Baseball Infographic via Phoenix Bats

How Much Time Does It Take for a 95 M.P.H. Fastball to Reach Home Plate?

How much time do you, as a batter, have before you need to decide to swing the bat? At what point between the plate and the pitcher’s mound can you tell what kind of pitch it is? At what point do you need to start your swing to be able to even contact the ball? If you’ve ever played baseball before, you know that this timing is within a fraction of a second. We found some pretty interesting facts through the course of our research. So, next time you watch a game, you’ll have a newfound respect for these players! Check out the graphic below!

Via: Phoenix Bats: Wood Bats

Interview with Clippers’ Clubhouse Manager Matt Pruzinksy

A few weeks ago, I met with Columbus Clippers’ (the AAA franchise of the Cleveland Indians) Clubhouse manager Matt Pruzinsky in the clubhouse at Huntington Park. I got to view what life in the clubhouse was like for a clubhouse manager and was able to ask Matt what his role is in the clubhouse.

Today is a game day. What is the routine you have on a game day compared to a non-game day?

The biggest thing is just being here early. Staying late the night before and getting here early the next morning: 10:00 to 11:00 am is usually the time frame I get here after leaving at 1:30 or 2 am. My routine when I get in is, if I don’t have to stop at the store and get something for the clubhouse, I’m finishing up laundry with my assistant David. We finish up laundry from the night before, mostly towels. Then we are just restocking fridges, getting more snacks, and making sure everything is ready for when the guys come in. That’s basically the biggest thing in the morning. As the day progresses, it gets a little different as the players come in. They want lunch from certain places so David or one of the batboys will go get it. It just gets kind of hectic at times because everybody wants something. That’s our job to please everybody, so you can kind of see how it gets hectic making everybody happy.

What time do the players usually get to the clubhouse?

Today, we don’t have batting practice but stretch for pitchers. I think is at 4 o clock (for a 7 o clock start) so the guys will show up at 2 pm at the earliest. They take advantage of having a late start so they can sleep in or hangout with their families.

When the players do show up, what are some of the other tasks you do for them?

We just hang around, making sure to be there if anyone needs anything. We usually prepare the stuff for our pre-game spread. Today I have sushi so I’ll pick up the sushi at 4 o clock. I usually put the spread out 2 hours before game time. I’ll put out all of the lunch meats and fresh fruits, everything to make sandwiches. Sometimes guys will make smoothies with a blender. We clean up post-batting practice: most guys have two laundry loops so we pull their personal clothes from batting practice.  A lot of guys sweat and change after batting practice. We wear a dri-fit t-shirt for batting practice so most guys will throw the shirt on their loop, and then I’ll have it washed and dried by the end of game time. Basically during the game we do laundry. We then get the post-game spread all set up for the players. Once the game is over, it is “game on” for us, while its
“game over” for them. We generally average three hours after the game until we’re done. Last night we were here after 1.

How does the second day of the homestand differ from the first?

The first day is pretty busy especially after an eight game road trip because the guys haven’t been home so some guys will bring their personal laundry in from home. Yesterday was especially busy because we got in at seven in the morning and we were here from 5:30 until 1:30. We try to get all of the uniforms cleaned, and the clubhouse prepped and what not for the guys to come in. The first day of the home stand is the busiest, especially if we get new guys that met us on the road. It’s a process. The first day is always the worst. After that it gets a lot easier because everything is pretty much ready to go after the first day. Everybody usually has all of the things that they need, it’s a lot easier after that to put it that way.

How did you become a clubhouse manager?

I started in Lake County (the Indians’ A-ball affiliate). I’m from Lake County. I was a batboy there when I was in high school. Then I worked in the clubhouse my second year. The third year, I stayed in school. That was the only year I wasn’t with the Captains. That following year they called me in and said they had an opening for a clubhouse manager. I took that position. I went to Ohio State so I took every spring quarter off to work the whole baseball season from spring training to the end of the season. I was a clubhouse manager in Lake County for four years. This past fall, I heard they were hiring here. I came down and met with the general manager (Ken Schnake) and George (the Director of Clubhouse Operations). Pretty much around Halloween time I got the job and then I moved back to Columbus in January.

What is difference between being a clubhouse manager at this level compared to Single-A?

The biggest difference is probably the maturity level of the guys. Most of these guys have been around the game more and they’re older so they kind of know how it is supposed to go here. In low-A, they are a little more immature because they are younger and fresh out of high school or the draft. It is just a lot different in that respect. It is better up here: the guys have been around the game longer here and know what is going on. They are a lot easier to work with. That is probably the biggest thing. I’ve had a lot of guys up here who I knew from Lake County.

You have a 24-man roster here in Columbus. How do you make sure all the equipment gets to where it needs to be?

After the game, if we are going on an 8-game road trip, we usually have all of these trunks for extra equipment and laundry bags, plus every player has their personal “Columbus Clippers” bag that we pack for them. We pack all their essentials, like jerseys, and then they pack all of their personal stuff. We get all of that, make sure all of that stuff is out and loaded on the buses. If we fly, we will usually have an equipment truck that will leave the day before. We just have to know what needs to be on each road trip. The trainer has his own stuff; we take everything from the training room that he needs on the road and put it on the bus. We know exactly what goes on the road and you’ve got to keep track of everything. We have minor slipups here and there, someone forgets their bag or glove or whatever it might be, but we try to eliminate that. The biggest thing is keeping everything together, their trunks and bags.

How many people are you taking the equipment for?

We take it for close to 30 guys. We take all of their bags, all of their bat bags, and the standard big bat bag. We take all of the ball bags, and extra baseballs for the pitchers. That is usually controlled by (pitching coach) Charlie Nagy. We usually give him one dozen balls a day for the road. It’s a task but we get it done.

What happens when a player gets called up?

If someone is called up to Cleveland, someone from the front office or I will take the equipment up to Cleveland. That’s basically the chore: getting everybody’s stuff that is down here and getting it sent up to Cleveland. It is always good if their wife is here because they will take it up to them.

What if he gets called up to the West Coast or somewhere very distant?

If they are on the road and get called up, a lot of guys can make do with what they have and then we just send their equipment to Cleveland, that way we don’t have to overnight it. Some guys need equipment overnighted to them where ever they are at. A couple of weeks ago, we had to send some stuff over to Tampa Bay. Just depends on the guy and if they need something.

Do you keep in touch with a lot of the clubhouse managers in the Indians’ minor league affiliates?

I’m pretty close with our guy in Akron and I’ve stayed with him for the past two Spring Trainings. I know the guys in Cleveland pretty well. It’s a team effort so to say, we are all affiliated with the Indians, so we are all part of a family so you can say.

How does get-away day work?

It starts towards the end of the game just trying to get everything ready. Usually we just set the equipment up in the hallway and have it ready to go minus the player bags. When the game is over, the bus to take the players is usually here. My assistant, the batboys, George, and I will all just start taking everything out on carts to the buses and getting it loaded up. Generally the team likes to leave an hour after the game. What is good is that we haven’t had many road trips where we needed to leave the night of.

We also do their personal laundry and put it in the bags. If we leave the night of, we just put it in a wetbag and the clubhouse managers on the road will clean it when it gets there. An hour after the game isn’t enough time to get the clothes washed and dried. We only have to do that a couple of more times. When we go on the road to Louisville or Toledo, those are the road trips we can leave in the morning because it isn’t that far away. It just depends on where we go I guess.

