Berardino: Twins Focus on Nutrition

[Seth Stohs]

Mike Berardino spent several days in Cedar Rapids this week. He was able to watch a few Kernels games and talk to some of the players. One story was on the nutrition throughout the Twins system, but specifically as it is seen in Cedar Rapids.

 

http://www.twincities.com/2017/05/26/nutrition-being-emphasized-throughout-minnesota-twins-system/

 

 

From the big-league clubhouse on down, sodas have been replaced by organic juices and whole milk, pizza and burgers have given way to grilled chicken and baked fish. Even with A-ballers like the Kernels still limited to road per diems of just $25, hot catered postgame meals are now served both at home and on the road, thanks to a new agreement with Sodexo USA and nearby Coe College.

 

Manager Tommy Watkins said it was a little different than during the days he played...

 

 

“Man, we used to eat concession stand food, especially when we were in E-town,” said Watkins, whose 12-year playing career from 1998-2009 took him through rookie-level Elizabethton, Tenn. “We used to go to the concession stand a lot, but you don’t see that much anymore. At 4:30 every afternoon, the food will be here, and it’s all good stuff.”

 

Note... in the press dining areas in both Ft. Myers and Target Field, there is no more pop either... the options are quite healthy... which is good. 

 

[Blake]

Don't get me started on pop. Probably the single most unhealthy thing in the American diet today.

[Craig Arko]

 

Don't get me started on pop. Probably the single most unhealthy thing in the American diet today.

And a poor substitute for beer.

[Mike Sixel]

This is awesome. Great move

[Brock Beauchamp]

It fascinated me that it took so long for teams to reach this obvious and badly needed conclusion.

 

You've invested $3m in a 16 year old player from Latin America. He barely speaks English, is away from his family, and doesn't have a clue how to operate as an adult, much less an adult in American society.

 

So, yeah, that kid is going to eat at McDonald's every day because of course he is.

[Doomtints]

Hm. So under Ryan, the clubhouses were full of sodas and Twinkies? I'm not sure I buy it. The Twins have nutritionists on staff, right? Seems truly surprising that junk food became less accessible just this year. I'm betting the clubhouses last year were mostly full of protein shakes, protein bars, and gatorade, just like this year.

 

Sugar is important in youth for brain and nervous system development, which is why children crave it so much. But for adults sugar over a very small amount is poison, and children get too much of it as it is.

 

On another note, it's worth studying if a short-term, high-sugar diet might help concussion victims. Athletes these days stay away from sugar and have high protein diets, which may be the opposite of what the brain needs to recover from a concussion. Compounding the problem is concussion symptoms can become permanent or semi-permanent if not treated the right way early on.

[Craig Arko]

 

Hm. So under Ryan, the clubhouses were full of sodas and Twinkies? I'm not sure I buy it. The Twins have nutritionists on staff, right? Seems truly surprising that junk food became less accessible just this year. I'm betting the clubhouses last year were mostly full of protein shakes, protein bars, and gatorade, just like this year.

 

Sugar is important in youth for brain and nervous system development, which is why children crave it so much. But for adults sugar over a very small amount is poison, and children get too much of it as it is.

 

On another note, it's worth studying if a short-term, high-sugar diet might help concussion victims. Athletes these days stay away from sugar and have high protein diets, which may be the opposite of what the brain needs to recover from a concussion. Compounding the problem is concussion symptoms can become permanent or semi-permanent if not treated the right way early on.

Fund a grant.

[Willihammer]

 

“There are still teams that travel in here with peanut butter and jelly and are old-school. I would say about half of the (16) Midwest League teams do that

I bet I can guess one of them!

 

Hint: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/white-sox-prospect-yoan-moncada-twinkies-85-225-love-mlb-food-yum

[Thrylos]

 

 

 

On another note, it's worth studying if a short-term, high-sugar diet might help concussion victims. Athletes these days stay away from sugar and have high protein diets, which may be the opposite of what the brain needs to recover from a concussion. Compounding the problem is concussion symptoms can become permanent or semi-permanent if not treated the right way early on.

 

Here.  From FDA.

[Doomtints]

 

Here.  From FDA.

 

Yeah, that's an article warning about snake-oil supplements and vitamins making claims that were never tested. Good advice from the FDA.

 

This does not mean we should not do a study.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

It fascinated me that it took so long for teams to reach this obvious and badly needed conclusion.

 

You've invested $3m in a 16 year old player from Latin America. He barely speaks English, is away from his family, and doesn't have a clue how to operate as an adult, much less an adult in American society.

