Article: Initial Thoughts From The Fort

[John Bonnes]

Not to be too harsh, but if you're reading this and have not made time to geek out at spring training, you might want to re-evaluate the path your life is following. I don't think I'm overstating this.

 

This is a red flag. This is an intervention. This is a cathartic episode. Do you want to know if you should be going to spring training? Here's the litmus test: do you read Twins Daily? If you do, then you should be going to spring training.It's everything you want it to be. It's warm. It's having both road and away games within driving distance, every day. It is peeks of minor leaguers and up close access to major leaguers. It is watching Byron Buxton glide into a triple and Tom Kelly feeding fungoes and encouragement to Kenny Vargas about ten yards away. It is new ballparks. It's hot dogs on the grill, and cold beer on a grass lawn overlooking left field. It is mist off the Gulf and dew on the grass. And all of these are only tastes; let me get you the main course.

 

It's an extra month of baseball at exactly the time at which you want an extra month of baseball. The human spirit needs baseball in March. (This truth is multiplied ten-fold for those who have experienced a Minnesota winter.) The spirit needs to unburden itself of the triple layer of fleece it is under and take flight. It needs to soak up a mixture of Vitamin D and Hope, more potent than anything Walter White could have cooked up. Spring training is fuel. It is depth. It is color.

 

It is Mecca, worthy of a pilgrimage, and if that's how you need to frame it in your mind to overcome the stasis in which you're imprisoned, then start pilgriming. If you can't make it in the next two weeks, use that time to start booking next year's trip. Get that PTO on the office calendar and start researching flights or condos or whatever. Don't be the 98% who read this and put it off. Here's why:

 

As you get older, you're going to start recognizing that life is shorter than you thought. And that's because it is. It certainly is for you. You're closer to your death than you have ever been and it's time you started taking that s*** seriously. Find a way to free yourself and get to spring training. This is why you are alive.

 

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In manager Paul Molitor's postgame talk today, there was understandably a lot of talk about Alex Meyer, who was demoted to the minor league camp this morning. The issue that is mentioned by detractors regarding Meyer is his age, as he's already 25 years old. Molitor was asked if Meyer's age raised any concerns. "Not for me," replied Molitor. "Sometimes different body types take a little longer to fix issues like that. He's got a lot of time to be really good."

 

The "body type" reference is likely in regard to Meyer's 6'9" frame. There was an interesting discussion in the forums in the story about Meyer's demotion where I wondered out loud if it takes taller pitches longer to gain a requisite level of consistency and control. So tonight I looked up Randy Johnson's career. Johnson didn't debut in the majors until he was .... 25 years old. His strikeout rate was rather pedestrian until he was 27. And he had a walk rate that was 6+ BB/9(!) in his 27 and 28-year-old seasons. He didn't really become the Big Unit until he was 29, at which point he had accumulated more than four years of service time.

 

That comparison can be looked at either way. On the one hand, it might show how big guys blossom late. Or it might show that pitchers who could be elite need to be able to work their craft and make adjustments in the majors. But at the very least, it seems to demonstrate that age might not be a big concern for large pitchers. In fact, it makes me question why we ever thought it was.

 

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An underrated aspect of any vacation: picking out the cheap sunglasses you're going to wear for the duration. Will you go for the Top Gun fighter, or Joel Goodson's Ray Bans, or maybe the sporty volleyball player wrap arounds? Who are you going to be this week? It's some of the best $20 you can spend on vacation.

 

The ones I picked were labeled "Player". Damn straight. #47YearOldDad

 

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I know you're waiting for the Hammond (now CenturyLink) Stadium beer report, so here goes:

 

Bud products rule the most taps, and they aren't even the real craft brews like Goose Island or Red Hook; it's mostly Shocktop and Longboard. But the Twins have done a nice job finding room for a wide variety of other beers if you look. First, Yuengling Lager is everywhere (one of the underrated aspects of Florida) and also their Black & Tan is in the stands behind first base. Across the aisle from it, you can find a Fat Tire kiosk, and the right field line has a similar kiosk with English import ales. Leinie's is easily found in a few places and I heard that Summit Pilsner is available, though I didn't find it. But if you really want to find some local craft brews go to the bar next to the right field foul pole, where you'll find Blue Point, Sweet Water and Jai Alai IPA all on tap.

 

Finally, I'd be remiss to not mention that a new stand down the right field foul line has beer milkshakes. They include three flavors and the Young's Double Chocolate Stout was recommended highly by a friend of Thrylos, so that is happening at some point this week, diet or no.

 

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[Squirrel]

I returned from The Fort last Sunday. It was my 15th ST in a row completed. Unfortunately, due to family obligations, I can't spend every day there, but I managed 2 games and 2 mornings of watching 'stuff.' Mostly what I tell everyone and anyone, ST is just one of those 'must dos' in life. Watching the former, current and someday come together in one place is something special.

 

Oh, and get the fried cheese curds to go with the beer!

[Seth Stohs]

Uh oh... another Alex Meyer/Randy Johnson comp....

[Shane Wahl]

Good article. I really like how you start out!

[glunn]

Great post John.  It covered a lot more than baseball.

[Wyorev]

John, this article, and the previous comments, make me grateful to be a part of the Twins Daily community.

thanks to everyone who shares their love of baseball and the Twins here on this site.

John, Enjoy the Florida sunshine.

The Wyoming winters haven't been as tough as Minnesota lately, but Florida still sounds prettty dang nice right now!