Who decides on the bats and gloves that the players use?

They pick their own models of bats, they have their own gloves. Some get equipment from their agent for free, some have to pay for their own stuff, some through companies. Just the player and what they are comfortable with. It depends on each company too. With the apparel, its stuff we give them. They have to wear certain colors under their jersey and we try to keep everyone wearing the same colors. Luckily, a lot of guys will be in spring training and have a lot of their Indians stuff so they will have the same navy color on their clothes.

During a season, how many bats does the team go through?

A lot of guys will put in an order once a month. It depends on the player. Quite a few bats and quite a few baseballs, we go through a lot. Every guy has their own supply of bats and they order bats when they need them. About monthly guys will put in a bat order with me and I’ll send the order to our overall equipment manager for the Indians. He orders all of that and sends it up here.

What was the most memorable player that you have met in your minor league experience as a clubhouse manager?

I probably have two. It might be cliché because it’s Chris Gimenez (who swings Phoenix Bats) and Matt Whitney. They are probably my two favorite guys just because even at that level they were very respectable guys and understood the game. They were always good to me, so I would say those two guys are probably my favorite to work with the past few years. It’s great to see a guy like Chris especially, late round pick, that didn’t have so much hype coming out of college make it to the big leagues. Last year was pretty good because he is a great guy, will tell you like it is and is down to earth. You can tell a guy like that wasn’t changed by going to the big leagues for a year. It was good to see him get there.

Matt Whitney was an early round guy but he was very cool and very professional. He never really was one of those immature younger guys even though he was a high school pick. He professionally moved on to the Nationals organization and I haven’t followed him that much this year but it’s good to see guys like that make it. It’s a very good feeling. You are happy for those guys. Making the majors is the ultimate goal for the players, and you’re very happy when they reach the Promised Land, so to speak.

Thank you to Matt and the Clipper organization for allowing me access to the clubhouse and the opportunity to see what a day in a clubhouse manager’s life consists of. It is a very rare opportunity to go behind the scenes on a game day. My experience taught me a lot about behind the scenes work in professional baseball.

-Eitan the Intern

Interview with Kansas City Royals first baseman Billy Butler

I recently had the privilege of meeting Kansas City Royals’ first baseman Billy Butler during a recent Royals road trip to Oakland. As one of the primary users of Phoenix Bats, Butler has put up some very notable statistics this year, batting .308with 11 home runs and 63 RBIs. I asked the Royals’ slugger about debuting in the big leagues at a ripe age of 21 and being a baseball star in a smaller media market such as Kansas City.

This year you are batting .311 (at the time of the interview), a very impressive number. I’ve noticed that your batting average has seemed to increase each year. What has changed in your hitting approach compared to years previous?

BB: I think its just I’m getting older and being more mature. When you get to the big leagues and you’re 21 like I was, there was a lot to learn. I think I have figured out pitchers a little bit more. I think after a while you know it’s the big leagues, you get this intimidation factor that you’re like “Do I belong here?” Well last year I had a good year and I told myself this: “If you have a good year, you belong here,” and I pretty much go up to the plate every time and have this confidence factor now.

You said you were 21 when you went to the big leagues, which is a relatively young age compared to many players. How was that adjustment going into the big leagues when you were 21?

BB: I turned 21 the week before (Billy’s major league debut) so I was barely 21. I think I’m the eighth youngest or ninth youngest player in our franchise history. The adjustment is very hard. You’ve got big leagues full of older guys. They tend to prank you, the typical rookie stuff. It gets even worse when you’re so young, because they are just using that intimidation factor because they are older and they can. After a while, with any transition, they make it tougher for you to break in.

You’re in Kansas City, a small market compared to the Bostons or New Yorks. What is like being a baseball star in a small market?

BB: It’s good. I’ve played against the Bostons, I’ve played against the New Yorks, the bigger markets. I belong in Kansas City because I’m not a bigger market guy, I just want to go out there and play the game. Kansas City gives me that small-town feel but it also is a very big city, and the Midwest, the people are just very nice. They are the type of person I am, I’m from the South, but it’s the same type of culture so there was never any type of culture shock or anything like that.

In an interview with the Royal’s Gameday magazine, it says that you want to win in Kansas City. Some players go from a small market to a bigger market and win. You referenced to Johnny Damon, who went from Kansas City to Oakland and later won championships in Boston and New York. How do you see yourself as a part of getting the Royals to a championship caliber level?

BB: I hope, and I hope in the front office’s mind for us, that I’m in their future plans. I’d hate to go anywhere else. I know the business of baseball and I know the money situations for the smaller markets. You hate to bring money into your discussion of baseball, because frankly in my opinion, I think money has ruined baseball. You’ve got to make a living for your family, you have to do that. I love it in Kansas City. Obviously I’m going into arbitration next year and I’ve had a good year so your salary takes a jump. I just hope I don’t jump enough where the Royals can’t afford me or they don’t want to afford me. Hopefully they think I’m worth it and in their mind if I wasn’t worth it to them, they would have traded me by the trade deadline. I want something that would be fair for my family and fair for the team. I don’t want to be the guy that makes the most money, I want to be the guy that is just treated fairly and just play.

What is it like being the center of this young team, even though you are only 24 years old yourself?

BB: I’m happy to be one of the guys the young guys come up to.  I mentor them and I show them how to the play the game and show them how to win in Kansas City. Just to be the guy the Royals build around, I feel like we’ve got some good young talent now and we just need to start building around it. What you really do is in house and through drafting. I feel like I have that certain value to me because I was drafted by the Royals and they want to keep as many Royals players as they can. I have that on my side–they want more Royals guys, they don’t want to go outside and get players from there. The Royals want to keep it in house, and I like the way that sounds.

Speaking of which, you were drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2004 draft out of high school. At that time, you were also offered a baseball scholarship from the University of Florida. What was appealing to sign with the Royals straight out of high school instead of a Division I school with a prestigious sports program?

BB: Honestly, as a kid growing up, your dream is to go play in the big leagues. I had a full ride scholarship to the University of Florida and got drafted in the first round. Obviously I had a lot of leverage because of my full ride scholarship to the University of Florida. I had a really nice signing bonus with the Royals and it would have worked out that they would pay for my college scholarship even if I didn’t play baseball anymore. That made it a pretty easy choice for me to not go to college and go to Major League Baseball. I had my agent that I just hired and I had multiple scouts tell me I had nothing left to prove. I was used to swinging a wood bat as I’d already been using wood my whole senior year. It just wouldn’t have benefited me to just keep using metal.

You talk about using a wood bat. Do you feel your hitting would have gone down if you spent a few years using metal in college?

BB: I don’t think so. I debuted in the big leagues when I was 21, that’s usually when you’re a college junior. I definitely think if I did the college route, I wouldn’t have gotten to the big leagues as fast. There is nothing that can replace playing in the big leagues at a younger age. I would have gone to school and played with Matt LaPorta, and some good players at the University of Florida. Matt LaPorta made a great decision in going to the University of Florida: he was a fifth-rounder of out of high school and then became the fifth or sixth overall pick after he went to college. People seek different routes. I mean Stephen Strasburg went number one overall, and he didn’t get drafted out of high school. If he was drafted then, it wasn’t very high. You go from not even being on the map to the overall number one pick. I was the 14^th overall pick, so pretty much the only thing I could do was work my way backwards not forwards. Obviously I could have gone to the college and the risk factor is always there. You could injure yourself and hurt your stock, but you could also help your stock so college is an option you just have to weigh.

