Final Spring Training Report: Day 7

Well, it is finally over. Get on a plane in 3 hours. I am glad you put up with my daily ramblings.

• I arrived at Surprise stadium to get some interviews, but the Royals where giving out their 2012 minor league awards. For the Frank White award, Alex Gordon presented it.
• Talked to Davide Holtzman for a bit. The players in the WBC will fly back today and will play on Friday. Swanny the Dinosaur is flying back today also.
• I saw the impossible, Jason Kendall leaving the weight room.
• Jeff Francoeur walked right by me and I didn't get a nut tap. I feel so out of place.
• Yost says a starter needs 3 quality pitches to start and Ventura has them.
• Interviewed Dave Eiland about his Tommy John surgery and the advice he gave Duffy and Paulino. Full interview at a later date.
• A humming bird is flying in front of the Press Box. Hummingbirds weird me out a bit. I think it is their herky jerky flying.
• Culver's Frozen Custard for the media lunch. Enjoyed it walking over to the minor league fields.
• The low and high-A players were on the road. I got some extended video of Adam. Here are quick at bats from Christian Colon and Orlando Calixte.

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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ufix4GFMMJc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

• For a night cap, I watch a high school game of Yukon, OK vs Raymond S. Kellis, the host team. The main attraction was Yukon's Jon Denney. He is considered a 1st round talent and Keith Law has him as the #9 overall draft prospect. More on him later.
• One item I did like about the high school contest was the excitement and competitiveness of a game which mattered. Yukon pulled out the win by coming back from one down in the 7th. Jon Denney scored the winning run after just hitting a nice double.
• For the second time while in Arizona, the one and only Zack Greinke was behind buying tickets. This time I decided to talk to him and we had a pleasant conversation before the game about such subjects as the crappiness of Pitchf/x data and which players on the field would be the best prospect. Zack was liked how #3, Trace Turner, played if he was an underclassmen and his body could develop. He happens to be a senior.

Well, no more reporting from Arizona. Ten games in seven days and I loved every minute of it. I am now ready to go back to see my wife and kids. My house host decided to immortalized the trip's end with this picture. Note to self, quit falling asleep writing.