Category: 2007 Spring Training Trip

Nick Swisher

3/21 Day: Got to Tempe Diablo Stadium early to see the Angels host the Diamondbacks. It was gonna be another scorcher with temps in the mid 90s, seemed hotter in the sun (which was where our seats were). Not much veggie fare, washed down some nachos with a couple of beers, heavily tipped at concession stand as tips were going to Shriners Hospital. Met a real estate agent from LA who said he’d set me up with tix right by the Dodger dugout if I ever came out to Chavez Ravine. Ran into Bernie, an Angels fan we sat by two years ago. Hard to tell who was whom as both teams wore red & white uniforms. The Halos had this one under control from the outset, besting the Snakes 8-3. Darren Oliver got a standing ovation when he entered the game, from DonS. Alberto Callaspo & Conor Jackson each had three hits for Arizona. The paramedics rushed to our section, when a foul ball hit off a little girl’s knee. Angels catcher Jose Molina was 3 for 3, including a bunt single & a stolen base. LA’s thirdsacker Chone Figgins suffered a broken finger.

3/21 Night: It was a real rush job getting to Surprise from Tempe in rush hour, with the KC night game starting at 6:05 PM. Grabbed a Rubio’s burrito just as Oakland DH Mike Piazza launched a first inning blast, putting the A’s up 1-0, which was an indication of things to come. In the 3rd inning Oakland hit back-to-back-to-back jacks, by Nick Swisher, Mark Ellis, & Dan Johnson on three consecutive pitches, all off Royals starter Brian Bannister. Adam Melhuse followed with a 1st pitch single, I said, “He should be farmed out for failing to hit a home run”. After three innings it was a TD apiece. The Royals left Joe Blanton off the hook in the 2nd, when Ryan Shealy was thrown out at third on a steal attempt & Angel Berroa was picked off first. My old White Sox buddy Ross Gload was 3 for 4, raising his spring average to .459, while future superstar Alex Gordon ripped two doubles in four times to the plate, lifting his average to .390. The A’s got to Cody Ross for two 9th inning runs, tagging him with the 11-10 loss. Surprise is the best park in Arizona, while Clearwater is the best in Florida.

March 7th was the last game of 2007 Spring Training in
the Sunshine State. This game was played between the
two host teams of all the games I’ve watched thus far,
the Blue Jays went 10 minutes south on US-19 from
Dunedin to Clearwater, where they met the Phillies, at
Bright House Field. Yesterday neither team had a home
game, so I went to Tampa Bay Downs. I bet on Tammi in
the 2nd race and My Philly in the 6th race, ended up
$160 to the good.

Got to Bright House Field about 12:15, saw Dallas
Green putting mustard on his hot dog, while I
purchased a lemonade, heard Robin Roberts was on hand,
but didn’t actually see him. It was a balmy 76
degrees, so I was able to watch the game in the shade,
from my favorite spot, behind home plate.

Brett Myers was wild, while Gustavo Chacin was on his
game, which resulted in a 2-0 Toronto lead, could’ve
been worse if Shane Victorino hadn’t made a nice catch
at the wall & gun down a runner at the plate on a
single passed Chase Utley. That lead went away when
Pat Burrell hit a majestic drive to leftfield that
just kept going, with Ryan Howard on base, and then
Wes Helms put the Phillies up with a solo shot.

It stayed 3-2 Philadelphia, until Jason Smith hit one
out in the top of the 8th to tie it at three. In the
bottom of the 10th Brennan King launched a three run,
walkoff homer, to end the game and my Florida
preseason baseball for 2007.

Getting off the elevator, I ran into a cute girl who
sells Phillie souvenirs. I used to see her all the
time when I’d come to Clearwater in years past to
watch the Phillies workout before the preseason games
began. It’s always good to see old friends,
especially pretty young blonde friends.

Did a couple of other cool things in Florida today, on
my way to breakfast I saw a couple of dolphins
swimming in brackish water outside my hotel room and
then saw Wild Hogs (highly recommend it, VERY FUNNY)
after baseball.

