Meet the Snappers Night 2012
My wife, two boys and I went to the event last night. Great to see Nelson Prada there! The Skippper looked good and had Tommy Watkins to keep him entertained and shaking his head most of the night I am sure. Madison Boer told us he is starting tomorrow night for the opener. We all got to meet and greet the guys and they all seemed very excited to be this close to the start of the season. I cannot not emphasize how well these players interacted with the kids getting autographs, Clinton Dempster and Bart Carter in particular were very interactive with our two guys. Gary Lucas also made our youngest boys night when he said that some day he might be a Snapper. Awesome!
All the pitchers were kind of grouped together except for Tim Shibuya who was exiled to the end of the table with the Manager, he seemed a bit surprised that he was dropped in the middle of all the position players. Some guys are returning to Beloit to start another season and I am sure are hoping to move up to at least Fort Meyers. Chatted with Ryan O'Rouke about a game we saw him baffle a team for about 4 innings and then labor a bit in the next two. He said that was his MO last year. AJ Petterson will need to make sure the DVR is recording on Thursday night for the NCAA Hockey game. Nice to see a Gopher back with Snappers, my uncle played on the Gophers teams in 1956 and 1960 so I have a family connection to the program that goes beyond the normal Minnesota roots.
Wang-Wei Lin was bigger then I expected, don't know why just thought of him as more of a Revere type. But on the subject of Big you have to mention Miguel Sano who was signing autographs and rocking a great ballon hat! He is not Matt LeCroy or John Kruk or Loek Van Mil big, but a young man with a mature atheltic build. You don't see many teenagers who physically imposing and solid like him. At least no one outside a major college football program playing linebacker.
I cannot wait to see him with a bat in his hand, considering I will be behind the screen and not at 3rd base anymore that is just fine. This guy should be one scary dude when he fills out. (I am half joking on that, the thought of him bigger is hard to comprehend and at the same time is totally possible as he is still yet to turn 20.) A lot can happen between Beloit and Target Field, but first impression of Sano has me optimistic for his future.
Events like this one is one of the reasons I love minor league baseball and this is an evening we all love to get too. Nice crowd last night and thanks to the Front Office staff for putting it on. Only in the Minor leagues do you the whole team (High Prospects, free agents and late draft choices) and field staff, fans, and front office all sitting around a high school cafeteria eating hot dogs and beans and talking baseball.
It is now 30 hours before the coals hit the grill in the Telfar Park Lot, have the Brats, Dogs and Stadium Sauce ready. Bringing some Potosi Root Beer in a Growler, alcholol is not ok in the lot, and going to prep a dutch oven for dessert. Baseball is next!
Does anyone out there get to the Miracle, Rock Cats or Red Wings events of this type?
