Clearwater update 2020

[Les229]

Tom

I tend to agree with you, but maybe he doesn't think slapping his girlfriend around is all that big a thing. Even beyond that, he wasn't having much of a year before he was suspended. Maybe the Phils need to get their heads out of the computer numbers and start looking at things like character.

[zambonir]

Oh I think Herrera is right to be confused. If he was really third or fourth on the depth chart he would at least be invited to major league spring training. He's actually 5th or 6th (after the two minor league invites who do get to be at major league spring training). There is almost nothing he can do to get back on the 40 or return to the majors in a Phillies uniform. Barring injuries he still gets traded or released eventually.

But the Phillies aren't allowed to release him on the basis of "character." It's against MLB rules.

I'm sure his agent understands the situation exactly, even if Herrera does not.

[Les229]

You are probably right. If I were him, I think I woukl just concentrate on getting back into shape to play where ever they send him. I think he should be more concerned about his drop off in play. 222 with one homer doesn't make him a viable candidate for the job anyway. Every year since his first, his batting average has diminished. I said this time last year that they should get what they could for him, but like their other diminishing regulars(Hernandez and Franco) their front office isn't sharp enough to make those decisions. They got nothing back for any of them.

[Les229]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Great day for baseball. Sunny and the temp was in the low 70’s. It eventually got up near 80. I got the work out fields about 9:30 and noticed that they had moved the souvenir trailer down to the practice fields. They were just finishing up the warm-up stretching drills when I got there. It looked like they had about 50 players out there. For an old timer like me, it is strange to see these stretching drills as opposed to jumping jacks and squat thrusts that we used to do back in the day when hitters didn’t wear helmets. Every now and then they go off on what looks like a ballet dance across the outfield. It is obvious that they are more interested in not tearing muscles than they are about strength. When they finished the warmups, they went into batting practice on 2 fields and after some delay the pitchers went into bullpen sessions. I still don’t have a lot of idea who is here. They still don’t have numbers, or names on their shirts and won’t until the 12th.

Some of the bystanders said that the guys who had bullpen sessions were JD Hammer, Zack Warren, Edgar Garcia, and Spence Howard. There were a couple of others that no one knew who they were. I didn’t recognize either of the catchers. They were doing 40 pitch sessions. I couldn’t get any answers about whether they were doing anything in the stadium. The attendant said only injured were in the stadium. That’s a long walk for a man with a cane on the hope someone might be there. I was told that the gates were not open. I did hear that McCutcheon and Gregorius were both here. I left about 11:30 and went to the Palm Pavilion for lunch.

The crowds in the practice area are starting to grow. The hotels on the beach are way ahead of last year in bookings. All indications are that this could be a much bigger Spring Training/ Spring Break. I won’t be able to go out to the park tomorrow, but will try to keep an eye on it from here on out. This much activity, this early is surprising. I have to wonder if the shortness of the actual spring training schedule is bringing this about. It seems that nearly every year the players report later and the ST games actually start earlier. I’m glad it’s happening, but is messing up some personal plans.

Sorry, I have another no no warning. Florida has just passed a law against using your telephone while driving. The cops are very intent on enforcing it. I am sure it carries a heavy fine.

[Les229]

RESTAURANTS 2020
One of the benefits of living in a tourist destination like Clearwater is that there are a lot of great restaurants and watering holes. They are constantly opening and closing. I’m a good bit more knowledgeable about restaurants and watering holes than I am hotels. I consider myself something of a restaurant hound (always looking for a new place) and have been eating out every day in this area for nearly 17 years. In addition, I have been known to have “discussions” in tiki bars on an occasion, or on many occasions. One of the things I have learned over the years is that restaurant and watering hole preferences have a lot to do with personal taste. I like to think my taste is impeccable, but I can accept the fact that everyone’s is not the same. Everyone doesn’t have the same taste, or enjoy the same atmosphere. The restaurants that I mention here are ones that I have eaten in and enjoyed their food and atmosphere. I tend to be a less than formal kind of guy. Putting on a buttoned shirt, long pants and shoes is what I consider formal and can be an evening killer. I enjoy watching people and prefer a less formal setting with a busy atmosphere.

