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July 13, 2000
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[Full text]Life on the road not always roseyBy Tim Roe/Sports Editor Scott Stover is mad. Bo Dodson isn't exactly happy, either, but he bites his tongue and tries to calm down his coaching cohort. Stover, Dodson and the Solano Steelheads have just arrived at Motel 6 in Richland, Wash., after more than 13 hours on a bus. In less than four hours, they must get back on the bus and drive to Posse Stadium for a game against Tri-City. They're tired, they're hungry, they're dirty ... and they don't have enough hotel rooms. Dodson gives out all the available rooms, and Stover, pitching coach Gary Wilson and Dodson are among those still homeless. "We don't get rooms because the players are more important than we are," Dodson says emphatically. Stover argues to no avail. The manager and third-base coach eventually get a place to stay - these road snafus always seem to work out eventually - but the point hits home again. This is the minor leagues, and there are no hotel liaisons, valet parking or bellhops. In fact, the first few minutes after the sleepy Steelheads spill off the bus always seem to be a cross-your-fingers time. Dodson doles out the rooms, and players wait patiently - and sometimes impatiently - for their assignments. The Steelheads are supposed to have 15 rooms at Motel 6, the designated visitors quarters for the Tri-City Posse. The allotment gives bus driver Geno Collis a room to himself and puts two players in every other room. But only 12 rooms are available upon arrival - part of the problem is that the motel has the Steelheads arriving on June 31, which is something like the 12th of Never. "Unbelievable," Dodson says simply. Players and coaches are consoled (well, sort of) by the fact that it could be worse. When the team arrived in St. George, Utah, earlier this year, no rooms were ready. Odd men out, including coaches, go eat while motel staff scrambles to prepare more rooms. It's not a huge sacrifice, since most players are just as hungry as they are tired. It's just the principle of the thing. The mix-up never is fixed completely - Collis spends the first night rooming with trainer Warren Voyce. And three rookies - catcher Chris Stretch, infielder Jesse Krebs and relief pitcher Andrew Oksen - spend the entire trip in the same room. Oksen, who apparently can sleep anywhere, takes the floor, while Stretch and Krebs get their own beds. The rookies don't seem to mind. Perspective, after all, is everything. "It's not bad," says Stretch, who is with his first professional team after graduating last month from UC Davis. "I was playing last year in the (Iowa) summer leagues. That was four guys to a room. You had to share a bed with a dude. That was not cool." They spend most of the down time watching television. It's a weekend, so there's plenty of baseball - the major league variety - on the tube. It's also Fourth of July weekend, so there are plenty of movie marathons. "Star Wars" is on in several rooms. This Motel 6 has a small pool, but the temperature in the Tri-Cities hovers in the 70s with strong winds, so swimming isn't an option. Sleep is the main choice after the first day. Of course, a bed doesn't ensure a sound sleep. "I was just staring at the walls," Dodson said. "I slept good on the trip but I couldn't sleep in the bed. Maybe this baseball's catching up to me ... the mental game." Dodson has plenty of work to keep him busy all three days. In addition to hotel coordinator and resident peacemaker, he has to juggle lineups and try to keep 24 young men happy when there are only nine positions on the field. He also has to make sure everyone gets on the bus on time. Voyce also has a heavy workload. The trainer, who was a star on the 1990 Fairfield High School baseball team, spends his "down time" giving massages, taping ankles, and performing all kinds of physical therapy. He also can keep a secret. "Most of the guys don't want to talk about it too much," Voyce said of the clandestine work, most of which is done in his hotel room. Players would rather keep their aches and pains a secret, even the minor ones. All of them, ostensibly, want to sign on with affiliated teams, and prospective employers might balk at signing a player that is carrying around an inordinate number of ace bandages as well as a .300 batting average. "They want to get back in organized ball, so they don't really want people to know if they're getting worked on," Voyce said simply. Voyce also leads a small group that takes a trip to a local health club. The Steelheads get to work out for free, and they try to reciprocate when visiting teams come to Vacaville. Sean Murray, a reserve outfielder just off the disabled list, works out the hardest. Wilson works out in the morning, then leads a group in a Bible study in the afternoon. The text is II Corinthians 5, in which Paul talks about being ambassadors for Christ. The students - pitchers Jim Converse, Tim Scott and Oksen and second baseman Nate Vopata - share how they struggle trying to live Christ-like lives. Wilson leads the group in a closing prayer. The requests are simple - wisdom about the future, wisdom about finances and safety for loved ones left behind while the Steelheads are on the road. Of course, the telephone remains one of the biggest sources of comfort on the road. Most players have cellular phones, and girlfriends are at the top of the speed dial list. "You have to have a special lady, a special individual, to put up with that," admitted Darold Brown, a starting pitcher. At the same time, Brown has an understanding with his girlfriend. And his sentiments are shared by many of his teammates. "I'm married to baseball," he said. "I'm trying to fulfill my childhood dream, so right now that takes priority." And chasing the dream makes hotel mix-ups tolerable.