March 5th was my fifth of six Grapefruit games I’ll
attend this Spring. It was my 2nd trip to Dunedin in
the past three days, two days ago it was cold, rainy,
with a strong wind, today there was no rain, and this
time I was smart enough to watch the game from field
level, in the sun – MUCH better!

Big Country, Brad Eldred, opened the scoring for the
Buccos with a BIG FLY (his 3rd of the preseason) over
the leftfield wall. Vernon Wells knocked one out for
the Jays. But Eddie Garabito was the hitting star for
the Pirates, with a homer, two RBIs, & two runs
scored. Zach Duke looked very similar to what I saw
last year, masterful out of the windup, pitiful out of
the stretch. ISU’s own Jeremy Accardo struckout two
in one perfect inning for the Jays. The game ended in
an eight, eight tie.

The rest is covered by Maddox was the line always
spoken about the former Gold Glove Phillie
centerfielder. Garry threw out the first ball before
my 4th Grapefruit League game of the spring. Although
the temperature didn’t get much above 65 degrees, I
was in the sunshine and some of the 9,000 fans on hand
were almost better to look at than the ballgame.

The Yankees were in the HOUSE! They only brought five
players, Robinson Cano (who switched from #22 to #24,
in prep for a returning Rocket), Johnny Damon (a joke
from his Red Sox days says, looks like Jesus, throws
like Mary), Jason Giambi, Melky Cabrera, & Miguel
Cairo.

The Zealot wanted me to keep my eyes open for Illini
Grad Chris Basak. I called the Zealot when I saw
Chris playing 3B for the Bombers, while I was on the
phone, a grounder to third, resulted in a 5-3 routine
play. I yelled out, “I-L-L”, “I-N-I”! Basak got to
the plate three times, a hard grounder through the
leftside for an RBI single, a bases loaded liner that
died in centerfielder Chris Roberson’s glove after a
long run (that kid can FLY), and a bouncer to SS which
Basak busted down the line & was called out on a
bang-bang play. A Yankee fan said Basak lined a homer
to left Friday at Al Lang Field. GO CHRIS GO!!!

The starting pitchers were long gone when the final
was posted 10-5 Yankees. Cole Hammels looked solid
for the Phillies, but you could tell it was Spring
Training as Carl Pavano started for NY.

Day two in the Sunshine State saw me in at Brighthouse
Field where the Philadelphia Phillies opened their
61st consecutive years of Spring Training in
Clearwater, FL. 61 consecutive years is the 2nd most
for any MLB team at a town for spring training, can
you name the longest?

The Cleveland Indians were the visitors and even
brought fewer big leaguers than Boston brought to
Dunedin the day before. Jason Michaels, Casey Blake,
& Andy Marte were the only major leaguers to make the
trip.

A ball was fouled straight back, bounced off the back
wall behind the plate, rolled to a halt a few feet
from me, and the guy I was talking with picked up the
souvineer. A better souvineer was launched in the
opposite direction as Ryan Howard CONNECTED bombing
one 460 feet over the centerfield scoreboard. This
kid is gonna be good, MVP, and just signed for
$900,000. I think the Phillies should have signed him
for more money, not because they had to, but because
it is the right thing to do.

NickyV and I saw him on a baseball roadtrip a couple
of years back. Howard ripped a double in Cincinnati
and NickyV exclaimed, “WHO IS THAT!” NickyV was smart
enough to grab him for his APBA team the State Street
Sluggers, coincidence – the Sluggers made their 1st
playoff appearance in ten years after drafting Ryan.

I saw Ryan Howard on HBO’s Real Sports. Turns out
Howard’s mother controls his money and gives him an
allowance. Gumbel commented, “Howard is the only MVP
to get an allowance from his mother”. Howard’s mother
gives him a hard time when he goes over his minutes on
his cellphone.

All you Fantasy Leaguers out there, listen up, Shane
Victorino is going to have a breakout year, possibly
.330 with doubles & steals, batting between Rollins &
Utley, with Howard driving them in. Shane is a
HUSTLER, always giving 110%, he was halfway to 2nd,
before retreating and settling for a single, he’s fun
to watch!