I haven’t included any of the national chains because we all know what they are and most of them are here, but I don’t think that they are reflective of the community. In addition, I didn’t include directions to the restaurants because it would take up a book and we are all on the internet and you can find all of them easily on the computer maps.

FANCY PLACES
There are a lot of fancy places with a more formal atmosphere that are excellent. I still think that the best is the Salt Rock Grill on Indian Shores Island. I also like Island Way Grill on Island Estates, and Bon Appetite in Dunedin. They all have an excellent waterfront view with good outside dining areas, great service and the food is excellent. The Salt Rock Grill and Island Way Grill are owned by the same people and they have their own fishing fleet that goes out every day. I have also enjoyed dinner at the Beachcomber on Clearwater Beach. These places are going to be a little more expensive than the others. I recommend reservations at these places.

A restaurant that I have never eaten at, but is really nationally famous is over in Tampa. If you want a great steak and excellent atmosphere, and really don’t care how much it costs, Bern’s is the place. One interesting thing about this place is that they are also known for their deserts. When you enter they will take a reservation for your desert and you actually go to another room for the desert. I suggest you wear long pants and shoes. Reservations are definitely necessary.

Another upper end restaurant that is different is the Columbia Restaurant. They are a Florida Chain and there are 5, or 6 of them throughout the state. The one that I prefer in this area is on Gulf Blvd. in Sand Key. The cuisine is Cuban and upscale. They have a great view of the bay there.
FLORIBEAN
There are a ton of these places. It seems like I am discovering o new one every day. These are really the places I eat at the most. They feature things like fancy sandwiches with a Caribbean flavor and great seafood mixtures. Frenchy has 4 restaurants on Clearwater Beach and one in Dunedin. By far, Rockaway is the biggest tourist restaurant on the beach. It is located right on the beach and has a great view of the sunset. The Pub in Indian Shores has a nice deck to eat outside on and is a big favorite of boaters. They can tie up there and eat. I enjoy Gator’s on John’s Pass for an afternoon sandwich. You can sit there on the dock and watch the dolphins fish. They feature a heavy metal type music at night and the place can come a little unhinged.

MISC.
I find that I eat most often at Clear Sky on Clearwater Beach than anywhere else. I eat there at least once a week and often twice a week. The menu is more diverse than most of the smaller restaurants and it is all good. They have a second restaurant in Dunedin that has become a big favorite among locals and now they have just opened a third location in downtown Clearwater. I write a lot of my Clearwater Updates sitting in these three restaurants.
Another one of my most favorite places is the Café Alfresco on Main street in Dunedin and can recommend it for the whole family. If you like good sandwiches, I like to go to Rumbas on Gulf to Bay. I usually go there when the weather is good. They have a nice outdoors area and the inside is kind of small. My favorite Irish Pub is by far O’Keefe’s on FT. Harrison. The food is great and the menu is large. If you are here on St. Paddy’s day, it is a place to visit. There is a place in the Clearwater Marina that has a small menu, but the food is great. It is at the far end of the Marina and looks like a rundown shack, but the restaurant is all on warfs over the bay at the end of the marina. IT’s called the Bait House. If you come in off of a charter and get the charter crew to clean the fish, the Bait House will cook it for you. Anyone who tries this, I am interested in knowing how it came out.

A different kind of place is Ozona Blue in Ozona. They have a nice pool there and on a nice day you can swim and the servers will serve your meals and drinks poolside. Surrounded by yachts, It’s a little hard to find. It sits on the far side of the parking lot of the Ozona Marina.

MEXICAN
The area is not a strong hold of Mexican food, however it is improving. The restaurant that I like best is Los Mexicanos on Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach. You may not want to try it on a cold day, I don’t think they have any heat there. By the way, this is true of a lot of Florida establishments. A place I have enjoyed on Clearwater Beach is the Spotted Donkey, on the street side of the Hilton. Tequila’s on Cleveland St. has become popular for the downtown set. Their prices are reasonable.

