Batting with the best

Gayle hits a home run

Every ballpark has an indoor batting practice area equipped with high tech pitching machines that can be set for pitch, speed, left or right handed batters. Hard to see in the picture, but for practice, the players use a batting tee. Sounds like little league, doesn't it? Actually, it is much more flexible and can be adjusted for height or moved around for the batters to tailor their practice.

Everyone has to help clean up!

Small ball comes alive

 We crowd around Juan Samuel, the 3rd base coach, who delights us from the moment he steps onto the field. His passion for the running game is infectious, and his description of small ball, that elusive strategy for winning base by base, gives me more insight into the nuances of the game.

He regales us with stories of steals gone bad, his system for signalling his Latino players, how he changes communication patterns so the other team stays off guard. He also let's us in on the player he never encourages to run fast during spring training (if you are not a Phillies fan, the answer is Ryan Howard).

We have a chance to run the bases, somewhere between a flock and a herd of women making it to home plate each on our own time.

The catchers!

Get a bunch of women in a room with real live baseball players in uniform, set us loose with cameras, and it's a riot. Chooch, Carlos Ruiz and Erik Kratz were the surprise players of the day. They sat down to answer questions, chat with the M.C and generally wow the crowd with their lack of pretention and their genuine friendliness.   A story I enjoyed hearing was Erik Kratz' description of playing for the Phillies minor league team. He had experience with several AAA teams around the country that did not draw a hometown crowd, so were more for people wanting a social event than a for dedicated fans. The Iron Pigs games were more like 'mini Phillies' games, loud and boisterous. So, when he was brought up to the majors, he was used to the noise of the crowds.

From locker room to food grill

Do you imagine the players locker room with metal lockers and tiled floors and towels strewn all over the floor?

NOT!

Wood cabinetry, carpeting, and they must have told them we were coming, because nothing was out of place. We gawked at the shoes, the big shoes, the gloves, the small things like hand lotion and trailmix. Hard to imagine the room filled with sweat and dirt.

After we passed through the locker room, we talked with the man who runs the grill. He didn't let out too many secrets about the player eating habits. Chase Utley always likes his baked sweet potato.............the muffins contain 15 grams of protein........ he buys locally, fresh food.............the players and staff can come in any time and eat whatever they want.........the players walk in from the locker room in their underwear.........he invites chefs from local restaurants to cook dinners....................

The best present ever! Dancing with the Phanatic

The raffle ticket is drawn and they call out my number. The prize: Dancing on the dugout with the Phillie Phanatic. 

At the end of one web report about the day the author writes:
Tonight there's a huge pregame party. All of these women will be at the game tonight for the game against the Colorado Rockies. A few lucky ones will get to dance on the dug out with The Philly Phanatic. That's worth the whole day right there.
 (http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23198804/phillies-host-baseball-101 )

How true!

(video of the dance and pic to come)

Gayle enjoys the pregame dinner with the Phanatic

The usual antics