Players struggle to stretch $15 into daily mealsBy Tim Roe/Sports EditorThere's one sure way to make $15 stretch over three meals on the road. Eat two. If you're thinking of possible Christmas presents for Solano Steelheads baseball players, try gift certificates to local restaurants. Better yet, how about coupons for eateries in Pasco, Wash., St. George, Utah, or Yuma, Ariz.? Steelheads players get a $15 per diem during their Western Baseball League road trips. That's an average of just $5 per meal, which pretty much rules out everything on the up side of Carl's Jr. "You have to get pretty creative," pitching coach Gary Wilson said simply. Or you have to go hungry. Players sometimes forego breakfast, and lunch isn't really a hot item, either. Postgame meals are essential, though, and most players eat up the bulk of their allowances on dinner. "A lot of times you just have to use your own money," admits shortstop Jesse Zepeda, who pulls out a check card to pay for his meal at Red Robin in Richland, Wash., the most recent of the team's lengthy excursions. Red Robin is a luxury - six players who eat there one night pay more than $9 per meal, not counting tips. The Great Wall Chinese Buffet is popular, probably because it is located right next door to the Motel 6 where the Steelheads are staying. Across the street is Zip's hamburger-fish, a scary combination but well within the $5 range. "It actually isn't that bad," said infielder Jesse Krebs. Jack-in-the-Box is also popular - just across the Highway 395 overpass, it is the next closest eatery. Taco Bell and KFC are a little farther up the road, along with a mall that features a food court. Starting pitcher Darold Brown hitches a ride on the team bus to Country Buffet the third day of the trip. Breakfast costs $6.49, but Brown already pulled out his bank card the previous night. "I'm pitching tonight. I need the carbs," he says as he gets off the bus. But Brown's case is the exception. The cheaper sites are the most popular, on this and every trip. The $5 per meal average is more like $4.33 - each player owes a daily $2 "clubbie" due, which is paid to the clubhouse attendant of the host stadium. The fee covers uniform laundering, at least, but helps pay for postgame buffets that some teams provide. What you get for your money is anybody's guess in minor-league baseball. "Scottsdale is the best by far," said Steelheads' manager Bo Dodson of the postgame potpourri. "Scottsdale is basically a banquet after the game." Tri-City isn't. In fact, there is no postgame food at all. Peanut butter, jelly and bread are left in the visitors locker room before the game on the first and third days of the three-game series. The uniforms are washed, but it's the players who are steamed. The PB&J fare is shunned by most players, who are much more hungry than tired after the series finale. Unfortunately, the Steelheads don't get back on the bus until after 11 p.m., cutting the dining choices even further. Bus driver Geno Collis embarks on a windy trip through urban Pasco, but he isn't lost. He finds a Denny's. "I run out of money on this meal," says Darontaye Hollins, an outfielder. Most of the players are in the same boat, and some are even starting to borrow money. Whatever their financial states, the players load up - there are three stops on the 13-hour trip back to Vacaville, and two are at rest stops that have no food. Sometimes you have to skip a meal, particularly if the bus is still rolling along at 65 mph. The players don't mind. There's food - and maybe even a little money - back in Vacaville.
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