 

So, yeah, that kid is going to eat at McDonald's every day because of course he is.

 

It's even worse for the guys who didn't get the nice bonus.  I'm glad to see some effort here. I would think this would be in the team's best interest to do it.

[drjim]

This always struck me as an obvious and cost effective way to improve development on the margins.

 

Good to see an improvement here.

[jharaldson]

 

Hm. So under Ryan, the clubhouses were full of sodas and Twinkies? I'm not sure I buy it. The Twins have nutritionists on staff, right? Seems truly surprising that junk food became less accessible just this year. I'm betting the clubhouses last year were mostly full of protein shakes, protein bars, and gatorade, just like this year.

 

Just as a FYI, the article clearly mentions that this is an ongoing effort for many years to make this happen and at no point in the article or in Seth's piece was it mentioned that this was a Falvey/Levine thing.

 

 

The Twins have worked to improve the nutrition of their 175 or so minor leaguers for the past several years. The opening of the year-round academy at the team’s spring complex in early 2015 greatly improved eating habits for players at Class A Fort Myers and on the Gulf Coast League Twins.

 

[nicksaviking]

This is fantastic, and I hope there are some statistical payoffs due to the better fitness and added energy.

 

If not, curtailing poor eating habits of young men is a fine result on it's own.

 

But I am a bit puzzled. These guys get a per diem, is that per diem going towards the road catered meals? As in they give the players an extra $25 per day on the road in their paycheck but then take it back because they are providing the food? 

 

Or is the catered food gratis and they still get a per diem to use at their discretion?

[Willihammer]

I was kinda curious about that too. Maybe only the 4:30 dinner is catered and they get to fend for themselves for breakfast / lunch?

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

This is fantastic, and I hope there are some statistical payoffs due to the better fitness and added energy.

 

If not, curtailing poor eating habits of young men is a fine result on it's own.

 

But I am a bit puzzled. These guys get a per diem, is that per diem going towards the road catered meals? As in they give the players an extra $25 per day on the road in their paycheck but then take it back because they are providing the food? 

 

Or is the catered food gratis and they still get a per diem to use at their discretion?

 

Catered meals are for the game... that's one meal.  Still need the others. 

 

and $25/day is ridiculously low for per deim I might add too. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Catered meals are for the game... that's one meal. Still need the others.

 

and $25/day is ridiculously low for per deim I might add too.

yup, especially when traveling you rarely have the ability to prepare and store groceries.

 

Shelf stable ready to eat junk and fast food are all you could afford if you didn't get the big signing bonus

[spinowner]

Torii Hunter was always very conscientious about his diet, which may have been a factor in his being able to play until he was 40. Kent Hrbek? No so much.

[Blake]

 

And a poor substitute for beer.

Beer is probably health food compared to pop.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

It fascinated me that it took so long for teams to reach this obvious and badly needed conclusion.

 

You've invested $3m in a 16 year old player from Latin America. He barely speaks English, is away from his family, and doesn't have a clue how to operate as an adult, much less an adult in American society.

 

So, yeah, that kid is going to eat at McDonald's every day because of course he is.

When Buxton first showed up to Ft. Myers for GCL, he would get McDonalds nearly every breakfast and have a Kickstart energy drink to start the day, so it's not just the Latin kids.

 

[Thrylos]

 

Catered meals are for the game... that's one meal.  Still need the others. 

 

and $25/day is ridiculously low for per deim I might add too. 

 

If they get dinner at the ballpark, $25 can go far even on the road on healthy food.  Most hotel rooms have refrigerators.  A large tub of plain greek yogurt is about $5.  You can get bananas, apples and/or oranges for free in most hotels or for about a quarter a piece.  A tub of unsalted almonds is about $3.  That's $10 for 3 healthy breakfasts of yogurt, nut and fruit.  

 

For lunch in certain omnipresent fast food places, like Smashburger or Subway (or even in local diners) one can get huge salads with grilled chicken breast or other healthy protein for $5-7.    Other than dinner you are looking at $10 a day for good healthy food.

 

Not enough for Lattes and scones or booze or sushi fer sure     But they don't need that.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

When Buxton first showed up to Ft. Myers for GCL, he would get McDonalds nearly every breakfast and have a Kickstart energy drink to start the day, so it's not just the Latin kids.

Oh, absolutely not, and I didn't mean to imply it was only the Latin kids.

 

But the Latin kids are at an even larger disadvantage than the American kids, who at least speak the language natively and grew up in American culture.