Minor league baseball teams like the San Jose Giants are used by the major league teams for rehabilitating injured big league players, particularly pitchers. As players come off the disabled list, they need to regain their skills by with game time playing at a lower level.

Proximity is a key advantage for the San Jose Giants. It’s much easier to bring a player back up by rotating them from the San Jose A club to Fresno AAA then to San Francisco, rather than flying them to the AA club in Connecticut. Both Russ Ortiz and Shawn Estes have pitched this season in San Jose on their way back to the majors. And being able to see these players in action, without the major league ticket prices, is a treat for minor league baseball fans!
Host Mom, Jean

It’s time for late season moves….Wayne got called to go to the Augusta Green Jackets in the South Atlantic League for the rest of the season. He’s a closing pitcher, so we didn’t get a chance to see him actually play. Then he had injured his shoulder, so hadn’t gotten much game time. This move will give him more game time and pitching, then he expects to move back to San Jose next season.

In typical baseball fashion, he found out during afternoon practice, and had to stay for the game that evening. Then he told us when he arrived back at the house about 10:30 in the evening. He had to leave the house 7 hours later to catch a flight with two stops to join the team on the road in Hagerstown, Maryland for the evening game. He grabbed the opportunity to wash his clothes, made arrangements to have his family pick up his car, and said good-bye! We wish him good luck….And this is why experienced ball players learn to travel light, and keep their belongings organized!
Host Mom, Jean

From Ask the Baseball Pro:
Martin wrote:
I’ve seen you play this year at Dodd Stadium and you certainly deserved to be a 2007 Eastern League All Star. At the minor league level, how much does a catcher’s calling of the game factor into what the pitcher actually throws… and what is it like dealing with two of the most talented and fastest rising broadcasters in the business in Rory Duyon and Bobby Morales?

From the Baseball Pro:
Martin,
Thanks for the compliment. When it comes to calling the game the catcher will do 99 percent of it. The pitchers do have the ability to shake off after the catcher has put his sign down. The amount this happens depends on the pitcher and the catcher and how much they have worked together. As for the broadcaster question, I certainly think they are both tremendous broadcasting prospects. I would like to add though that having watched them both actually play on the field, Rory Duyon is a much better athlete. In fact, Bobby Morales’ glove had holes in it and it looked like his dog chewed on it. That can not be tolerated!
Your Baseball Pro, Steve Holm

Getting nutritious meals is problematic for minor league players, particularly with road games which get them back to San Jose late at night. Energy bars and drinks are the best food available on the team bus. Silicon Valley just doesn’t have the 24 hour truck stops common along major interstate highways. There are a few fast food places that are open late, but even the convenience stores are closed in the wee hours of the morning after a long road trip.

But then we discovered that Safeway has stores near our house which are actually open 24 hours a day. So now they can get fresh fruit and milk, even if there isn’t any sit-down service!
Host Mom, Jean

A fun article this week this week in the San Jose Mercury News on the top 10 bargains in Silicon Valley listed the San Jose Giants baseball team. “In an era when major league baseball has priced itself beyond many budgets, there’s a cheaper alternative at home: General admission tickets to the A-level Giants go for $7 to $10. “You can enjoy the best barbecue in town from a picnic table just a few feet from the action,” writes reader Russ Reynolds.

From personal experience, it’s a great place to have BBQ at Turnkey Mike’s and watch a reasonably priced game! It’s family friendly, without blowing the budget…..
Host Mom, Jean

The season is well underway and our team has struggled to win games. We have won a few more games as of late but our record is still far below .500. This is the first time in recent memory that I have been on a team that has struggled so bad. In the beginning we just could not score runs. But lately we have swung the bats much better which is a sign that we might be coming out of it.

It is very tough to not let the losing get you down. But every athlete must learn how to lose because at some point you will do it and you need to know how to do it correctly. You have to be able to stay positive because otherwise the negetivity bleeds into everything you do. So if everyone on the team is able to stay positive the negativity does not bring everyone down. Although easy said this is very hard to do. But judging by the way we have been winning hopefully we are becoming more positive.
Your baseball pro, Steve Holm

P.S. Steve is one of the most positive players we’ve known….
Team Mom, Jean

From Ask the Baseball Pro:
Ryan wrote:
How old can you start playing minor league baseball?

From the Baseball Pro:
If you are from outside the US you can sign at the age of 16. If you are in the US you must have a high school diploma. To my knowledge that is the earliest you can sign.
Your Baseball Pro, Steve Holm

P.S. As a parent, I wouldn’t want a high school player travelling with a professional baseball team. There are too many long days on the road, and an underage player shouldn’t be hanging out in bars. It’s best to get experience in high schools and colleges, particularly community colleges.
Team Mom, Jean

From Ask the Baseball Pro:
Jon wrote:
Is it difficult to find girlfriends or maintain relationships while away for so long?

From the Baseball Pro:
It is very difficult to maintain relationships while you are playing. Not only is it tough to have a
girlfriend but it is even more difficult to keep in touch with friends. Your girlfriend is easier because you can talk to her on your cell phone as well as she can come to see you. But it is your friends and family back home that do not spend money to come to see you during the season. You end up talking to them a few times throughout the season, then when you get
home, you have to start all over again.
Your Baseball Pro, Steve Holm

P.S. Baseball players get 1 or 2 days a month off during a six month season, plus they spend half of their time on the road. So they can’t travel anywhere…. Last year, Steve was within driving distance of his parents home in California, so he could go home on a day off. This year he is in Connecticut, with a 3 hour time change, and a long,long plane ride away from home. It’s not an easy life! Players really do have to love the game……..
Team Mom, Jean

Each season we host a new ball player as players move up in the San Francisco Giants farm system. We miss the player from the previous season, but welcome another player. This year our baseball player is Wayne Foltin, who played on the Augusta, Georgia, Green Jackets single A team last summer. Wayne enjoys having a lot more fans in the San Jose Giants ballpark than the stadiums he played in last season. He’s happy to be back in California, since he grew up here and attended community college in Bakersfield. You can see his profile on the San Jose Giants website!

We enjoy seeing our ballplayers in games, but closing pitchers aren’t scheduled, so seeing them play is hit or miss!
Host Mom, Jean

Minor League baseball players work hard to move up the different levels of baseball, with the dream of making the “Majors”. Steve lived with us during the 2006 season, but now he has moved up to the San Francisco Giants AA minor league baseball team on the East Coast at Norwich. Many of his teammates from 2006 also moved up wth him, so we are hoping to see them continue to move up the baseball farm systemm and end up playing back here in the Bay area.

Check out Steve’s profile for this season at the Connecticut Defender website.

Also, check out an interview with Steve Holm at the Norwich Bulletin, the local newspaper, featuring minor league players. Hmmmm, he’s supposed to like seafood on the East Coast, not beef! We miss having him here in San Jose…..
Host Mom, Jean