Baseball: Benny Phillips

[tyner2]

With much respects toward Ungrateful dead and of course TIB, I hope to continue the pride of the player reports, they motivated me to do something I really wanted. It's a MLB-style league through Benny Phillips.

Benny Phillips was borned in the big apple. He loved everything about the city, the livliness, the smell which drove most people nuts, hell he even chuckled at the rudeness of some. He grew up as a C. By C, i mean center. He played basketball youth leagues and was actually pretty good through mid high-school. In his senior youth, he first picked up a bat. Maybe, it was because of his natural athletism, or he was born to be a baseball player, but Benny could play. He dominated the high school competition, with his speed and dazzling glove. His swing timing was still far from perfect, but his speed was able to cross it out for now.
While waiting to get drafted, he sat alongside his mother Loraine, and his best friend, Bretty. With the 13th pick, the somewhat struggling Boston Red Sox would draft Benny......

The next few days were a blur. The goodbyes,the excitement, the sadness... I loved it. The only thing I was sad about was leaving the city. I did not have much of a choice, I was off to sunny Sarasota in Florida, Boston's single a team. The Good thing the hurricane just passed . Sarasota was beauitful, a lot different then what I was used to. The only thing similiar between the two, were they were both touristy. When i got their I checked my one suitcase into the Super 8, showered with my lucky melon shampoon and cucumber soap and got my clothes on. The plan was to stay in the Super 8 until an apartment option became available. I called a cab and was off.

The stadium was beautiful, a nice opened roof with the sun glaring down on us. I clutched my glove to my chest, and walked in. When I got in, everyone else was sitting down on the bench. A tall, skinny man with glasses and a short white beard, was staring me down. He was Charles Konnors. My new coach. He looked about 55.
"At least you smell good" I heard to disturb my thoughts.
"Sorry I'm late coach..." I groaned.
"Whats the smell?"
"Oh, its my cucumber soap, and melon shampoo" The team chuckled a bit.
"You must be Benny 'the fruit' Phillips"
The fruit, i chuckled to myself. I always wanted a nickname...
The team just stared for a moment, not sure whether to laugh or be scared, but just then Coach let out a holler of laughter, and the team joined in, and soon so did I. That would be the last time I laughed for the next month.....

[jaxmagicman]

Originally Posted by tyner2

With much respects toward Ungrateful dead and of course TIB, I hope to continue the pride of the player reports, they motivated me to do something I really wanted. It's a MLB-style league through Benny Phillips.

Benny Phillips was borned in the big apple. He loved everything about the city, the livliness, the smell which drove most people nuts, hell he even chuckled at the rudeness of some. He grew up as a C. By C, i mean center. He played basketball youth leagues and was actually pretty good through mid high-school. In his senior youth, he first picked up a bat. Maybe, it was because of his natural athletism, or he was born to be a baseball player, but Benny could play. He dominated the high school competition, with his speed and dazzling glove. His swing timing was still far from perfect, but his speed was able to cross it out for now.
While waiting to get drafted, he sat alongside his mother Loraine, and his best friend, Bretty. With the 13th pick, the somewhat struggling Boston Red Sox would draft Benny......

The next few days were a blur. The goodbyes,the excitement, the sadness... I loved it. The only thing I was sad about was leaving the city. I did not have much of a choice, I was off to sunny Sarasota in Florida, Boston's single a team. The Good thing the hurricane just passed . Sarasota was beauitful, a lot different then what I was used to. The only thing similiar between the two, were they were both touristy. When i got their I checked my one suitcase into the Super 8, showered with my lucky melon shampoon and cucumber soap and got my clothes on. The plan was to stay in the Super 8 until an apartment option became available. I called a cab and was off.

The stadium was beautiful, a nice opened roof with the sun glaring down on us. I clutched my glove to my chest, and walked in. When I got in, everyone else was sitting down on the bench. A tall, skinny man with glasses and a short white beard, was staring me down. He was Charles Konnors. My new coach. He looked about 55.
"At least you smell good" I heard to disturb my thoughts.
"Sorry I'm late coach..." I groaned.
"Whats the smell?"
"Oh, its my cucumber soap, and melon shampoo" The team chuckled a bit.
"You must be Benny 'the fruit' Phillips"
The fruit, i chuckled to myself. I always wanted a nickname...
The team just stared for a moment, not sure whether to laugh or be scared, but just then Coach let out a holler of laughter, and the team joined in, and soon so did I. That would be the last time I laughed for the next month.....

I am sure you didn't want that nickname.

[Tib]

Good luck to Benny. I'll be reading as often as I can.

[tyner2]

the nickname wasn't a nickname to the fans/public just team mates and coach called him that.

[tyner2]

I was getting used to a calmer atmosphere. My life was baseball and sleep. We had just completed "the worst week of our life" as coach said. It was mainly conditioning and getting into the baseball mode prior to our upcoming game tomorrow. We were starting the season at home vs. I was leading off and really wanted to win the first game. Benny was to be playing second base. In my first AB i hit a single over the second baseman. It felt good to make a good punch through the glove. I ended up 2-4 with a triple. We lost the game 8-3 when this guy from Japan, Tony Yasasuki came in in the 7th and allowed 6 runs.


