Gardner WebLog

We’ve been shuttling back and forth between Modesto and San Jose for the last few days. So called commuter trips, they’re really brutal because you have to be at the field earlier, to catch the bus, but you don’t actually get to the field until later, and you’re all rushed to get work in before BP. It’s really quite stressful. Haha.

 Today it was our manger’s birthday so we sang happy birthday to him in the clubhouse before BP. It was slightly weird, and horribly off-key, but in the end a good team-building moment for the club. The best was watching the Latin players sing—they knew the tune of the song, as well as what the words sounded like, but had no idea what the words were or what they meant. Our manager’s wife also made us all brownies, and the bullpen catcher’s mom brought cupcakes, which added to the ‘tee-ball’ feel of the day.

The promotion tonight at the stadium in Modesto was one I hadn’t seen yet: speed dating. As fans trickled in before the game, those interested in finding their soulmate at a minor league baseball game were instructed to “register for the speed dating session, scheduled to begin around the 4th inning at the picnic area out by the bullpen.” We watched as nervous, awkward people filed into the picnic area, and tried their hardest to find the one and only among the (I’m assuming here) slim pickings in Modesto, California. Unfortunately, several of my distinguished bullpen colleagues added a few choice phrases of ‘encouragement’ if it looked as though two people enjoyed each others’ company enough to leave together. I thought it was a good idea to get people out to the park, anyway.

We also had another great surf morning out at Santa Cruz the other day. I taught my new roommate to surf, which was fun. He’s lived in Denver since he was young, so he was thrilled to master the most sacred of California traditions. Aside from a slight confrontation with an older local surfer, things went well, and my roommate stood up a couple times. The best part of surfing is pulling into the players’ parking lot at the stadium with a longboard hanging out the back of the truck, and rinsing your wetsuit off in the clubhouse showers! Everyone understands that it’s all part of a highly engineered training regimen for relief pitchers. Watching the waves (stress relief), combined with paddling around in cold water (shoulder and upper back workout), and exposure to the sun (Vitamin E), make up what some say is the best way to prepare for a relief appearance.

Keeping things light out here is a good way to cope/process a less-than-ideal statistical season…professional baseball still involves getting paid to play a kid’s game.