On a different note, I noticed you did a national television advertisement with the Pepsi Refresh Project. How did that come about and how did you start becoming involved with the Pepsi Refresh Project?

BB: Every year there is a representative for the Royals, and I happened to be that guy this year and hope to be for the years to come since I really enjoyed it. For The Pepsi Refresh Project in Kansas City, we are renovating 37 baseball and softball fields. That was very appealing to me because I remember when I was playing little league.  I want every kid to go out there and play on a good surface, have a good atmosphere and not have a bad playing experience. Great fields are hard to come by, especially at that level. Just my charitable donations and involvement in the community made it a no-brainer for Pepsi to want to use me for that.

In every interview, there is always a ton of behind the scenes work that needs to be arranged for the interview to occur I would like to thank Billy Butler for his time to give the interview. I would also like to thank Billy’s agent as well as Charles Trudeau and Seth Cramer of Phoenix Bats for getting the interview with Billy arranged.

-Eitan the Intern

Interview with Clippers’ broadcaster Scott Leo

In this edition of Eitan the Intern, I interviewed the Columbus Clippers (the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) play-by-play broadcaster Scott Leo. I sat down with Scott at Huntington Park recently, and asked him about his broadcasting career as well as the nature of the sports broadcasting industry.

For a baseball broadcaster you are relatively young, did you start broadcasting right after you graduated college?

SL: I actually started broadcasting baseball when I was 17 years old. When I was growing up, I would listen to a lot of games on the radio or watch them on TV. I would watch the game with my dad, who was a big baseball, basketball, and football fan. As I went from grade school into high school and did not get any bigger, stronger or faster by playing sports, I realized I probably needed to find a different avenue if I wanted to be around sports in a career capacity.

I started up the sports broadcasting department at my high school radio station from ground zero. The high school that I went to had a radio station but didn’t utilize the equipment for sports broadcasting. I went to the athletics booster club at my high school and convinced the club to buy some radio equipment for the station to broadcast games. I also went out amongst the local community to get sponsors to pay for the cost of phone lines so the station could broadcast all of the boy’s basketball and football games. I remember spending a lot of days after school driving around to every mom-and-pop restaurant, Laundromat and where ever else I could to find someone willing to sponsor games on the air.

Eventually, the radio station carried baseball, girl’s basketball, softball and soccer games as well. In my junior year of high school, my friends and I covered over 200 events. Then I went to college and got a job at a local radio station where I worked part time broadcasting baseball, basketball and football for high schools and smaller sized colleges. As I was graduating college, I got my first professional baseball job. For my college graduation, I drove home for the ceremony and then back to Richmond, Indiana where I was broadcasting at the time. My friends and family actually held my graduation party at one of the suites in the ballpark. My friends and family were basically listening to me on the radio while they celebrated the fact that somehow, someway, I made myself out of college.

In addition to the Clippers, you broadcast Wright State University basketball and football. How do you transition from working play by play in baseball, where it is slow-paced needs extra context for the game in contrast to basketball where the pace of the game is very quick?

SL: Baseball’s slow pace and length of season makes a different broadcast compared to football and basketball. When you broadcast baseball games, you are on the air every single day for four hours every night. Sometimes the broadcast becomes less about baseball and more about entertaining listeners by interjecting more of your own personality. You try to keep your audience interested even in a 12-1 game in the 6^th Inning with a last place team. I take the same broadcasting approach in the other sports, but there is much more of an emphasis on the action itself for football and basketball broadcasts.

Personally, there is a little bit of a broadcasting adjustment between sports. When I come out of basketball season and go to spring training, I have to slow myself down as a broadcaster to get back into the flow of things. As the baseball season wraps up and I get into football, I have to speed up and become better at identifying players on the field. In baseball, it is so much easier to identify the players on the field since the players are pretty much stationary the entire time. In football, you have 22 players on the field at once. You have to figure out who has the football and who made the tackle. If there is a fumble, you got to find who forced the fumble and who recovered the football. I have to retrain my eyes every fall to be ready to broadcast football.

The Clippers were on Time Warner Cable two games ago, a game which you broadcasted on television. How do the methods of broadcasting on the radio and television differ?

SL: Here in Columbus, we broadcast every game live on the radio. Some live games are carried SportsTime Ohio (STO) or Time Warner Cable. When games are broadcasted on Time Warner Cable, the radio broadcast is simulcast with the television feed. When the games are on STO and even MLB Network, I will call the game on the television side while Ryan Mitchell, my broadcast partner, calls the game on the radio.

When you broadcast a game on television, you are more of a traffic cop than an analyst. As a broadcaster on the radio, you’re calling the action in addition to analyzing what has happened on the field.

On television, the focus is more on the analyst than the play by play guy. The play by play broadcaster gets out of commercial reads and essentially paves the way for the analyst to talk about what has transpired. When you broadcast on radio, you are the eyes and ears of the fan. On the television, the fan can see what is happening and you don’t need to be as descriptive. You can pause more and let the atmosphere of the game take hold. On the radio, you are describing anything from the batters stance to how many clouds are over the ballpark. On television, the viewer can see if it is a right-handed batter, a left-handed pitcher or if it is a rainy day. There is less need for a constant repetition of descriptions on television broadcasts.

As the broadcaster of the Clippers, you are with the team for 142 games and the near majority of the year. How are you able to get the information from players necessary for your broadcasts without intruding on their privacy?

SL: Being around the players is an interesting dynamic for me because I am part of the team in a way. I’m a branch of the organization and the eyes and ears of the fans when they are not in the ballpark. I’m also not in the clubhouse everyday when the players are together and when the players are winning and losing, I’m not with them as part of it. The players at this level have been around radio broadcasters and newspaper beat writers enough and understand broadcasters and journalists have a job to do. I think there is not as much friction at this level compared to other professional levels of baseball. When I was in independent baseball, I ran into more trouble with players. A lot of players had never been around a broadcaster that traveled with the team in independent baseball.

My stance has always been to call it like it is on a broadcast. I wouldn’t say anything on the air about the player as a person in a negative light. I may say “He can’t hit a curveball,” but I’m not going to say he is a bad person. I think most athletes at this level respect that part of my job is to give my opinion. What I try to portray on a broadcast is their on-field performance. If the player is playing well, I’m going to make him sound really well. If the player isn’t playing well, he will sound bad on the radio. But the player’s portrayal is really a product of their performance and has nothing to do with me. I am just the eyes and ears of the fan.

Some broadcasters get criticized for being “homers”, or being a fan of the team with the microphone. How do you provide an objective account of what is occurring during the game while appealing to your audience of majority Clipper fans?

SL: I used to get annoyed when I heard announcers say “we” and “us,” playing the homer card if you will. I changed my stance on “homer” broadcasters over time. I’ve realized as a broadcaster for a specific team, you are essentially a fan of that team with a microphone. You may not be able to say all of the things a fan would say on the air but you can certainly feel the highs and lows of a team just like a fan does. I have probably interjected more “homer-ism” into my broadcasts over the last two years than I had prior. Now I’ll say “we” or “us” every once in a while and clearly when a Clipper hits a home run I will get a little more excited than when an opposing player does.