The next month, we had games almost every day. There was a nice apartment for a great price. I could not pass up this deal, so with no room-mates I took the apartment figuring I'd invite one of my teammates to come live with me. The room was on the third floor. It was lovely, but their were no back windows. I asked Todd Nelson, our 2nd SP, a solid 20 year old, drafted last year in the first round. He and I had became friends ever since he was pitching a complete game and let up 2 runs in the 9th. I came up with 2 guys on and hit a walk-off home run.


Dear Bretty,
How you doing buddy? Life here is nice,different, but nice. It's really hot and I'm getting a nice tan. I've played about a month here. I just got a nice place. I'm hitting .291 with 2 HR's, and 9 stolen bases. Our team is in 12th place with a 7-17 record,14 games out of first. Tell my mom I say hello and I'll call her soon. I got to get a job, and get out more. This single A ball doesn't pay too well haha. Next time I write, hopefully I'll have something interesting to say. - Benny

I liked Sarasota and the Boston franchise, I just didn't feel our team was really a team. Their was rare conversations outside of certain groups. We weren't going to win a game if we kept playing like this, stupid errors, and mis-communications. Apparantely coach thought the same thing as I did, because we had a little time off before our next series, and our practices were a little unethical..

[tyner2]

For the upcoming weekend. we didn't need our gloves, bats, or balls. Coach sent all the whole team to a "resort" area for the weekend. He roomed me next to the team's shortstop and first base. The first base was Geoffrey Coloma, a 24 year old power hitter. He went to Auburn and got a masters in engineering. Edwin Jarragin was the shortstop. He was a 19 year old, who was in the league for a year already. He is a great baserunner.
Things were awkward at first, Geoffrey, Edwin and I knew each other, but rarely exchanged words. I don't know how it started, and it didn't matter, but we started to talk and joke around. By the end of the night, I felt like I knew these guys my whole life. Geoffrey was more of a serious guy, with a sad past, but he was a nice guy. Edwin was hysterical, and a great guy, a rare combination. We, went into a pool and found the whole team swimming together, laughing playing volleyball in the pool. I learned a lot that night, but things changed. Before this we used to lose games. Now, if we lost a game, we lost as a team.


A week later, we were playing well winning 3 of the last 3. We had nothing to do one say, so I decided to search around town for a job, as my funds were getting low. I found a nice restaurant which made the best chili dogs in the world. They had a "HELP WANTED" sign on the door, and I was glad to be a bus boy. I walked in and surprisingly for the first time, I was recognized.
"Aren't you the first rounder?"
"Yep, that would be me, Benny Phillips"
"Benjamin, I like that, thats a strong name, you start tomorrow. I know your schedule so we'll work around it"

And like that, I had a job. He was the chef, as well as the store owner, a real sweetheart. He used to be in the army and he was a strong man. His name was Butch..Butch... Come to think of it I don't know his last name, but it seemed it would be enjoyable to work there.

Work was fun. People gave me nice tips, and started to recognize me. I was getting used to being called "first rounder," and such names. The team chemistry was improving greatly. I was starting to hit 5th, with Edwin leading off. Edwin was struggling batting a mere .200. I had hit two more home runs, neither that monstrous of a shot. The team had won 8 straight and we were slowly catching .500. We were now in 8th place, and we were loving it. Life is good...

::Note: i found it awesome how the team actually won 8 straight after that "meeting" in the resort::

[jaxmagicman]

Wow cool. Did you write the part about the Meeting before or after they won the 8 straight.

[tyner2]

before..and then i simmmed the two weeks.... i think its pretty cool

[redmachine]

Tyner,

Is there a way to see what place your are in when your in the minors or did you make that up?

[tyner2]

The next month things went pretty normal. I was making money, playing well, and i was getting along great with everyone. On a road trip before a game, I decided to give my mother a call. It was on a Sunday Night and she said to me that was a good time to call her.


We had an average month, we brought our record to 24-26. None of our pitchers were doing that good. Our ace, Carl Smith, was 4-3 with 3.33 era. I lead the team in batting average and stolen bases. I was hitting .298 with 17 stolen bases, and 7 Hr's. Sonny Marceua was the 10th pick in the draft last year, and we traded for him mid-season. He was a silent killer. Didn't talk much in the locker room, but was very respectfu. He had 12 Hr's, and 37 Rbis. During One game, Sonny had got hit in the head with a terrible pitch, and it seemed on purpose. We were on a losing streak of 4, so I guess the whole team was pissed off, because we took our anger on this team. The benches cleared out, it was an all-out brawl. Edgerin, who was currently batting under .200, had so much anger inside of him, I thought he was going to kill someone. I was involved, not really all that pissed at anyone but the pitcher, because it was such an intentional pitch. The coach was furious, and our practices the next few days were tough, but the team was laughing, and Sonny started to talk more. We won 3 straight after that.



When I called my mom, no one answered which was really weird. I left a message telling her how things were going, but I wondered where could she be?

[jaxmagicman]

You mom is coming to visit you.