April 1, 200620 yr BY CLARK SPENCER cspencer@MiamiHerald.com FRISCO, Texas - Ricky Nolasco was dumbfounded. His luggage was nowhere to be found after the team bus dropped the Marlins off at their Arlington hotel Friday morning. The rookie pitcher looked everywhere. Around the bus. Inside the hotel lobby. But he couldn't locate his bags. And he still had no idea where they were when the Marlins showed up at Dr. Pepper Ballpark later in the day to face the Texas Rangers in their next-to-last spring training game. Overhearing this, reliever Chris Resop leaned over and, whispering so as not to embarrass the young pitcher in front of his teammates, told Nolasco his bags were in his hotel room. Welcome to the major leagues, where the players don't carry their own bags and greasy burgers are no longer the staple, not with the standard $83.50 per-day meal allowance every player receives. (In the minors, per-diem is $20.) It's just that the Marlins have so many tenderfeet first-timers such as Nolasco, they're learning on the run. ''I've been asking a lot of questions about a lot of things like that, too, because I don't know what's going on,'' Nolasco said. A few days ago, Bill Beck, the Marlins' longtime traveling secretary, delivered what amounted to a primer on some of the nuances the rookies can expect, such as whom to tip and how much. He said it's the first time he has given the speech since 1998, the last time the Marlins' roster was overhauled to such an extent. The Marlins have five players who have never spent a day in the majors, and a few more who can hardly be classified as seasoned vets. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez's major-league r?sum? consists of two big-league at-bats, and reliever Josh Johnson has appeared in four games for a total of 12 innings. ''They're just like a deer in headlights,'' Beck said. BIG MONEY Their paychecks are fatter: The minimum wage, which 16 of the Marlins are receiving, comes to $327,000 -- a vast difference from the $850 to $1,600 a week most of them were used to receiving in the minors. The Marlins zip around the country on a charter jet, a big improvement for players accustomed to long, all-night bus rides. And the hotels are four- and five-star plush, a far cry from the budget inns some are used to seeing, where the front desks often are protected by bulletproof glass. ''It's awesome,'' rookie second baseman Dan Uggla said of the Hilton where the Marlins are staying for a couple of days before heading to Houston, where they'll open the regular season Monday against the Astros. ``I've got a king-sized bed -- and no roommate.'' But major-league luxury comes at a price, as the young Marlins are quickly learning. ''There's more money, but you also spend a lot more money, too, from what I hear,'' Uggla said. Beck reminded the players to tip the bellman, the maid and the hotel courtesy van driver who gives them a lift to the ballpark. ''We carried our own bags in the minors,'' Uggla said. ``We got good at it, too.'' TIPPING POINT? The biggest sticker shock came when players were told they should expect to shell out anywhere from $30 to $40 per day to visiting clubhouse attendants when the club is on the road. In the minors, it was was $7 to $9 per day. Uggla's reaction: ``Good Lord!'' But, as center fielder and fellow rookie Reggie Abercrombie said, shrugging: ``You got to tip. We're in the big leagues now. It's a respect thing. Bellman. Batboys.'' Batboys? ''Yeah, the batboys will get you Kool-Aid and stuff like that,'' Abercrombie said. Apparently, nobody has told Abercrombie yet that Kool-Aid isn't the thirst-quencher of choice inside major-league dugout water coolers. But he'll learn. They all do. Sergio Mitre, who appeared in 36 games for the Chicago Cubs before joining the Marlins during the winter in a trade, said there are ways to cut corners and save a few bucks: 1) Take the early team bus (free) from the hotel to the ballpark instead of paying for a cab; 2) fill up on the clubhouse spread instead of running up a big restaurant bill after the game; 3) if taking a cab, hop in with a well-paid veteran who is more likely to pick up the fare. Dontrelle Willis, who on the Marlins is something of an old-timer considering his 2 ? seasons in the majors, said he learned from his mistakes. He remembered taking his first road trip and, when it was time to check out of the hotel, hauling his own luggage down to the lobby to be loaded on the airport bus. ''Everyone laughed at me,'' Willis said. '[Hitting coach] Bill Robinson handed me a five-dollar bill and said, `Here, use that to pay the bellman next time.' '' ? Notes: Left-handed pitcher Michael Megrew (left shoulder tendinitis) was placed on the disabled list. . . . Catcher Tom Wilson was assigned to minor-league camp.
April 1, 200620 yr Dr. Pepper Ballpark? Is that what they're calling the Ballpark at Arlington these days?
April 1, 200620 yr That was pretty cool of Resop for not embarassing Nolasco and lol at Reggie and Kool-Aid :lol
April 1, 200620 yr Dr. Pepper Ballpark? Is that what they're calling the Ballpark at Arlington these days? Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark is home to the Frisco RoughRiders: http://www.ridersbaseball.com/ballpark/ The Ballpark in Arlington is now Ameriquest Field. http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/te...lpark/index.jsp
April 1, 200620 yr Dr. Pepper Ballpark? Is that what they're calling the Ballpark at Arlington these days? Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark is home to the Frisco RoughRiders: http://www.ridersbaseball.com/ballpark/ The Ballpark in Arlington is now Ameriquest Field. http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/te...lpark/index.jsp Thanks for clearing that up. :thumbup
April 1, 200620 yr hahaha kool-aid I think it's kind of dumb that they get laughed at when they carry their bags but whatever...
April 1, 200620 yr That was pretty cool of Resop for not embarassing Nolasco and lol at Reggie and Kool-Aid :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol CANT WAIT TO SEE THIS TEAM!
April 2, 200620 yr Makes you wonder if the same thing happened to Resop. Is Kool-aid Abercrombie's new nickname or what?
April 3, 200620 yr Is Kool-aid Abercrombie's new nickname or what? Yep or Apple Crumbs without the Fish
April 3, 200620 yr ''Yeah, the batboys will get you Kool-Aid and stuff like that,'' Abercrombie said. The smart-ass in me wants to know what he meant by Stuff Like That the batboys get for him :mischief2 :hat
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.