Baseball 101 with the Phillies

I have given myself the best birthday present ever!!!!

My friend Gayle and I, along with 150 other Phillies fans, have signed up for this unique event called Baseball 101.

Organized for women and by women of all ages, we look forward to learning about the Phillies organization from the equipment to the food to...


Well, let's take a look.

We arrive around 9:00 to check in and have a breakfast downstairs. The mood is a combination of excitement and sheer amazement at this sold out event. All these women with Phillies spirit, bouyed by the 2 wins of the previous night, but also perplexed, angry, sad about the firing of Charlie Manuel, the manager for the past 9 years. Each of us is on a 'team' for the day.

Gayle and I are on team Carlos Ruiz, "Chooch" the beloved catcher.

The lineup

The Lineup

• Take part in an interactive clinic taught by the Phillies coaches! Includes on-field stations featuring proper baseball techniques and skills
• Access behind the scenes locations such as the Phillies Batting Cages and bullpens
• Get the inside scoop from a broadcaster and Phillies personnel  Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke and Jim Jackson.
• Participate in a Q&A session with a Phillies player and a Phillies executive Carlos Ruiz and Erik Kratz, Ruben Amarro Jr.
• Special appearances by the Phillie Phanatic,  other Phillies guests
• Special pregame festivities including a Phillies Meet & Greet and a Baseball 101 pre-game party hosted by 98.1 WOGL's Valerie Knight and Frank Lewis at the Phillies Tent.
• Exclusive Baseball 101 dinner buffet  relaxing time outdoors under the tent
• Chance to participate in a special on-field pregame check presentation (participants selected by drawing that day)
  PLUS
• Complimentary preferred parking
• All participants receive an exclusive Baseball 101 T-shirt  totally great
• You'll also receive a Phillies gift bag with an autographed souvenir! totally great
• Plus a silent auction and raffle, lunch in the Diamond Club and more!  I won a Cole Hamels autographed baseball and a dance on the dugout with the Phanatic
• A ticket to that night's Phillies game  Not the best game, but they do go on to win the next two in dramatic fashion at the bottom of the 9th and then 8 out of 10.

Mudding the baseballs

I join in the fun to rub mud on the dozens of baseballs to be used in the game tonight.

Our first stop on the tour is the media room.We are already star struck even with no one on the podium, realizing that we have all seen  this room on our TV screens, watching many a sorrowful or exhuberant manager  at that table waiting to be grilled by the press.

We are greeted by the man who manages all the equipment.  I wonder what could be so interesting about cleaning towels  and underwear, caring for player uniforms, hanging out with the DHL driver who will take the umpires' trunks to the next city. Yet, I am surprised how instantly fascinating this is when described by someone who clearly loves the job that he has been doing for over 20 years. He displays a great sense of humor and professionalism,  a common attitude expressed by everyone we meet during the day, from coach to secretary.

Did you know that each baseball is personally rubbed with mud  that comes from a 'secret' place on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River? The mud is cleaned and inspected so that it has the consistency of thick chocolate pudding. Each team buys 2-3 small tubs for the season to mud dozens of baseballs for each game.

The Phillies' equipment manager does this every day, which he keeps claiming is his least favorite job. Of course we all want to help him out!

The next Pitching Phenom

The day is perfectly suited for our next activity: Warming up our pitching in the bullpen. We are treated to the knowledge and encouragement of the Phillies pitching staff, who give us a closeup look at how the ball is held for the different pitches. Then it is our turn, and most everyone finds the courage to throw a few. Our coach is of course, totally delighted with everything we do.

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