It helps that the Clippers are with the Cleveland Indians, an Ohio team. I’m an Ohio guy, I grew up as a Reds fan and followed the Indians as well, so I’ve always had ties to Ohio’s teams anyway. There are plenty of fans that love both the Clippers and the Indians so the Clipper-Indian affiliation is a perfect marriage.

In addition to your role as the Clipper’s play by play broadcaster, you are also the Director of Broadcasting. What does that position entail?

SL: As a broadcaster, there is a different role in the minor leagues compared to the majors. In the majors, your focus as an announcer is just on broadcasting the games. In the minor leagues, you wear multiple hats. I not only do the broadcasts but I coordinate everything broadcast related. I have to log radio commercials every night so our sponsors know that their commercials ran when they were supposed to. I’m responsible for selling corporate advertising inside the ballpark and on the broadcasts. I spend time making calls and visiting folks who are sponsors of the Clippers as well. I do a lot of public relations and media relations work. I also organize interviews on the radio and television as well as setting up interviews for various media outlets with our players.

Your have broadcasted for the NFL and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Westwood One. For high-profile sporting events such as the NFL or March Madness, how do you adjust to the additional pressure of being broadcast nationally?

SL: The high profile events are always fun to be involved in because Westwood One does such an elaborate job of covering those events on radio. The NFL and NCAA tournament games are on hundreds of radio stations across the country, so you know that there are lots of ears on the broadcast. I’ve had a chance to be in the booth and watch some great broadcasters work on Monday Night Football like Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason. I would often go down the sidelines at NFL games and gather injury reports with Bonnie Bernstein and other broadcasters who have made a name for themselves in this business on a really high level. Being around broadcasters of that magnitude has been one of the great learning points in my career.

What sites do you work at for Westwood One?

SL: I usually work the opening round games for the NCAA tournament over in Dayton. I have also announced the tournament’s first and second round games in Dayton as well as Columbus. At the games, I sit courtside and keep track of the information that will be used during the broadcasts at some point. Between games of the first and second round tournament, I catch interviews with players and coaches.

For the NFL, I used to do games in Indianapolis but now I work at mostly prime-time games in Cincinnati or Cleveland. In those games, I am the sideline producer. I gather information, line up interviews, tasks of that nature.

You’ve been broadcasting the Clippers since 2006. What are the changes you’ve noticed in broadcasting this team as you have gotten to know them better?

SL: I’ve been fortunate enough to actually be a part of a lot of changes in Columbus. When I came to Columbus in 2006, we were the New York Yankees affiliate. There was an affiliation with the Washington Nationals for two years and currently the Clippers are affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.

The amount of affiliation change has been a good thing for me as a broadcaster because I’ve worked with five different managers in five years. I have gotten to know five different sets of coaches essentially in that five year span. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed in my time in Columbus is to see how things are done in three different organizations. Things such as how each organization handles situations, how the organization goes about promoting their young players and what the front office likes to see from their players at this level before they get called up to the big leagues.

Thanks to Scott for sharing his insights into what has been an impressive start to his career. Also, thank you to the Clippers organization for granting me access to share in the broadcasting experience.

-Eitan the Intern

Interview with Kasey Schweitzer, Kansas City Royals’ Manager of Special Events and Promotions

As I mentioned in my blog entry about Kansas City, Phoenix Bats held a Billy Butler Youth Replica Bat giveaway on July 18^th with the Kansas City Royals and Fox Sports Kansas City. For this giveaway, Phoenix Bats worked arduously with the Kansas City Royals Special Events and Promotions department. I had the opportunity to meet Kasey Schweitzer, the Royals’ Manager of Special Events and Promotions. I questioned Kasey about the thought process that goes into each promotional giveaway at a ballpark.

How do you schedule promotions for the upcoming season? How early in advance to you need to schedule them?

KS: We (Kasey and her department) will start planning for the 2011 season in late July or early August. As we lay things out, we start to see if we want to giveaway more of this item or that item based off of current promotions. We then narrow the promotion down to see if the promotional item should be a kid’s giveaway, or if it should it be for all fans. We want to have a variety of people getting the promotional item and encourage them to want to come back to more ballgames.

What are the criteria for a giveaway?

KS: We want the giveaway to be an item that people see as value. We want people to look at the giveaway and say, “That item has good value, it will be worth it to buy this ticket and get the item.”

How do you determine if a promotion is successful enough to repeat next year?

KS: The telling factor with promotions is attendance. You look at the attendance and really see how those things draw on each other. We do a T-shirt Tuesday giveaway one Tuesday a month. You can look at a T-shirt Tuesday compared to a non-T-shirt Tuesday game and see the difference in attendance. You can also look at a Saturday where we give away a replica jersey compared to a Saturday where we giveaway a cap, and you see a big difference in attendance as well. A cap giveaway is going to be a good draw at the ballpark, but a jersey giveaway will be a sellout.

Have any odd promotional ideas come across your way?

KS: Hmmm……I don’t know if I can really answer that question because I haven’t had any crazy ideas come up to me since I’ve been in this position. Kansas City and the Midwest is a very conservative, family oriented area. Everything we do for a promotion goes along with that approach.

In addition to scheduling promotional giveaways, your job title suggests that you also handle special events. What events outside of the promotional giveaways does your department run?

KS: Aside from the giveaways, we have a 610 Saturday where we provide a band, different contests, specials and other entertainment features. We do theme nights like 80’s Night. We have our Salute to the Negro Leagues night, which is nice because we can partner with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum that is here in Kansas City. We do other programs like Christmas in July where we partner with one of the big Christmas radio stations in town and host a toy drive. We try to make the events very cohesive and hold events that make sense. We aren’t going to throw some random event just to try and get people here, but try to make events that make sense and execute them well.

Are there heritage nights or community nights that your department hosts as well?

KS: We host a lot of different events that have a wide range of appeal. You’ve got the Negro Leagues day for the baseball fan that comes out and sees the former Negro Players. There is Girls Night Out, an event we do twice a year. It is for the women that might come out to the ballpark only once a year. Girls Night Out has become a huge event out here. One date benefits the Susan G. Komen foundation while the other benefits the American Heart Association. We open up the outfield early, have a huge pre-game party and vendors such as Macys come out and set up booths. We even have a fashion show, so we really run the gamut on the special events to draw people that might not always come.

How does working in Kansas City, a smaller baseball market compared to New York or Los Angeles, affect the promotions your department runs?

KS: There are a lot of markets that don’t do any giveaways. Your large markets like New York, Boston, or Los Angeles rarely have giveaways. Part of deciding a promotion does involve looking across Major League Baseball and finding what promotions have worked for other teams. We draw on those ideas to see what would work here in Kansas City. A promotion that might work well in Tampa Bay might not work in Kansas City. But we might be able to adjust something that works in Tampa Bay to become a good item here. For example, the Marlins or the Rays might give away a beach set, we aren’t going to give away a beach set, but we can look for something that has that same perception, like a barbeque set.

Do you have a favorite promotional giveaway?

KS: I don’t have a specific favorite but you can look and see that fan favorites are always bobbleheads. I had a season ticket holder call me and ask me about all of the bobbleheads we have had in the last five years so he could make sure he had all of them.