ITALIAN

Cesare on Clearwater Beach is generally thought of as one of the best places in the area. I personally have never been there, they are only open at night as is Villa Gallace on Indian Rocks Beach. It is a favorite of several Phillie ball players. For a formal atmosphere, I prefer Alfano’s on FT. Harrison Road in Largo. A little less formal, I usually go to either Copogna’s Dugout, or Cristino’s. I really enjoy the pizza at Copogna’s.

BREAKFAST
There are a lot of places that do breakfast well. Most of the hotels do a breakfast buffet, but I like my eggs fried, over easy and those buffets feature scrambled. They are also more expensive. Lenny’s around the corner from the ballpark on the 19 service road is very popular and kind of down home. They call it a New Jersey diner whatever that is. You may have to wait there, especially on weekend mornings. Clear Sky is probably the most popular breakfast place on the beach. You may have to wait for a table. Their one in Dunedin is very popular and are known for their breakfast margaritas. There are diners on just about every corner and most are good. A couple of the “family restaurants that I personally prefer are the Venus Restaurant on West Bay Drive and the Home Plate in Dunedin.

DRINKING

I would be remiss if I did not mention the Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach. At least 5 times a week, I go to the beach and walk the length of it and back. It is two miles and usually takes me a good 40 minutes. When I am done, I am ready for a libation and retire to the ”Palm”. I spend two to three hours reading a good book and drink cokes, or discussing world shaking events while sitting along the rail. Oh, ok, I also evaluate bikinis. It is a top watering hole and they also have very good Floribean food. I think their Palm Burger is the best burger on the beach. They also hire two bands each day to provide live entertainment. What they really have is the best place to watch the sunset during happy hour. It is a complete unobstructed view.

A different kind of place is Jimmy’s Crow’s nest on top of the Pier 60 Hotel next to the Clearwater Marina. It is 8 floors up and has a great unobstructed view of Clearwater Bay. One note the wind can be in a hurry up there and a jacket might be wise. There are currently a slew of watering holes opening in the new hotels. They are mostly in the southern half of the island and I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet.

In addition, Clearwater is the home of the original Hooters restaurant. It is on Gulf to Bay on the East side of 19. I don’t care for their menu, but it is popular. There are others around the community. The college set usually gravitates towards Shepherd’s on Clearwater Beach. Boats come and anchor there. They often have things like wet T shirt and bikini contests there. Note: they also charge a cover charge to get in. The Brown Boxer has become very popular and has several locations. The one on Mandalay is the most popular.

This is just a short list. I am open to your favorites. Maybe you will find a new favorite for me. If you have a favorite place, feel free to jump in. Also, I will be happy to answer any questions, if I can.

[miker]

Thank you Les!

[zambonir]

The Columbia is good though I suspect the original location is the most grand and historic experience.

I really thought this might be the year I get there, but not looking like it.

[Les229]

I think the original Columbia is in the Miami area. There was one on the St. Pete Pier in the bay, but all of that is closed and they are rebuilding the pier. I don't think anything is open yet. I enjoyed the Columbia in St. Augustine. The old town and fort in St. Augustine is also a great place to visit.

[Les229]

Actually these early ones are now the easiest to write. They are pretty much stock and I just update them from year to year.

[zambonir]

It is in Ybor City. Started in a smaller space there in 1905.

[Les229]

Thanks, that's something I didn't know. I always assumed that it was a product of the Castro driven Cuban exodus. For many many generations, the Cubans lived in Ybor City and were the center of the cigar rolling industry. That's good to know

[Les229]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Stopped by the stadium again today. A great day for baseball. When I got there about 9:30 am the temperature was in the low 70’s and by the end of the day, it got up to 85. There were more players out on the field than the last time I was here. It’s hard to say how many there were because they were on all four fields and moving from field to field. Also, I have no idea what was going on inside the two indoor facilities. There are still no numbers and I have no idea who is here. I hope to get a roster on Wednesday. Once again, they had finished their stretching exercises and were long tossing when I got there. This is new. In all my 17 years of coming here, they had never begun the morning stretching workouts before 10:00 am and with Kapler it was 11:00 am. If they keep this up, it could make getting over to the beach for lunch easier.