[Parker Hageman]

Thanks for the reminder to buy #CheapSunglasses.

[travis.aune]

John I don't tell you this enough but you are a masterful writer who makes the reader feel like they are bathing in the sun.  You are a credit to Twins Daily and I know your busy with the business part of the TD, but I think we all would agree we would love for you to write more as you are unique to everyone else that writes for you.  So again thanks for making me look up flights for March, 2016.

[Platoon]

As to the non baseball topics in the first part of the article, thank you. You touched on a very important point that everyone should consider far more often. Life is short. It's an old bromide that gets easily ignored, but if one used it when making decisions, ones life would invariably improve over time.

Enough of the philosophical, Randy Johnson at 6+ BB/9 at ages 27 and 28? Does anyone think the current Twins regime would allow that from a starter. They get apoplectic at the 4 level.

[stringer bell]

Great article John. Agree, agree, agree!

[Thrylos]

Good stuff and good to meet you John.   For me there is no Spring without Spring Training, so it has become an annual ritual for a while.

 

Summit Pilsner is available at the stand by the Twins' wives' autograph area and Extra Pale Ale at the RF "tiki" bar.  Another beer you got to mention is the Minnesota Red, available in many places, and is not that bad for a custom mass produced Red Ale.  With that sun, Miller Light and H2O (you can bring unopened water bottles in the park otherwise they charge $3.50, and you can refill from the cold water fountains behind the batter's eye) works for me the best

[Halsey Hall]

Welcome to Ft Myers, John.  Life doesn't get much better than this. 

 

I've been told they have 50 kinds of beer at the stadium.  I don't drink, much, but did try the beer shake last year and was surprised how good it was.  I'm an old dog, but learned a new trick. 

 

I've golfing friends down now so we spend time on the courses, but tomorrow will go over for the minor leagues, and Pudge is in town so try to track him down.

[John Bonnes]

Thanks everyone. The beer shake will need to wait until the middle of the week, unfortunately, but I'm really looking forward to it. And Thrylos, it was good to meet you and thanks for the Summit tips. I'm going to update the story with those. I was surprised I didn't see it, because I saw ads for it.

[ScrapTheNickname]

"Do you want to know if you should be going to spring training? Here's the litmus test: do you read Twins Daily? If you do, then you should be going to spring training."

 

COL.

 

(Chuckle out loud)

 

 

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

What exactly is a beer shake?

 

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

I've been wanting to make this trip for years now, and I can get a 1 bd condo out there for $99 for the week.  One of these days I need to do that.  Too bad my kid's spring break starts later this year.  If it was in March, it would be an easy decision.

[jimmer]

I will definitely be going to spring training next year. Unfortunately, it will likely be the Cactus league instead of the Grapefruit League, but should still be a blast.

[Thrylos]

 

what exactly is a beer shake

 

Think milk shake and sub milk with beer:

 

malt, flavor number 1, ice, flavored beer, shake machine.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Thrylos

[jimmer]

wouldn't the beer carbonation cause a problem?

[Paul Pleiss]

Is there anyone here who can compare/contrast the AZ and FL spring training experiences?

[eLee612]

 

I've been wanting to make this trip for years now, and I can get a 1 bd condo out there for $99 for the week.  One of these days I need to do that.  Too bad my kid's spring break starts later this year.  If it was in March, it would be an easy decision.

Where is this $99 condo that I should be staying in?!

[eLee612]

Your opening section honestly had me on the verge of starting the slow clap from here on the couch. Spring training encapsulates everything that I look forward to from September to March, and probably the only thing that keeps me alive during Minnesota's Jan/Feb months!! This is my first year going at the end of the month, and I will say it has been nice to have so much anticipation building up to the trip!!

 

Will you still be there this next week John? Anyone else coming this next week or there already? 

[Thrylos]

 

Is there anyone here who can compare/contrast the AZ and FL spring training experiences?

 

I see zero reason for a Twins' fan to go to AZ for ST.  And it is a pretty different experience at AZ because a. facilities are shared by 2 teams and b. you cannot get close to the prospects.  Yuck.

[jimmer]

 

I see zero reason for a Twins' fan to go to AZ for ST.  And it is a pretty different experience at AZ because a. facilities are shared by 2 teams and b. you cannot get close to the prospects.  Yuck.

As a huge Twins fan, I also have a NL team and that team, along with other teams and players I like, play in the Cactus league.  It's less expensive for me (in travel and lodging)to go to Arizona. Arizona is closer for me. My brother, who I'm going with like we've always wanted to, has no interest in going all the way to Florida to watch a team he has no interest in.

 

There are reasons.

[jimmer]

Speaking of tall pitchers and how long it takes them to hone their craft, how tall was Jon Rauch? Maybe we should also consider comparing Meyer to him? Or maybe Chris Young? How about Eric Hillman?

 

Maybe there's a reason we've seen so very few (like one) or so) really successful really tall starting pitchers.  

Edited March 22, 2015 by jimmer

[Halsey Hall]

 

Where is this $99 condo that I should be staying in?!

I would like to know that myself!

[ashbury]

 

Where is this $99 condo that I should be staying in?!

Lehigh Acres.

[Thrylos]

 

Lehigh Acres.

 

bet you can do better by the City of Palms

[Steven Buhr]

Great article John. They had the beer shakes last spring, too, so Im looking forward to renewing that acquaintance. Hope to see you around the facility this week.