Last year we didn’t giveaway any bobbleheads, we gave away figurines of our retired numbers instead. People liked the figurines because they had a connection to the new stadium but many still missed the bobbleheads. Anytime you do a bobblehead giveaway, there will be a huge crowd and as people seem to love the item.

Thank you to Kasey for taking the time to be interviewed. Having gone to a Royals game firsthand, her department does a tremendous job with promotional giveaways at Kauffman Stadium. I have no doubt that her influence plays a part in the high quality of promotions at Royals games.

-Eitan the Intern

The Kansas City experience with Eitan the Intern

If I could describe to a person all of what Kansas City has to offer within the confines of one intersection, I would point to the corner of 18^th and Vine Street outside downtown Kansas City. The intersection of 18^th and Vine remains an integral part of American history even though it may not contain the same glamour as 42^nd Street and Broadway in New York City or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. 18^th and Vine and its surrounding district has established 35 Baseball Hall of Famers, numerous Grammy award winners, and barbeque so amazing it would make some strict vegetarians eat meat.

If you have already made it through the first paragraph of this post, you might be wondering why the streets of 18^th and Vine have any relevance to Phoenix Bats. Phoenix Bats traveled to Kansas City recently to witness the first bat give-away promotion, provided by Phoenix Bats, with a major league ballclub. On July 18th, the Kansas City Royals held a Billy Butler Youth Replica Bat Giveaway to the first 8,000 children who entered the ballpark. Since Billy Butler swings Phoenix Bats, the Phoenix Bats and Fox Sports Kansas City (the giveaway’s sponsor) logos were placed on the replica bat. To a company the size of Phoenix Bats, Billy’s promotional giveaway was very significant because it highlighted not only Billy Butler but Phoenix Bats as well.

After landing in Kansas City at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning, Phoenix Bats general manager Seth Cramer and I ventured to Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, a few short blocks away from the Negro League Baseball Museum. After quickly noticing the line at Arthur Bryant’s extended to the nearest intersection, Seth and I made the wise choice to go the Negro League Baseball Museum first.

The museum itself was very impressive. Though the museum’s size was smaller than I had imagined, the museum articulated the bittersweet tale of the Negro Leagues quite well. The museum celebrates the accomplishments of the Negro Leagues and African-American baseball, but conveys the tragedy of many talented African-American baseball players who were denied a spot in the major leagues. The museum houses an impressive array of memorabilia from “Buck” Leonard to the legendary pitcher Satchel Paige. I highly recommend the museum as the museum weaves baseball, Kansas City, and past racial segregation in this country all into one.

I have one short story from the museum that reflects how far this country has progressed since the founding of the Negro Leagues. In the museum, there is a miniature sized baseball field towards the exit with statues of baseball legends of the Negro Leagues such as “Cool Papa” Bell and Josh Gibson. This is also the only spot in the museum where hyper-active little children can run around freely without much protest. As I was heading towards the exit, I noticed this energetic young blond child romping around the field. As I passed him, he said “I’m sorry, I just love baseball.” I wasn’t really sure what to make of what the child said at first but then a thought hit me. To this kid, the museum wasn’t about white baseball players or black baseball players, it was just about baseball. Even the young ones can provide a good moral lesson from time to time.

When Seth and I finished the typical tourist tour of the museum gift shop, we went back to Arthur Bryant’s BBQ. The restaurant was packed when Seth and I arrived, but it didn’t appear that we would be waiting until next week for food. As a somewhat principled vegetarian, I did not taste the meat at Arthur Bryant’s (I left that to Seth) but it seemed everyone at the restaurant thought they just landed in barbeque heaven. Post-barbeque nirvana, Seth and I drove to Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals.

I can safely say that Kauffman Stadium is one of the most underrated stadiums in baseball. If stadiums could be compared to women, Kauffman Stadium was a girl with a pretty face that had a little bit of meat on her bones earlier but then went to Curves and lost 20 pounds. Kauffman Stadium contains the amenities of any modern ballpark, is relatively cheap in concessions compared to other stadiums, and offers a beautiful view of a Kansas City hillside. Of course, it did need a renovation or two to reach that stage, but Kauffman Stadium is still a beautiful ballpark. The stadium had the feel as if it had just been built and appeared quite well maintained. The Royals did an amazing job of providing an in-game experience for fans as well.

That weekend, the Royals played the Oakland A’s, the team I grew up rooting for when I was younger. It was a great experience seeing my hometown team playing on the road. The vast majority of the A’s games I’ve attended have been in Oakland, so I gained a new perspective on being a visiting fan. After the game (and a very long day), it was onto to a hotel in suburban Kansas City for some much needed rest.

On Sunday, it was back to the ballpark for the bat giveaway. Although I was a tad too old to receive a bat, it was nice seeing the numerous amounts of children glowing as they received a bat of their hometown hero. Before meeting with the Manager of Special Events and Promotions for the Royals, Kasey Schweitzer, I went to the Royals Hall of Fame. If you like baseball museums, Kansas City might just be the place for you. Between the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Royals Hall of Fame, there is good amount of baseball history to go around. I must say, the Royals Hall of Fame displayed a tremendous amount of memorabilia as well. In fact, a Phoenix Bat is even displayed in there. After touring the Hall of Fame, it was time to interview Kasey. Kasey and I discussed organizing promotions for a ballclub and the thought process that goes into a promotional giveaway. Right as the interview wrapped up, it was time for the first pitch. Despite the good old Midwest humidity, I had a great time at Sunday’s game as well. Following the Royals-A’s game on Sunday, Seth and I finally headed back to Ohio, our tummies full of barbeque and baseball.

Coming soon: An interview with Kasey Schweitzer, the Royals’ Manager of Special Events and Promotions.

-Eitan the Intern

Interview with catcher Chris Gimenez

A few weeks ago, I was able to interview then Clippers catcher Chris Gimenez. As of July 10th, Chris was called up by the Cleveland Indians as a backup catcher. I spent some time with Chris in the Clippers clubhouse and asked him about his time in both the major and minor leagues.

Last year you were with the Indians for 45 games before coming back to Columbus. How did your experience in the big leagues change your approach as a ballplayer when you came back to Triple-A?

CG: There were a lot of things I changed in my approach. Being up in the majors and performing in the way that I did, I learned a ton as cliché as it may sound. Becoming a bench player was probably the biggest adjustment I faced in the majors. I was so used to playing everyday in the minors which makes you gain a sense of timing. It doesn’t matter if you’re facing 98 miles per hour that day or 87 miles per hour, you’re going to have that timing in the batter’s box if you play often. When you play every five to six days, you start to lose that sense of confidence in the batter’s box. You might start taking pitches you might normally don’t take or swing at a ball you might not normally swing at because you don’t have that sense of timing and confidence about hitting.

There wasn’t an adjustment to the pitchers as much. The pitching level is better in the big leagues; the pitchers there are the best of the best after all. However, it was my approach of going up to the plate, and sticking with my strengths that mattered. Understanding what I am good at along with getting a good pitch to hit and not miss it was the biggest part of facing big league pitching. Don’t get me wrong, the pitching in the big leagues is better, but it was never to the point that I felt I couldn’t get a hit off of pitchers like Zach Greinke, who was the AL Cy Young winner the year before.

Were there other changes you noticed in the majors?

