at the time -- Torii Hunter, Santana, etc -- and couldn't afford Ortiz who was scheduled to go to arbitration. He pointed out that when the Twins let him go, there wasn't a hot market for him and it wasn't until January before the Sox signed him, and the Sox didn't at first mark him as a starter. They were unsure about whether Ortiz would bounce back this year -- and are looking forward to finding out.

.406

My hotel room number is 406 - I hope that is a good omen. (For those who may not know, Ted Williams is the last major league batter to hit over .400 for a season when he hit .406 in 1941.)

By the way, some people thought I posted my first blog yesterday at 4:20am and wondered why I wasn't sleeping. Not just being "journey proud." Apparently the blog is on west coast time and stamps the time as three hours earlier than I post it on the east coast.

An inch of rain in the forecast for today -- where is the dome when we need it?

Team assignments

There was a pre-camp dinner tonight to get team assignments and general instructions. I am on a team managed by Stan Cliburn, the manager of the Minnesota Twins AAA Rochester team. We play at Terry Park in Fort Myers, a county owned facility that has four fields -- and has in the past been the spring training headquarters for the Pittsburgh Pirates and other teams. There are approximately 72 players on six teams for the week. The daily schedule: 9-9:15 stretching; 9:15-9:20 announcements; 9:20-9:30 throwing; 9:30-10:15 either batting practice by team or specialty instruction (pitching, catching, infield, outfield); 10:15-10:30 pre-game warm-up; 10:30-12:30 6 inning game; 12:30-1:30 lunch; 1:30-2:15 batting practice or specialty instruction; 2:15-2:30 pre-game warmup at game field; 2:30-4:30 6 inning game. After that, major icing down and multiple pain relievers. Sleep should come easy.

Don Buford, formerly of the Orioles, is here for the week for individual batting instruction; and Jose Cardenal is also here. Other managers are: Victor Rodriguez, Red Sox minor league hitting coordinator; Arnie Beyeler, Red Sox AA Portland Sea Dogs manager; Rick Knapp, Detroit Tigers pitching coach; Darrin Garner, a coach in the Seattle Mariners minor league system; Eric Rasmussen, pitching coach in the Minnesota Twins minor league system.

More tomorrow after the first day of games (weather permitting.)

Ponce de Leon Baseball Week in Fort Myers, FL

I will be one of about 100 senior league baseball players from the Ponce de Leon Baseball League in the Washington DC area who will be spending this week -- January 31 to February 5 -- in Fort Myers, Florida for a week full of baseball. My friend Flint Taylor, a crafty left-hander from Brown, suggested I do a blog about the week. So for those who are interested, here it is.

I am leaving 7 inches of snow and temperatures in the teens in DC and expect weather in the 70s (with some rain forecast in the week) in Fort Myers. We are scheduled to play nine 6 inning games, Monday through Friday with skills instruction, and batting and fielding practice each morning and afternoon as well. It is not a fantasy camp run by a Major League team with their former players. This camp has players from the 35+ and 48+ Ponce de Leon League in DC -- mixed into a single division of 6 to 8 teams for the week. The Camp Director is Steve Liddle, the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins, and the team coaches are all professional major or minor league coaches. I will post more information this evening after I get to Florida.