The drills consisted of long tossing, fielding ground balls, and coaches soft toss batting practice. I think that what we are seeing in these early drills will not tell us anything about how a player will perform in competition. Most of it is done at have speed. As I said before, it is important that they work out the winter kinks and get in the rhythm, but not an indication of the future.

Spring training has grown shorter each year I have been here. There was a time when the drills part of spring training would have taken nearly the whole month of February. This year it will last just 10 days. Pitchers and Catchers report on the 12th and have 5 days to themselves. On the 17th the rest of the squad reports and just 5 days later the Phils travel to Lakeland for their first game. When I first got here, the first game was a college practice game at the end of the month. I realize that the players request for more days off during the season is causing it and nobody wants to move the post season any deeper into the fall, but this is getting to be tricky.

I have run across a helpful little pamphlet called the Florida Grapefruit League. It has a lot of little facts about attending the games, like what towns the teams are playing in, ticket prices and schedules. For instance, the most attended game last spring was the Phillies and Yankees St. Patrick’s day game when they drew 11,340. They stuffed them in a stadium that seats 7,700. If you are thinking of attending that game again this year, get your tickets early. The website for this brochure is www.FloridaGrapefruitLeague.com.

[Les229]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Pitchers’ and catchers’ report day and it was a great day for it. The temperature was in the mid 70’s when I got there at 9:30 and 84 when I left at 11:15. They were just finishing up the stretching when I got there. I am trying to get this thing timed. The parking lot was full and I had a difficult time finding a parking space. The cars mostly belong to players. Although I haven’t received a roster yet, I understand there will be 150 players in camp this year. That should be interesting to see how that works. Usually they invite about half that many. I was told that they are bringing in a lot of kids early.

This day, the players traditionally trickle out after they take care of business in the clubhouse. They have to get unis, lockers, pictures and maybe a quick physical. Actually, I’m not sure what all they do at the reporting, but it takes a while. The set up batting practice on 3 fields and long tossed on the fourth. I assume the long tossers were pitchers. Some started to run around the perimeters o the four fields. Some began throwing on the invisible mounds that the public can’t see.

Looking at this little booklet that I have, it says that the fan spending for spring training in Florida laswt year was $ 348,417,200 and it provided 7,152 jobs paying $253,799,400 in wages. Now you know why these towns keep accommodating these teams by building and upgrading facilities. The totals have increased by 61% in the last 9 years.

I could be early tomorrow. The guards and attendants seem to have very little useful information this year. They still can’t tell us what time the practice will start tomorrow.

[Les229]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020

I got to the fields at 10 am and the position players were doing their exercises. It was a great day for it. The temperature already had reach 76 and would eventually get up to the mid 80’s. I didn’t see any ML pitchers out. I suspect they were having a meeting. That is normal for the first day. There were some of what looked like minor league pitchers long tossing at the far end of the complex. The infielders did their stretching exercises and then broke into two groups and fielded grounders. You can’t miss Bohn, he is the biggest infielder out there.

The crowd was a good bit bigger today and the parking lot over flowed. The Phillies have their souvenir trailer going full speed in front of the Paul Owens building and the concession stand was up and running. Hot dogs are $5.00 and Polish Sausage is $8.00. For the most part, it was an older crowd, a lot of retirees.

The pitchers and catchers came out at 11 am. They had numbers and names on their backs!! Hallelujah!! On top of that, the attendants had rosters. They did their warm ups and then went into fielding drills. They divided up on 3 fields to keep the weight for a turn down to a minimum. The favorite is faking a windup and throw and the coach hitting the ball for them to field. They did that around the diamond. They finished up the session with Bowa and a coach I didn’t recognize explaining the fundamentals of bunting, but they didn’t do it. It was 12:15 and they went inside, maybe to eat.

The roster that they handed out showed 70 players on the roster. There were 40 pitchers, 5 catchers, 15 infielders and 10 outfielders. In addition, they have 36 coaches and instructors listed. The rumor is that they will have an additional 50 some non-roster invitees.

Today was a day to meet old friends. I met up with several people that sat in the section that I did and one who was an attendant at the ball park. It was good to run into them and talk about Mickey, Willie and the Duke.