CG: There is more of an emphasis on the little things in the majors such as moving runners over, or being able to control the barrel of a bat in a hit-and-run. In the majors, I got called to bunt a couple of times last year. It’s not that the little things aren’t stressed in the minor leagues, the little things are just emphasized in a “Hey, we NEED you do this” manner in the majors. You take the spot of a role player as a new call-up to the majors. In Columbus, I was hitting higher up in the order where you didn’t bunt as much. It’s not that I can’t bunt, in fact I feel that I am a really good bunter. But in the big leagues, most of the recent call ups are in the 7-8-9 hole where you bunt more often. You are pretty much taking one for the team when you come up to the big leagues.

You were in the minor leagues for about 5 years, you then got called up by the Indians in 2009. How did you keep yourself focused to improve while so much was changing around you?

CG: The average guy in the minors stays there for four years and then is done. There are a couple of guys who are called “AAA-lifers.” Hopefully as a player, you don’t get grouped in that category as a player.

For me it was my dream to make it to the majors. You just got to have that passion and drive to know you could belong there in the majors. Improving and maintaining focus requires believing in yourself. You have to know “you can do it,” and go up to the plate with a plan and sticking to it. It’s a long season. Things will eventually work itself out if you just keep believing “I’m going to attack this ball and my approach is the right way.” When you keep repeating your approach, something is bound to happen, someone will notice your efforts, and things will eventually workout in your favor. Then you start gaining confidence and the belief you can play at the next level or in the big leagues.

What was it like being in the majors?

CG: If you haven’t gone there, it is hard to see what it is like. You hear stories from everyone who has gone to the majors and they tell you how great it really is. In every category, there is nothing that is not better up in the majors. We have a great clubhouse here in Columbus and there is a lot of fun stuff to do, but being on the buses for eight to twelve hours in the minors, it’s a physical and emotional toll. There is a toll in the majors as well, but it is all worth it. In the majors, there are neat places and cities you get to play in and nice hotels you stay at. You get to fly everywhere, which makes cross country travel a lot nicer. The best of the best play there and they get treated well for that reason. That’s why guys like Alex Rodriguez get paid the millions per year because they go out there on the biggest stage and perform consistently year in year and year out.

Now, you have another set of guys who have been there and are now in Triple-A like myself, and are doing everything they can to get themselves back to the majors. As a player, you have that little bit of taste and saw what its like in the majors which makes you want to do anything you can to get yourself back there.

How did you explain your big league experience to younger players on the Clippers?

CG: I feel like it is my role to let the younger guys know certain things you can and can’t do in the big leagues.

Do you remember when you got called up to the big leagues and what was your initial reaction?

CG: I remember it like it was yesterday. I got called up on May 30^th of last year. It was my little brother’s birthday so my family had a little get together for my little brother and his wife back home. Before the game started, I was in the bullpen warming up the pitcher and suddenly I got taken out of the game. My parents, who were listening on the radio heard the announcers say, “Chris Giminez just got pulled from the game.” It just so happened to be that night, Victor Martinez got hurt after I got taken out of the ballgame. I was supposed to be called up for Grady Sizemore but then some started speculating that I got called up because Victor got hurt. My family is hearing the ball game back home and is going nuts since my family had no idea what was going on. After the game, I was told that I would be going up to the big leagues. I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday and told him “I’m sorry to take your thunder, but I’m going up to the big leagues.”

My first day up in the majors, we (the Indians) were playing the Yankees in Cleveland. It was just an unbelievable opportunity to get called up for that series and an amazing experience.

The first game I played in was at Minnesota. I was completely ok until I stepped into the batters box for the first time. My heart was beating a million times a minute. It was so hard to calm myself down because I’m standing in the batters box thinking I can destroy the baseball like I have super-human bat speed. It was also tough because when I looked at first and saw Justin Morneau, and behind the plate catching was Joe Mauer. I struck out my first at-bat, but after that I thought, “I can do that, its not like I’ve never struck out before in my life.” I became calm and collected and put some good swings on the baseball after that.

What is it like being a veteran on a relatively young club in Columbus?

CG: It is actually kind of fun. We have a pretty young group of guys here. I’m only 27 years old, which I like to think is not very old, but on this team it definitely is. It’s great to see a young group of guys who are so energetic, the young guys bring the best out of everybody.

For one, we are one of the best teams in the league this year, which makes playing a lot of fun. It’s great playing here, being able to be part of a young team. I’m a big believer in that you’ve got to have a loose clubhouse, you’ve got to have a loose team. Guys who are uptight don’t play that well. I’m the first one to crack a joke or mess around with someone during the game or batting practice. This is a game–you are supposed to have fun doing it. The guys that can do that are the most successful.

Everybody has a great time in here (in Columbus). You spend so much time together, you have to have an enjoyable camaraderie in the clubhouse. You can’t have guys on the team who are bitter at each other all the time. You spend eight months out of the year this close to each other all the time. There will be little flare ups or what not from time to time like every clubhouse but you need to have this looseness in the clubhouse or you’re going to get eaten up alive out here.

You are in a unique position. You can catch, play the infield or even the outfield. How do you transition between playing positions that are so different?

CG: Believe it or not I really do enjoy playing different positions. I love the fact that I can come in and see a different number on my name in the lineup everyday. It’s a unique challenge to play many positions.

With regards to catching, first and foremost I’m a catcher but I can play anywhere else. I feel like my best position is catching but I have played the outfield before and I’ve played the infield before. Playing multiple positions is a lot of fun because it makes batting practice the hardest part of the day. I’ll field groundballs in the infield, I’ll take fly balls in the outfield, some days a couple of guys and I will do catching drills during batting practice as well. I use batting practice as my chance to stay sharp because you never know when the manager says “Gimenez, you’re going to be in the outfield,” or “Gimenez, you’ve got to play third base.” I have to be at the drop of the hat ready to go. I get a kick of being able to do and I feel like a really can play all three areas on the field. After playing in the outfield, infield, and catcher, you get a sense of confidence that you can play anywhere on the field whenever you need to. I feel like I can make myself stand above somebody else because I can play a range of positions.

You were drafted out of high school by the Colorado Rockies in 2001 but instead went to the University of Nevada. What made you decide to go that route?

CG: Getting drafted out of high school, the Rockies wanted me to go a junior college in a draft-and-follow. This meant the Rockies had the rights to sign me until the June 2002 draft. If you go to junior college, you get a year of experience at a higher level. You have a little bit of leverage with the contract as well by going to a junior college.

For myself, I felt the decision was easy to go to the University of Nevada. It wasn’t a situation where it would even be worth missing four years of school for financial reasons. I also made a commitment to the University of Nevada. If I spent a couple of years at college and played at a Division I skill level, I felt I would benefit myself more. I could hone my baseball skills a little and obviously get my degree if I went to Nevada. Although it was a big risk to go the University of Nevada, my decision paid a lot of dividends. It happens to a lot of kids where they get drafted out of high school, don’t sign and go to college. Unfortunately, they then get hurt in college and don’t get drafted by a team again. Thankfully and luckily for me, my situation didn’t turn out like that. I went to school and my baseball skills got much better. I got stronger, and gained some great experience having to face the three guys from Rice every other weekend it seemed like; Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend, and Phillip Humber (all three pitchers were first round picks in the 2004 Major League draft). Going to school also helped me maturity-wise. Luckily, I met my wife there so it my decision all seemed to work out.

