Link of the Week (or Whenever): got milb?

January 28th, 2009

January 28, 2009 — One of the nicest things to happen to yours truly since starting this blog has been the chance to get acquainted with the professionals who cover the minor leagues.  Lisa Winston has been covering baseball since, well, let’s just say a really long time. What I admire about Winston is her ability to build trusting relationships with the players she covers.  In other words, she understands that the truth doesn’t necessarily need to be dirty.

Recently she started a series of interviews on her blog, got milb?, that has become one of my all-time favorites. The series is titled “Beyond the Box Score” and each  installment delivers a story with heart; a portrait of an interesting young man, who happens to play baseball for now.

Below are a few excerpts to whet your appetite, but don’t stop reading here. Go check out the series! Bye for now!

Talking to Kevin Pucetas (San Francisco Giants organization): [GotMiLB] It would surprise people to know that . . .
[Pucetas]. . . I’m the oldest of 11 kids. A lot of my teammates didn’t even know that. We’d talk about our family. There is no way I could screw up being a dad. My dad would be like “have you not been paying attention?”

Talking to Chris Nelson (Colorado Rockies organization): Well, in “The Game,” if someone on the Dogs caught the eye of a teammate while he was making finger goggles, the “victim” had to immediately lie down on the floor … or ground … or field … with his arms crossed over his chest for five seconds.

It didn’t matter where they were. Clubhouse, restaurant, Fashion Square Mall. And once you were in “The Game,” you were in for good.

And it didn’t have to be direct eye contact either. A few players “got” their guys by taking pictures of themselves making the finger goggles on their cel phone, for example, and sending them to teammates. Once said teammate opened the cel photo, he was on the ground. One even allegedly drew a stick figure of someone making finger goggles on the wipe-off memo board in the clubhouse, “getting” anyone who walked in. Not sure if that story is true or not, though.

Talking to Chris Hayes (Kansas City Royals organization): [GotMiLB] Who is the most unusual character you’ve met in your pro baseball career?
[Hayes] I could put any left handed pitcher in there. Oh my God, it is absolutely true what they say about them.

Ha, ha, ha. . .Got ya! Get down and give me five!

Entry Filed under: Game of Life,Minor Leagues