Twins 2017 Florida Instructional League in Jeopardy

[Bob Sacamento]

As many of you may know, we here in southwest Florida just got pounded by hurricane Irma. Luckily, I'm one of the 7% in my city with power (just got it back yesterday but still no internet) but there are over 400,000 people in the SWFL who still do not have power. There is no ice and gas is at a premium here. I contacted the Twins FO today concerning the upcoming roster and schedule and received this:

 

Unfortunately with Hurricane Irma hitting us we have had to delay instructs and at this time are trying to assess if we can even have them. We have not decided on anything yet except that we are unable at the time to fly players in so we know for sure they will be delayed at least until Monday.

[Han Joelo]

Better move it to Oregon. As long as the smoke has dissipated...

[clutterheart]

 

trying to assess if we can even have them.

 

Wow.  That would be a bummer for the kids who need it.  

 

Get Well Soon Florida!  (And not just so Twins prospects have an opportunity to become better ball players)

 

[Squirrel]

 

As many of you may know, we here in southwest Florida just got pounded by hurricane Irma. Luckily, I'm one of the 7% in my city with power (just got it back yesterday but still no internet) but there are over 400,000 people in the SWFL who still do not have power. There is no ice and gas is at a premium here. I contacted the Twins FO today concerning the upcoming roster and schedule and received this:
 

Thanks for the update ... on you as well as the Instructs. Keep us updated, if/when you can.

 

 

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Thanks for the update ... on you as well as the Instructs. Keep us updated, if/when you can.

Well I finally got my high speed internet back (100 mbps) last night, the 50 kbps off my cellular data is for the birds, hard to believe I once lived in a time of 14.4k and 28.8k internet with AOL.  Still my neighbors on the next block still have no power, water, etc but Ft. Myers around the stadium has power while the Red Sox park JetBlue and the surrounding community of Gateway never lost power the entire time.  From friends that I've talked to who work the Centurylink grounds there was minor damage to the park and backfields structure but the fields need alot of work to be played on anytime soon due to the nearly foot of rain we received during the hurricane.

[Mike Sixel]

Better move it to Oregon. As long as the smoke has dissipated...

The fires are slowly being contained, but the wind shifted yesterday, and Portland smells like smoke again. Should shift again very soon, and rain!

[Bob Sacamento]

 

The fires are slowly being contained, but the wind shifted yesterday, and Portland smells like smoke again. Should shift again very soon, and rain!

Yeah, just talked to my cousin who lives by Mount Tabor, says today will be the last "nice day" there so headed to the beach (that you can't get in bc it's too damn cold).  The rainy season is coming and apparently the area needs it.  Here luckily Hurricane Jose is send dry air this way as the last thing we need is more water, my de facto pond in the back acre is finally drying up.

 

 I'll be by the complex sometime this weekend to see the damage myself.

[biggentleben]

I quoted your report here in a story as Baseball America reported the cancelling of a few different instructionals, and I've had a question from a Braves writer about what was going on with Twins instructionals, so I figured others may be wondering the same. Your info is golden and was certainly cited!

[Bob Sacamento]

 

I quoted your report here in a story as Baseball America reported the cancelling of a few different instructionals, and I've had a question from a Braves writer about what was going on with Twins instructionals, so I figured others may be wondering the same. Your info is golden and was certainly cited!

Well we shall see as the Marlins/Cards cancelled their Instructs and Roger Dean Complex didn't get hit as hard as Centurylink Complex.  

 

According to the News Press the other day:

 

 

 

The Twins facility is expected to be up and running as planned for instructional league late next week.

 

Still as my FO contact said, they haven't even flown in the players and last year the players reported on Wednesday (Sept 14th) followed by intrasquad games the rest of the week before starting games against other organizations on Tuesday (Sept 20th).  This year the FIL starts the Sept 25th so players were likely to be in camp on Wednesday the 20th.  

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yeah, just talked to my cousin who lives by Mount Tabor, says today will be the last "nice day" there so headed to the beach (that you can't get in bc it's too damn cold).  The rainy season is coming and apparently the area needs it.  Here luckily Hurricane Jose is send dry air this way as the last thing we need is more water, my de facto pond in the back acre is finally drying up.

 

 I'll be by the complex sometime this weekend to see the damage myself.

 

You sound bitter! It's going to be lovely here, even if you can't go in the ocean, which admittedly is a bummer.

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins have cancelled their Instructional League.

[Thrylos]

 

The Twins have cancelled their Instructional League.

 

That's a bummer.  Of course they need opponents to play. 

 

Maybe it is time for thinking outside the box and use their brand spanking new facilities in the Dominican for instructs.  Unless, those were affected by the hurricanes...

[Squirrel]

 

That's a bummer.  Of course they need opponents to play. 

 

Maybe it is time for thinking outside the box and use their brand spanking new facilities in the Dominican for instructs.  Unless, those were affected by the hurricanes...

Ummm ... yeah ... hurricane Maria just passed by there, or is about to ... I think at a cat 4 or 5.

[Seth Stohs]

 

That's a bummer.  Of course they need opponents to play. 

 

Maybe it is time for thinking outside the box and use their brand spanking new facilities in the Dominican for instructs.  Unless, those were affected by the hurricanes...

 

Hurricane Maria is currently Category 5 (at least it was in a couple of hours ago), and it's going to hit Puerto Rico, and maybe the Dominican again. The logistics of getting those players to Ft. Myers isn't going to happen. 

[Bob Sacamento]

 

The Twins have cancelled their Instructional League.

Boo and there goes my last hurrah with the Twins before moving, still waiting to find out about Boston's Instructs but they'll be limited in teams as they play more than a 1/3 against the Twins.  Honestly, the Twins' complex doesn't look bad considering it took a Cat 3/4 hurricane.  Jetblue looks better and the community (Gateway) right next to them never lost power, one of the only areas in SWFL.

[Bob Sacamento]

The Twins and Fort Myers Miracle are putting together a relief shirt to help for Hurricane Irma relief efforts.  Believe it or not there are still thousands without power in the area.  Shirts are $20 plus 7.95 S&H.

 

https://www.milb.com/miracle/news/fort-myers-miracle-to-sell-hurricane-irma-relief-shirts-all-proceeds-go-to-relief-efforts/c-255041834

 

[Thrylos]

 

The Twins have cancelled their Instructional League.

 

As of today, only Instructional League games against other teams have been cancelled.  The Instructs will continue with intersquad games.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

As of today, only Instructional League games against other teams have been cancelled.  The Instructs will continue with intersquad games.

Um, I don't know where you got that from but no, there will be absolutely NO intrasquad games as there are only ten players in camp and one pitcher.  The players are in Ft. Myers until the 7th of October before the "strength and conditioning" (what Lepel and Eckstein called it) camp breaks for the winter.  Players in camp:

 

Group A:

Nick Gordon

Jermaine Palacios

Jaylin Davis

Tanner English

Akil Baddoo

 

Group B:

Brian Navarreto

Trey Cabbage

Travis Blankenhorn

Ben Rortvedt

Caleb Hamilton

 

The only pitcher in camp is Thomas Hackimer.  Coaches in camp are Joe Lepel, Rick Eckstein, Tommy Watkins, Sam Perlozzo, Toby Gardenhire, and Steve Singleton.  Today the players worked on bunting: sacrifice, drag, and push as well as fielding infield grounders.