If you had a son who was drafted out of high school what would you tell him?

CG: My advice to him would be to weigh your options out. I felt I had the opportunity to go a four-year school, get an education, play baseball and gain the college experience. Gaining the college experience is the best experience anyone can make. You grow up at college. You learn how to become someone who is capable of living on their own outside, getting a job and going to the real world so to speak. I feel like it’s a necessary step for some people. It’s a necessary step to become well-rounded.

Once the season is over, what do you do in the off-season?

CG: I go back home to Northern California in the off-season. My wife and I have a house in the East Bay, so that’s kind of our own home base. When I was in the lower levels of the minor leagues, I worked for my grandfather. In the lower levels you don’t make a lot of money and you have to do something as work as well along with maintaining your work-out routine. I got to help my grandfather on the ranch, which was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with my grandparents, who are just unbelievable people. I helped coach at the local junior college during the off-season as well. Last year I was in the big leagues so I didn’t have a job in the off-season. However, in addition to working myself out and getting ready for the upcoming season, I played winter ball and got married, so it was busy off-season.

Do you have any superstitions?

CG: You’re probably talking to one of the most superstitious people on Earth. I hate to admit it because superstition just occurs for me. If I get a couple of hits one night, I’ll eat the exact same thing I ate the day before or I’ll wear my pants a certain way from then on. I will have little superstitions like that. As a player, you’re looking for anything you can to keep your luck going, especially with a hitting streak.

Thank you to both Chris and the Clippers organization for being very accessible for the interview. Game day for a player can be a very tense time, yet Chris was very accommodating for the interview. Kudos to him for getting called up to the Indians.

-Eitan the Intern

Interview with Clippers Director of Clubhouse Operations George Robinson (Part II)

After discussing life in the clubhouse with George in Part I, I asked George about his interactions with players, past and present in the Clipper organization.

What is your connection to the players on the team?

I just had a heart attack and triple bypass surgery last year. I had it during the season. When I woke up from my triple bypass, the first day when they took my ventilator out I asked “how are my boys? (the players)”. I didn’t want to go to the hospital that day because we had a game.

The players are my kids. I want to get them to the big leagues and help them in anyway I can. I just do that every year. I don’t look at the organization, I look at the kids I have every year. I want to see them succeed no matter who it is with. They’re reaching their goal and to me that’s my goal to help them get there.

What does the clubhouse mean to the players?

This is their home to a certain aspect.. They’re here eight days, gone eight days, but this their home. All their personals and things like that are here and I have to protect their privacy. When the ballpark opened last year, there was such a large press contingency in our locker room that it was intruding on the players’ privacy. The players didn’t know what to do so I asked the media and asked them to leave the clubhouse for the sake of the players. I gained credibility with many of the players that day.

Are the player’s superstitious?

There is so much superstition. The player’s laundry loops have to be a certain color, you have to lay out their uniforms a certain way, examples like that.

Do you keep in contact with the players that come through here?

Oh yeah. Derek Jeter contacted me when I had my surgery to see how I was doing, him and Mariano Rivera called. I stay in touch with them all of the time. I stay in touch with Kevin Long (the Yankees’ hitting coach). Kevin Long is pretty much my best friend. He comes down and does hitting clinics for us (George is also a co-owner of MVP Baseball, a baseball facility in Reynoldsburg, Ohio). The last 3 hitting coaches that we’ve had here in Columbus are now in the big leagues.

You have been here 20 years. What the most memorable player you’ve met here?

I’d probably have to say Alex Arias. I picked him up at the airport and we just kind of clicked. We’d stop at Starbucks everyday and get the same drinks. When he got called up to the Yankees, he flew me to New York where we went onto the field (at Yankee Stadium) and played Frisbee with players such as Mariano Rivera and David Wells. I traveled with the Yankees for one month all on Alex’s dime and that was just incredible. You can’t explain that sort of experience. Alex probably exposed me to more than anyone. He wasn’t a superstar, he was just a great guy. There was just something about him, we stay in touch to this day.

What are your responsibilities for the visiting team?

I have bus companies pick the visiting team up at the airport and take them to the hotel. I make arrangements for the arena bus to run them back and forth, before, during and after the game. I make all their nametags for the lockers. I want them to feel like they’re in the big leagues. I’ll talk to their athletic trainer to find out what they need, I’ve already called them and asked what time the equipment and players will get here. When they’re here I have to take care of them. I want them to say that they want to come back here, that’s my goal. I set up in the offseason promotion deals also in order that they have fun things to do during their downtime. I set those guys up, just like our local players.

Do you feel lucky to be around baseball as your job?

I’m blessed and lucky to be all around this, I really am. I bless the Lord for letting me be able to do this everyday and come in here. I get paid to come into the ballpark everyday, I love it. I mean, I live here most of the time. Its tough and no doubt about it I have my moments but still. I am very lucky, I will tell you that. Mr. Schnake has been good to me by giving me this position and the large responsibility that comes with it.

Interviewing George provided a tremendous amount of insight into behind the scenes work in a baseball club. As you can tell from the interview, George has a very busy schedule and usually does not have the time to do interviews. Thank you so much to Mr. Robinson as well as the Clipper organization for granting me the opportunity to interview George.

That’s all for now,

Eitan the Intern

Interview with Clippers Director of Clubhouse Operations George Robinson (Part I)

Recently I had the privilege of meeting George Robinson, the Director of Clubhouse Operations for the Cleveland Indians AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. George is a veteran in the Clipper organization, having been in Columbus since the early days of the Clippers’ New York Yankee affiliation. I sat down with George in this two-part interview while the Clippers were on a road trip and asked him some questions about his experience in baseball as well as life in the Clipper’s clubhouse.

Seth (the general manager of Phoenix Bats) and Charley (the founder of Phoenix Bats) have told me a small amount about what you do for the Clippers. What exactly does your position entail?

I take care of the home team and everything they do. I take care of the team’s travel arrangements, hotels, bus trips, airplanes. When the visiting team comes in, I do the same thing for them. I order our team’s equipment, their balls and uniforms. I take care of the umpires, I take care of the batboys. Anything to do with the baseball end of it, I’m in charge of.

What is your game day routine?

I start here (at the clubhouse) about 8 or 9 in the morning, run upstairs, and check my emails. I’m on 24/7 call. If there is a trade or movement in any way with player going up or down in levels, I’ve got to get them to or from Columbus. When we add somebody we’ve got to subtract somebody because we carry a 24-man roster while the big leagues have a 25-man roster. Then I also have to get the other player to where ever he is going. Usually when the Indians call up a pitcher they need him for the start that night. So I have to get the player a flight, get him to the airport, and make all the arrangements to get him with the Indians. Same thing goes for a player coming down here. You get 12 hours, maybe, in advance to know where the player is going.

In my routine, you just go. It is really hard to explain. I also get the player’s tickets for their families and friends first thing in the morning after I check my email. I get the lineup cards of both ball clubs together. I make sure all the laundry is done, make sure all of the “loops” (stirrup socks) are out. I write on the board the color uniform that we are wearing today. I make sure that we have our meals planned for pre-game and post-game. I write what time the opponents can have the batting cage and what time they can lift weights. I let both ball clubs know if we can have batting practice on the field or off the field in the batting cages.

Once we’re very close to First pitch, I have to make sure everyone is on the field for the National Anthem. I make sure the pitcher is on the mound at exactly 12:02 PM (for a day game) since all of our games are televised in-house. Sometimes our games have been on STO or MLB.TV, so you co-ordinate all of television broadcast times also. In my job, you’re constantly on the move, you just roll with it. It is hard to tell somebody what exactly I do.

What happens on get-away day?

I will have both teams on buses and gone within an hour after the game. During the game I’m making sure our guys are packed and trunks ready. Sometimes I load four buses within an hour and get them out the door. On the seventh inning of get-away day, I’m out in the parking lot just loading stuff up.

How does the offseason compare?

You actually start the day after the end of the season, to get ready for the upcoming season. You get the guys to the airport; a lot of the guys fly out the next day because by the time they pack everything after the game, they’re worn out. Right after the players leave you start arranging motels for the next season and setting up motels for the visiting teams. I start with the bus trips and then the airlines. Come November, I try to get everything ready. We have to order new uniforms, hats, socks, I try to get that stuff done by the winter meetings in December. January comes; and  you need to start getting stuff ready for spring training. Spring training is here, and then the regular season is here again. You’re just as busy in the offseason as you are during the season.

Do you fly to spring training with the ballclub?

I haven’t been to Arizona yet. I went down to Florida this year to see Kevin Long, the hitting coach for the New York Yankees, who is one of my best friends.

How did you become the director of clubhouse operations?

I don’t know: loving the game, my passion for the game. When I started with the Clippers I was putting stickers on bells. I did whatever Ken Schnake (the Clippers’ General Manager) asked me to do. I’ve been in group sales. I‘ve talked to youth leagues, I’ve been a “clubbie” (clubhouse manager). I’ve done the radar gun. I’ve done the charts. Whatever the Clippers ask me to do, I do. I get paid to come to the ballpark, I don’t care what I have to do! This is really the ultimate job. I think I’m the only director of clubhouse operations in AAA baseball.

I love baseball, I do. I think you need to have a passion for this. You have to love the game, and I do. I jokingly tell people I wear pine tar for deodorant.

It is so incredible to think you are so occupied with your position, that you don’t really have the time to think of what you are doing.

No,you don’t have the time. It’s crazy. I am on the go so you just flow through the day. It is really hard to explain. If something’s not working, I have to have it fixed immediately. For example, If we’re out of dental floss in the clubhouse, I need to make sure we have dental floss.

What changes did you need to make for the club when the team moved from Cooper Stadium into Huntington Park?

I didn’t like the ballpark at first because I’m old school in many aspects of life as well as baseball. At first it was hard, but we adapted very well. There is more work because the ballpark is so much bigger: the clubhouse is so much bigger, the cages are so much bigger, the dugouts are so much bigger. I miss the Coop.. I still call it the Coop.

But I love this place, I call it a cathedral. It’s a cathedral to me. Ken did a wonderful job. I don’t think he gets enough (recognition) around town for what he has done for Columbus baseball. He has been our general manager for 30 something years. To get this ballpark paid for through public funding where he built it and everything..I mean we got ballpark of the year over new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field (the Mets’ ballpark). That’s incredible! We won ballpark of the year and we didn’t stand pat, we started changing stuff. The cages, training room, manager’s locker room, we haven’t stopped. We want to be the best organization in baseball if we can, especially in the minor leagues. All winter we were doing something, there was always construction.

Speaking of the Yankees, what was your experience like with George Steinbrenner, an Ohio product who was very influential in the Clippers’ organization?

He is a great, great man. All you hear is the bad stuff about him, but he has built Ohio State’s marching band and many of their facilities. He has done so much for Ohio State University and Columbus that many people don’t even realize. Look at the stuff he has done in Tampa as well. He’s first class and ran the team in that manner. Everyone wants to pattern themselves after the Yankees.

Coming up in Part II, George talks about his experience with players who have passed through Columbus on their way to the Big Leagues.

Ask an Agent with Eitan the Intern

In this entry of “Eitan the Intern”, I interviewed sports agent Michael Bonanno of Oak Sports Management. Only 23 years old, Michael was recently featured as the cover story in Biz Magazine. I was able to catch up with Michael over email to ask him some questions about his profession.

Here is my Q&A interview with Michael:

What influenced you to become a sports agent?

MB: Business and personal relationships. I played professional baseball and always enjoyed the business side of it. I enjoy being around the game and enjoy seeing a client succeed and do well.

How were you able to become a sports agent?

MB: I was a law major while at Brevard College (FL), and when my playing career finished, through a mutual contact, I met the President of our company (Don Webster). We discussed starting the agency and why I believed it could be successful. Being a co-founder of a company with one of the top contract negotiators in the world is humbling. I try to learn as much from him as possible.

How do you decide when to sign a client?

MB: It varies, some perspective clients are referrals through current clients, while we approach others or they contact us. When we sign a client we want them to be as comfortable as possible about the decision. Ultimately if the agency wants the player, it is always his decision about what agency to join.

How often do you have to touch base with your clients? Do you tend to follow your clients on a day by day basis or do you tend to follow your clients weekly?

MB: Each client is different, I would say on average it is every 3-5 days though. Some prefer speaking daily, while others are biweekly or monthly. I leave it completely up to the player to dictate; they know I follow them daily and my phone is there day or night if they would like to talk.

What are the players looking for when they sign with you and Oak Sports Management?

MB: You are getting one of the top contract negotiators in North America, and an agency that prides ourselves on the integrity of our athletes and the game of baseball. We are committed to meeting the individual needs of our players, during and after their professional playing careers.

Does the prominence of agents such as Scott Boras or David Falk hamper the ability of smaller sports agencies to sign clients?

MB: It could, but I have found no affects of that. I respect those two individuals but am excited, in only one year, what we are accomplishing at Oak Sports. I believe what we offer as a company can compete with anybody.

How does becoming an agent for baseball players vary than becoming an agent for athletes in other sports?

MB: Each sport has different requirements to become a certified agent. Certain sports are a little bit more extensive then others. There will be a hockey division of Oak Sports Management, but I am strictly a baseball agent.

What do you consider the most gratifying and stressful aspects of your profession?

MB: As good as seeing a client hit a double, steal a base or strike a batter out is, the most gratifying for me is the personal and business side of baseball. Being able to negotiate a contract, get an endorsement deal or having them call me for advice is gratifying. In all honesty, I don’t stress much doing this job. It is very time consuming and isn’t easy but that’s what drives me and challenges me to become one of the best in this industry.

How do you maintain a contract for your client if he is either not performing well or not getting enough playing time so to speak?

MB: That is out of the agents hands and in complete control of the organization he is with. When speaking with the team you will know how they feel about him and if they’re in the team’s future plans. If a client is not getting playing time however and we believe he should be, we will contact the organization to get more information but it is a case by case basis.

What is the biggest challenge for a young player in the minors?

MB: The biggest challenge would be the competition and mental aspect of baseball. It’s not an easy job being a minor league baseball player, it is a full out grind. Between the hours you put in, travel, competition, struggle and personal life, you need to be strong mentally.

Thank you to Michael for allowing the time to do an interview with him given his very busy schedule. I am sure in a few years we will hear of him and his clients quite often.

That’s all for today’s post. Have a great July 4^th weekend.

-Eitan