How 'bout a report from the minor leaguers in fall instrux? I'd love to hear about their experiences. How many HSBBW "kids" are playing? Let's hear some reports moms and dads!

Ok, since you asked.

DK on the mend, in control and velo back up to normal.

Tomorrow he is pitching and has asked us to come watch. Please pray for NO RAIN as predicted.

One more week.

Are there both Arizona and Florida leagues? I assume the young'uns are using their teams spring training sites?

TPM -- Good news about your son. I will pray for no rain. That would be a bummer if you didn't get to see him pitch! Is it a long way to drive to watch?
And pardon the ignorance -- "one more week"?

Yes, we haven't seen him pitch as a professional.

One more week for fall instruction then back to Clemson for football, workouts, conditioning and friends.

Fall instruction, like spring training, is done at team's training facilities.

So far, it's all 'as advertised', with every day starting early, D drills, BP & cage time, team drills, game, weights, meeting --- 10-12 hour days, Sundays off. He's loving it. Betwen his Ems and Storm teammates, he pretty much knows everybody there. Right now, he says it's not nearly as Boot Camp as some of the players who had been before said. (But they were pitchers and MI's )

Said they had a drill the other day called 14 Outs. They had to perfectly execute 14 outs in a row before they could stop. Apparently, it did not go well. "Perfectly" means all aspects as the club expects. For example, if you call a fly ball by saying "ball, ball, ball" --- start over. It must be "mine, mine, mine". Even with nobody on base, a fly ball to the OF had to be relayed back to the pitcher via 2B, or start over. Interesting discipline, get-everybody-on-the-same-page drill.

Is there a website or any stats anywhere for the Fall Instructional leagues? My son's HS teammate from last year is down in FL and we wanted to check out how he's doing.

Thanks!

no stats are posted...

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For the most part, Camps in Florida all broke last Friday, but the Phillies and Pirates play through tom'row in Clearwater/Bradenton. True, they practice and drill from 7AM 'til about 11;30, then lunch in the clubhouse and back on the field for games which usually start at 1PM. At 3;30 they do cardios (lots of running) and some weight training 'til about 5.

Most evenings, OffcrKID then heads over to MacDill and works until 11PM fueling C-17's and C135's that deliver "stuff" to various stations around the globe. He works a full day Sunday, when there is no baseball. Starting Monday, he goes back to full time with the AF, six days a week. We don't know yet if there will be any chance for him to get some time at Spring Training. He has Logistics Readiness School for 3 months starting in May.

There are 32 in Camp and we are told they are the 32 best in the Phillies MiLB system, with the exception of the 4 that got to go to Arizona Fall League and the 2 that went to Hawaii. It has been very rewarding for Karl, as he has gotten instruction and guidance/training from coaches and Front Office staff that he was not exposed to during Rookie Ball. Even with several higher draft picks in Camp, he ended up batting in the "4 hole" most of the time, and has hit very well.

He has expressed some loss in saying good bye to a lot of new friends who he may not see for some time... guys that will be going home until March, while he stays in the Tampa area. We were also just informed last week that there is a high likelihood in his profession in the AF, that he will be deployed to the sandbox in the next year.

They said it would be a roller coaster ride... it's not... it's a bungey jump.

Blue skies & calm seas,

cadDAD

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cadDad

Thanks for sharing the journey with us...I know you're proud...and so are we. Proud to have a young man with such skill, determination, dedication, and loyalty representing our country, whether in a baseball uniform on a diamond, and/or in an airforce uniform on foreign soil. We will continue to keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted.