Since this is our first I waited until I could get some info from reading and bits and pieces from son.
Pitchers and catchers reported on 3/3 for physicals and meetings. 3/4 position players reported for physicals and meetings. There was pretty much mass confusion the first few days with getting approximately 168 plyers settled in. By the end of the week, everyone was busy, pitchers taking grounders with team, workouts, throwing, bull pens and basically finding out who was in shape and who was how far in there throwing. Yesterday began milb games. Mine had been in camp a week earlier so he was a bit ahead of some of the pitchers coming into camp as far as his pens and pitch count. He threw to live hitters last weekend with an allowed 20 pitch count. Today he was allowed 30 in his first game but he did 2 innings in less than 30 so he was done for the day.

The players are divided into 5 squads, AAA, AA and three single A teams. Most of the games are played against the Marlins and that means no travel and the players REALLY like that. They also play the Dodgers and Mets and the low A and extended spring candidates play against Gildays Raiders and the World Free Agent Spring Training Club (WFAST) which is a 17 day spring camp for free agents that includes instruction from independent league coaches and those looking for pro contracts. I understand these teams travel the Florida st circuit yearly.

Day begins at 7-7:30 and usually ends at 5 maybe earlier if you do not have to throw. Mine has his transportation so he can leave about 10 minutes later and beat the bus to the field. 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week, no days off. Breakfast and lunch is served and players are alloted $15 a day for dinner. Breakfast for son is cereal, or eggs and fruit, but you can have what you want and lunch is a pretty hefty sandwich and of course all you can drink at anytime. My son eats something before he gets to camp when he gets up, then breakfast an hour later, then lunch, then a snack when he gets back to hotel and then dinner around 7-7:30, and then maybe a snack or protein shake depending on what he did that day. 3 balanced meals a day and 2-3 light in between snacks to keep the weight on that he put on during the off season. It's a battle with him to keep it on but he started about 4-5 pounds heavier on purpose. I am not sure if there is curfew but son is really tired end of day and into bed by 10 depending on what time he has to report to camp.
By end of the month everyone will have a pretty good idea of who goes where. AAA, AA, to low A Quad City, High A Jupiter, ss low A or back to rookie. Some will remain back in jupiter for extended spring training. Those include players on rehab and those who will play ss NYP. Cuts were made after the seaosn and the next cuts come after the 2008 draft. That's sad but that is a way of life. Some on the bubble know who they are and have to work really hard in spring to keep their spot.
He spent one day with the big league guys and now understands why everyone works their butts off to get an invite to MLB spring training. it's a little bit more laid back, not as rigid and less trying to win a spot on a higher level roster. Most of the MLB cuts have been made and most sent back to milb camp.

In the past sons team cut many players during and after spring training.... Not sure but I think the number was 50....

njbb is correct on when, and how many, get released, based on the experiences of our son and many of his friends. Perhaps there are differences in how organizations manage these issues. In general, though, the first few days in April are very bittersweet in the minor league camps.

Come April 1 or so, many will receive a message that is "just business." Tears will be everywhere from those who didn't make it and their friends who did.
Mothers/fathers and some babies will pack their worldly belongings and head elsewhere...on about 15 minutes notice.
If you happen to make it past that, but are in extended for other than an injury, you are playing for your baseball life every single day as possibly your last.
Then if you make it to June, whether you make it past that, depends on who is drafted and who is signed.
Finally, maybe the Cards are different, but, right now, there aren't many who have any idea where they are headed in April, and they are playing their butts off to get a spot, knowing 50 or so of them won't.

I remember talking to players who were in spring training so excited anticipating where they might be playing when the season started.
Only a week later they were released.

kind of like musical chairs, the longer you play the fewer the seats.

TPM is correct that the players are split into teams. Towards the end of spring training those teams will be resorted and then the last couple of days the final teams changes and cuts are made.
Curfew is 11 PM

nj and infield, is there any reason to interpret the current team assignment as an indication of how the organization regards a player? Of course, I understand that the guys coming off ML ST (nonrostered & the 'leftovers' on the 40 man roster) will be taking slots on the minor league teams.

It seems to me most players play up one level then shift down a level towards the end of spring training.
There are also players who will stay at their current level for the season.

As the MLB roster is reduced those players most likely move to AAA, some on the AAA will then move down and so on
players are also released.

I'm sure there are many things taken into consideration but this is what I've experienced

I should add that although it may appear to us that players are just moved around. Actually the organization puts a great deal of thought into their moves.
They have a plan, they are trying to develop players for the MLB and if they believe a player has the ability to play there they will put him in a situation that is best for his development.

Thanks, nj, that was my reading, but I wanted as much 'confirmation' as we parents can offer each other.

So....you're saying the VP of Player Development doesn't call Mommy and let her in on The Plan? Blast!

A friend of my son is in the A's organization and last year spent spring training playing A, AA and 3 or 4 games AAA. He ended up Kane Cty for the whole season.

Yes, just wanted to add that players in the minor league camps really look forward to just getting a taste of "Big Lg Camp". Its two totally different worlds as you have the Minor's which looks like a cattle herd out there with all the players switching fields in between drills. Then you have the Bigs were everything is much more relaxed and they are catered to. Mine has been lucky enough the past 2yrs that he has been in Big Lg camp and what a feeling it is. He is lucky enough that his agent was able to get him a comp car from a local dealer. Also at least 3/4 times a week you have all the equipment companies asking him if he needs anything. Then on top of that in the minors you get $15 a day for meals he is getting well over a thousand for the week. I am not trying to brag here but in the past 4yrs I have seen/experienced both sides of the minors/major camp and I hope everybody's son here gets to experience the same thing.

orlando, our experience has been similar to njbb on ST assignments.
Most clubs have 4 Milb teams in ST that range from from Low A to AAA. As players drop down from the MLB camp, and then when the final MLB roster is made and the other 15 or so on the 40 man come down, there can be major changes in the Milb assignments, some down one level, some down two levels, and some released. When those start to tumble, things get very anxious.
One thing for sure though, it isn't completely predictable.
In 2005, our son looked like he would be in extended, when the first rosters got posted on April 1.
That day he got a call up to a AAA game. Started and played the first 5.
Next day, same thing.
Each day he was notified by the AAA manager. On the second day, he went to the Yankees minor league fields in Tampa, started and got 3 AB's against Randy Johnson.
Next day he found out he did have an assignment out.
His teammates have told us the AAA coaching staff fought for him and used those games to convince others to change some plans.

The cardinals have 5 teams in milb in camp (AAA,AA, 3 teams in A calss) and more after camp, AAA,AA,3 single A teams, and 2 rookie teams (one in TN and one in Jupiter).
I did some reading on a site that the coaches and managers in the organization preferred not much movement in st, though not written in stone and not to presume anything, it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

Mine got notice today he will travel with the MLB team tomorrow. He looks forward to his extra $$ for the day. Regardless of whether he gets in or not he likes the experience and a good incentive to work very hard to get an invite come next spring.

.Raiders

I heard about the thousand per wk. Is that meal money for the week?

I think Big League guys get around $100/day meal money and the Minor Leaguers get $20/day when they are on the road once the season starts. Getting food at the minor league complex really helps the guys out and I think it would be really hard to make through Spring if they weren't getting food at the complex.

quote:

Originally posted by njbb:
.Raiders

I heard about the thousand per wk. Is that meal money for the week?

Not sure of the breakdown but yes Big Lg camp does pay well. You get paid more for living out meaning team doesn't put you up in hotel and there was also extra money for incidentals. They players have to pay the club attendants which I think was around $40 a day. Yes that is per week.

Just sitting here in Phoenix at Spring Training and taking in your notes....

Wondering about moving up and moving down.....

Initial assignment up a level at high A, and the phone just rang, that he is playing with AAA today, and now we have to go to that field instead of where we were originally headed in about an hour.

More later.

Bumped was the term he used.

And, I bet that means up or down.

It's a hoot out here, spring training and spring break at the same time.

Players do get bumped up when there is a need usually because of injury. Son played a couple AAA games his first spring training when they needed a ss for a couple games

How lucky you are to be out enjoying spring training!!

quote:

Originally posted by njbb:
Players do get bumped up when there is a need usually because of injury. Son played a couple AAA games his first spring training when they needed a ss for a couple games

How lucky you are to be out enjoying spring training!!

Well from what I see milb spring training is based upon the Big League needs also. If they need someone from AAA, AA etc., everyone else moves around. Mine was with the Big Leaguers today and has no clue where he will be tomorrow, he just shows up in the morning and they tell him where to go. I think they are expecting a lot innings this season so they are limiting his work, he's ok with that.

What a great day at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie watching the Cards take down Santana. What a beautiful facility and sold out crowd of approx 6400!

All teams do things differently, my son's bf met us with us today, he's a metsie. They get no meal money but 3 meals a day and meal money on weekends. His friend told us there may be a reason, he thinks due to many latin players, the organization wants to make sure they don't send meal money home or save it, they have to eat. They also are VERY strict with them with curfew as well. 10pm. Everyone manages their teams differently.

Players being Bumped in spring trainning:

Dwindling Numbers

Kansas City started spring training with the largest contingent of minor league players in camp with 167.

But those numbers are starting to dwindle as 12 players were let go over the last few days. Friday morning, several players, including one with tears in his eyes, were in the Kansas City clubhouse waiting to be processed out. With two weeks left in spring training, that number will grow considerably.