Notes from Surprise - Shealy Swears, Apologizes

by Nighthawk at the Diner on Mar 25, 2009 11:54 AM EDT

I was at Surprise last nite for the A's game, and was delighted to see George Brett working in the batting cage with Mike Jacobs and Joguie. He had some crazy assed tool I'd never seen before, basically a bat with a ball mounted on it......then he'd have Jacobs swing with the bat/ball mount and try to hit a ball off a tee.....Brett was talking about how it helps with muscle memory and learning to square up the ball on the bat, etc....also mentioned that Robin Yount introduced him to the batt/ball thing, and Ortiz currently uses it. Anyway, Jacobs struggeld making good contact. So Brett stepped in and whack, whack, whack, it was just like 1980 all over again. My first time at ST, I couldn't recommend it more to baseball fans. Great atmosphere. Ryan Shealy was swearing in the batting cage (I'm guessing that happens a lot more without Rev Sweeney prowling the grounds like an assistant principal at a jr high sock hop) and John Buck half seriously scolded Shealy. "Ryan, check out this chain link fence. It has holes in it. The fans can hear you." Then he apologized to my wife and told the small group around the batting cage that they'd wash out Shealy's mouth with soap after the game. Greinke had a nice game, trouble locating his off speed stuff early, but he got on top of it and dominated the last 3 or 4 innings. A vile Snow had a line drive HR to center. And Bloomquist was always the first guy in/and off the field between innings.

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I was there too!

I was sittin in Section 115. This was my 6th game of the spring.

I thought that Zack got hit pretty hard in the 2nd. Then he retired 9 of the next 10 (if my memory is correct) which includes striking out 6 of 7 to finish his night. All of the scoring was done early so the game was pretty boring after Zack left the game. I usually stay the entire game, but I left in the middle of the 8th (gets a little cool in the desert at night!).

Willie Wilson and John Mayberry were there. They threw out the 1st pitches and signed autographs at a table on the concourse for a few innings. Willie still looks pretty athletic to me. Big John Mayberry….seems a little smaller than I remember. Of course, my memory of John was from when I was a little kid, and all adults seem like giants. Anyway, both were very nice.

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel! - Homer Simpson

by aHorseWithNoName on Mar 25, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

Willie was a tremendous athlete

More than once I have heard he could have been a very successful Division I football player had he chosen (I believe Maryland offered him a scholarship)

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Mar 25, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Doesn't surprise me

I seem to remember seeing a picture of him with catcher’s gear on. Was he a catcher when he was young? Do you (or does anyone) recall this? Maybe I’m mixing him up with someone else…

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel! - Homer Simpson

by aHorseWithNoName on Mar 25, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't know

I know Bo was a catcher at times in high school.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Mar 25, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

weird and intersting stuff

by Freneau on Mar 25, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions

Ryan, check out this chain link fence. It has holes in it.

Classic!

We always did feel the same, We just saw it from a different point of view, Tangled up in blue.
-Bob Dylan

by Royal Kingdom on Mar 25, 2009 2:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

yeah, that is an awesome line.

Everyone's recruits look better than ours.

by 306008 on Mar 26, 2009 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Facebooking that shizzle!

Listen to the MUSTN'Ts, child Listen to the DON'Ts Listen to the SHOULDN'Ts, The IMPOSSIBLEs, the WON'Ts Listen to the NEVER HAVEs Then listen close to me-- Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be --Shel Silverstein

by loyal2theroyals on Mar 29, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Ryan Shealy swears?

I want him cut. Character should count for something on this team!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Mar 25, 2009 3:00 PM EDT reply actions

That should be a new GRIT formula statistic

LAFEET/9

Lowest Accumulated Field Entrance/Exit Time Per 9 innings.

We need to start tracking and regressing this so that we can add a new factor to NYR’s GRIT formula.

The General Theory of Royaltivity

by kabrink on Mar 25, 2009 3:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

That definitely needs to become part of the equation

"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae

by Sweep_the_Leg on Mar 25, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting story Nighthawk.

I love the intimacy of that stadium. Easy access, free parking, friendly stadium personnel, proximity to the players.

by Steve Hovley on Mar 25, 2009 5:47 PM EDT reply actions

Great story

rec’d

Bringing you more-or-less replacement level analysis and commentary to Driveline Mechanics and elsewhere since sometime in 2008.

by Matt Klaassen on Mar 25, 2009 7:46 PM EDT reply actions

It was cool.....

I’d always heard how ST is more laid back, you get closer to the players, blah, blah, blah….but it was spot on. Just a great experience all the way round. Certainly cements your fanhood, thats for sure. Hell, I’d just as soon see GMDM dump/trade/DFA Buck and go with Olivo and Pena, but now I’m not so sure. Seems like Buck in particular was more loosey goosey and chit chatting with fans. Most of the other guys seemed like animals in a zoo…..they were used to the fan goose necking and didn’t react or interact much. Also cool to see Willie Wilson and John Mayberry. Season can’t start soon enough.

by Nighthawk at the Diner on Mar 25, 2009 10:56 PM EDT reply actions

I doubt the get rid of buck....

he’s seitzer’s project. I remember watching him a few years ago at MacNSeitz during the offseason. He flew in from whereever, rented a vehicle, drove to MNS with nothing but a bat and a change of clothes. Then hit for a few hours ( I watched the last hour) and gave his bat to Seitzer’s kid and flew back. Must be nice just to fly around the country to take BP.

Everyone's recruits look better than ours.

by 306008 on Mar 26, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions