High Heels On The Field

'The Truth', A Fictional Tale of Minor League Baseball: Exclusive Excerpts

The Top Prospects:

The Southern Californian was the center of the clubhouse action until Greg Woodrow entered, emerging from the trainer’s room. The shift in attention was pronounced.

The nineteen-year-old big left-handed outfielder was the Nationals first round pick two years earlier, out of high school in Connecticut. He’d made his professional debut last season for Class-A Hagerstown to national fanfare. The power-hitter’s every move had been tracked since bashing home runs as a freshman. With his chiseled jaw and thick black hair, he looked like the old comic strip Superman."

Lauren Day, Back On The Beat

She’d switched papers from the rival Trenton Daily, when they sliced-and-diced the staff and issued extreme pay-cuts. The opportunity arose to take over the ‘Truth’s’ blog, which had previously been taken over by Dan Beller, after Brad Kelly left two years earlier to cover the Phillies for MLB.com. The editor didn’t think Dan was so hot at the blogosphere, firing him, then offering Lauren the job.

“You’re young and I like your snappy style,” the editor said. “Plus, we don’t have any women on the staff since the last one left.”

She hated his cocky smarminess, and gritted her teeth through ‘the last one’ comment, but the job was better pay and Truth had a higher readership. Selling her soul to a smarmy sports editor seemed inevitable at some point in her career.

Reality. Baseball.

A scout, talking about the infielder on his third stint at Trenton, sat beside her, and said to another scout, “Drafted as roster filler. The top guys need guys to play with.”

Lauren knew that, but it never sounded any less cruel to hear out loud. They can’t know when they’re drafted how true that is, or maybe they do and that’s what drives them. No matter who did what, even hugely talented guys on the Hunters were small in comparison. The only story that day, and looking ahead to the season, was how great a big league ballplayer Greg Woodrow would be.

Prowling

He entered the dugout alone, grabbing a plastic cup, and getting Gatorade out of the oversized pitcher on the bench. She could feel his watery blue eyes on her as he sipped from the cup.

“Hey, what are you doing after the game?” he asked casually, almost dopey.

“Not sure,” she said without looking at him. “I know what I’m not doing.” He pulled his head slightly back in surprise, which almost made her smile.

Girl On Deck

As she got close to the doorway, she heard shouting and laughing. Suddenly Taylor emerged, shaken and angry.

“What the hell?” Lauren said, looking toward the door and hearing their loud laughter and voices continue. It was a sound she’d gotten used to and learned to work around, without becoming overwhelmed.

“One of the players just said something gross to me. The team got a kick out of it,” Taylor said, staring down at her notes. “Horrible timing because they were all bare-assed. I just needed--“

The door opened and one of the players popped his head out.

Wearing

Looking tentative and uncomfortable in each of his four at-bats, he struck out looking twice and popped up in the infield twice. The last time, with clenched teeth, he sharply dropped his bat and yelled something. He left while the writers stood in the hall waiting to be allowed in the clubhouse. His dark expression was barely concealed by keeping his eyes on his phone.

The Job, The Truth

By November she figured it would be like it was every year: she’d want to be back again, her faith in humanity and baseball restored. She’d return to her job and be glad for it. Players weren’t the only ones that needed short memories.

Read 'The Truth' on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260792

Minor League Winter Notes: Yankees, Marlins, Mets Make and Consider Moves

Marlins - The business model that is the Marlins continues to prove it's "strategy", with the trade of Jose Reyes to the Blue Jays that blew the roof off baseball. The blockbuster trade also included Mark Buehrle, John Buck, Emilio Bonifacio, and Josh Johnson, in exchange for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Justin Nicolino, Jake Marisnick, Jeff Mathis, and Anthony DeSclafani. Going into 2013 they have an approximate $30 million payroll. Juan Pierre is their highest paid player, making $1.5M. The Marlins sell the team every few years, that's part of their business "strategy". But teams that have to make some tough decisions to survive, not compete, but really just survive the season and not be in the basement at the conclusion, often have a farm system that they can at least hang some hopes on. They can say to fans, 'Next year or two years from now, these guys will be ready.' Can the Marlins?

Receiving outfielder Jake Marisnick was no small thing. They needed a shot of talent. Marisnick is highly regarded defensively and at the plate, though the latter is still developing in the power department. Regardless, Marisnick is a spark in the dark. Add to that minor league acquisitions Nicolino and Anthony Desclafani. The Marlins system has slowly overhauled and continues to do so. Top talent like RHP Jose Fernandez and outfielder Christian Yelich are their biggest strengths, with Yelich widely considered the most promising.

But what does it mean, ultimately? The Marlins don't have a history of developing talent and making something of it. They've not drafted with the best success; there are a couple of exceptions- first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (2000), and pitcher Josh Beckett (1999) come to mind. Both developed into impact players and Beckett helped them to a World Series title in 2003.

Beyond that, the Marlins haven't helped themselves by promoting from within. Despite the swap with the Blue Jays bringing them solid young talent, that remains a major topic of discussion as the team plows ahead.

Perhaps the best Marlins prospects can hope for is to do their best, in order to be an important piece in a trade that gets them out of Miami. If they want to win, and be part of a cohesive unit that competes year after year, Miami is probably not where they want to be.

Mets - Zach Wheeler is not on the table. Hang up the phone...hang...hang it up.

Yankees - If you covered or follow the Yankees or their affiliates in the last five years, you've talked a lot about catching. A LOT. About catching. The Yankees selected well in that department, and have, so far, developed at least one of them into a possible big club option in 2013. That would be Austin Romine. The other, even more developed prospect was Jesus Montero, but he was traded to the sound of a lightning bold to the Mariners last year.

There's also JR Murphy, but he's still a couple of years away. The Yankees had Russell Martin behind the plate, after beloved Jorge Posada hung up his knee pads. Martin signed with the Pirates last week.

While Romine suffered development-slowing back-issues that kept him out for parts of the season, he made his major league debut in 2011 and ended 2012 on a high note, going to the AFL, and making the fall league All-Star Team. He's highly regarded for his defensive skills, making him more valuable to the team than Montero ever was.

But the just-concluded Winter Meetings brought chatter about A.J. Pierzynski possibly signing with the Yankees. While the White Sox were said to be still working things out with the 35-year-old, it was interesting that the Yankees were inquiring. The Yankees would obviously want to go with a veteran such as Pierzynski is in the everyday role, and keep Francisco Cervelli and Romine as options, or at least that's what makes the most sense. But if that signing doesn't pan out, they'll likely go with a Cervelli/Chris Stewart (yes, another!) platoon. Romine has a shot as backup, but needs more Triple-A time. And that makes even more sense. Or maybe it doesn't. And they get six more catchers via trade, FA and street auditions.