Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
February 25, 2002

Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

A Day With The Brewers
February 23, 2002

The Chicago Cubs' spring training practice sessions are observed by hundreds of fans each day, many dressed in Cubs shirts and uniform jerseys. Spectators typically arrive at Fitch Park in Mesa, Arizona more than an hour before the scheduled starting time and stand up against the fences, waiting for their beloved Cubbies to take the field.

Not far away, in the Papago Park area along the Phoenix / Scottsdale border, an equally large crowd meander around the spacious complex owned by the Oakland A's. The star players are mobbed by dozens of autograph collectors at the completion of workouts each day.

Brewers spring training instructor Cecil Cooper watches Richie Sexson in BP

But on the west side of Phoenix in the lower-class, blue collar neighborhood of Maryvale, the Cubs' NL Central Division rival Milwaukee Brewers practice in relative anonymity at their five-year-old training complex adjacent to Maryvale Stadium. The scene at the Brewers' camp is a reminder of the days before spring training became a destination for vacationers, when far fewer fans traveled to Arizona or Florida to watch their favorite teams.

It's a beautiful Saturday morning in the Arizona Sonoran desert, with the sun breaking through intermittent clouds to warm the mid-morning air. Temperatures are already pushing towards 70 degrees, and there's no need for a jacket even at this early hour. Today is the only Saturday full-squad workout for the Brewers prior to the beginning of the spring training games; it's the kind of day you would expect fans to be flocking to watch major league players work out in a very informal and cozy setting. The Maryvale complex has few gates and fences, so fans can get right up on the action. Players pass through the common areas when changing fields during the practice sessions. For these reasons, this complex is one of the most "fan friendly" facilities in all of Major League Baseball.

Reliever Chad Fox warms up in the bullpen prior to throwing batting practice

The Maryvale facility contains four full fields and a couple of half fields, all impeccably groomed, surrounding two bullpen areas and a large maze of batting cages. In the middle of the complex is an observation tower, reserved strictly for team personnel but rarely used. Each of the four full fields is named after a Brewer great from the past ... Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor and Don Sutton.

It's 9:50 A.M. when the Brewers' players and coaches cross the parking lot from the stadium clubhouse. A lone autograph hound waits at the gate of the practice complex. The entire team gathers on the main field, the one named after Yount, for stretching exercises. There are five fans present, none wearing anything with the Brewer insignia.

The atmosphere here is reminiscent of a high school practice rather than a formal workout for a major league team. One feels that volunteers to shag flies would not be turned down.

The Brewers end their stretching exercises by 10:30. The same five fans have been watching the entire time. As the team splits into the individual fields, another six spectators saunter into the complex.

Infielder Ronnie Belliard takes ground balls during infield practice

The infielders and outfielders remain on Yount Field for grounders and fly balls. The pitchers head over to Molitor Field to limber their arms with long tosses, while the catchers go to Fingers Field to prepare for their first drills.

One lone pitcher, top prospect Nick Neugebauer, who is working back into shape after a relapse from his shoulder surgery last September, plays long toss with one of the trainers on another field.

At 10:45, the catchers start a drill in which they practice retrieving passed balls. Each catcher takes his turn sprawling into the dirt behind home plate after the ball, raising clouds of dust. The pitchers split off onto Sutton and Molitor Fields, working on fielding and pickoff drills. The fan count is now up to about 20.

The entire team re-assembles at 11:05 on Yount Field for situational fielding drills. The position players take their place in the field, while the pitchers line up along the third base line, each waiting to take their turn on the mound. Coach Jerry Royster calls out a situation ... "Double, possible triple, into the right field corner, nobody out, runner on first" ... then throws the ball down the right field line. The fielders move into their appropriate positions as the right fielder goes after the ball and throws it into the relay man. As the play is completed, the next pitcher in line takes the mound, ready to back up the appropriate base after Royster puts the ball into play. This drill goes on for 15 minutes before the squad splits back into three groups.

Brewers' pitching coach Dave Stewart watches the action on the field

At 11:20, several pitchers and catchers head to the bullpen area to warm up for batting practice, while the hitters move on to one of three fields or to the batting cages.

By 11:45, batting practice is in full swing on Yount, Sutton and Molitor Fields. Groups of four hitters at a time take their turn in the batting cage. Today they're facing actual live pitching rather than a coach lobbing up BP watermelons. There's a lot of good-natured banter between and players and coaches as the hitters await their turn to hit.

Closer candidate Chad Fox is on the mound at Molitor Field when the right-hander is hit by a line drive off the bat of utility infielder Luis Lopez. Fox is taken off the field for observation. Knowing that it's not a serious injury to Fox, first baseman Richie Sexson jokes with Lopez that the latter is now in danger of being traded.

New pitching coach Dave Stewart, who left a front office job in Toronto after being passed over for the Blue Jays' open General Manager position, is constantly moving from field to field to monitor the progress of his pitchers. He's in good spirits and looks happy to be back in uniform. When asked how it feels to be back on the field, Stewart said, "It's just like getting out of bed in the morning, man."

Takahito Nomura completes a pitch during batting practice

The Brewers' latest import from Asia, Japanese left-handed Takahito Nomura, takes the mound on Yount Field right at 12 noon. The 5-7 Nomura, pitching from the stretch, shows a decent split finger fastball to the first batter in the cage, third baseman Tyler Houston. He's sneaky fast, throwing in the high 80s, and has an animated delivery. Nomura later throws a high fastball past veteran second baseman Eric Young.

By 12:30, most of the Brewers have finished their turns on the mound or at the plate, and a few at a time head back across the stadium parking lot to the clubhouse. Only a handful of players remain on the field. Most of the fans have also drifted away as lunch time approaches. There were never more than 50 fans at the complex throughout the practice.

And the lone autograph collector still holds his spot in the parking lot, more than two hours after his arrival at the Maryvale complex, the Cactus League's hidden treasure for baseball fans.

--- Bill Mitchell