[Les229]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

I got there right at 10 am. Another Chamber of Commerce day. 80 degrees and a little overcast. It eventually got up to 82. The pitchers were just finishing their loosening up exercises. I went through the metal detector right behind Ray Burris. He said that he had he had some pitchers that he was playing catch with. It was supposed to “toss and catch”, but some of them weren’t throwing straight and it became “toss and fetch”.

Only the pitchers were visibly doing drills. I asked the attendant if the position players were up in the stadium, but he said he didn’t know. The stadium wouldn’t be open to the fans until next week. The pitchers spent a good bit of time long tossing. Finishing the long toss, they began fielding comebackers and bunts and throwing imaginary runners out at the different bases. In turn, they fielded and threw to each of the bases. Next, they went into pitchers’ bunting drills. When the pitchers stopped bunting, they went in.

The session ended an hour earlier end than yesterday. It is possible they came back out later, but you can sit around all day for nothing in Spring Training. I left at 11:15 and headed for the beach, hoping to beat the traffic. I noticed, on my way, that the city has put up banners with the players’ picture on them all over the city. I decided to have lunch at the Palm Pavilion. I like their Palm Burgers. The beach was crowded, but the traffic was not too bad…..yet.

In looking at this pitching staff, it looks like the Phils are depending on several guys who let them down last year. Arano, Dominguez, Morgan, Robertson and Hunter is almost an entire bullpen. None of them were there come crunch time last year. To put the lion’s share of the eggs back into the same basket seems foolish, or short sighted. If they are still listing Pivetta and Velasquez as potential starting pitchers, they are just kidding themselves. They are still at least one starter short.

Random thoughts: I haven’t seen Hector Neris yet. Some of the guys wear a pullover over their unis and maybe that is why I haven’t recognized him… I also haven’t seen Girardi and Klentak out on the field. Again, you can’t see everything in this complex… Apparently Nola had a bullpen session yesterday, but it was on the invisible mounds that the fans can’t see… The word is that McCutcheon is not ready to play and may not be by the early spring training games… The Phils have no home night games this spring, but have 3 road night games…The Phils will play 32 games this spring.

[LoneStarPhan]

I read yesterday that Neris has the flu and was being kept away from the players in camp. They hope he is back by the weekend.

[bkeich]

The word is that McCutcheon is not ready to play and may not be by the early spring training games

Here we go. I fear we need an OF more than we realize, this sounds suspiciously like previous seasons when players coming off injury ended up not really being ready until the season started, got thrown into the lineup with little "warm up" time from the injury, and had terrible seasons.

If he isnt ready 15 games into Spring Training I am really going to start questioning the decision to count on him so thoroughly.

[zambonir]

If he isnt ready 15 games into Spring Training I am really going to start questioning the decision to count on him so thoroughly.

But that is how it works. You don't get to go out and sign another $10 million player if your $15 million player get hurt. Like last year, Jay Bruce would be the back-up LF and someone more marginal will take the bench spot. They were eventually able to add Dickerson on the cheap but that doesn't mean they should have signed him this time. Let alone a more expensive player.

If Cutch misses 2-4 weeks of even the regular season, so what? If it turns out to be much worse, well, insert profanity here. But that's also why you have Nick Williams and Roman Quinn, as well as the AAAA guys. Not ideal, but adding even more salary (or giving up guys in trade) wouldn't be either.

[rpmcmurphy]

A question. If Spencer Howard has a good spring training with the big club and appears to be adjusting to the new ball, etc. (big ifs, I know) why not let him be the 5th starter out of spring training? Or even go with a 6 man rotation, allowing Howard to start once a week? That way he could be limited to 140 innings or so, and still be a contributor late in the season.

I know that this is probably too much outside the box thinking. We are talking about the Phillies after all. But are there any real downsides to such a plan?

[zambonir]

I don't think spring training is a big enough test. You'd still want to give him more time. Not to mention there is no way they could start his service clock.

And yeah, his innings limit. 6 starters would mean fewer starts from Nola and Wheeler and carrying one fewer reliever too, which I doubt they want. It would make sense to have a 6-man rotation in AAA though, to keep his mileage lower there.