winter ball

[Jefferson24]

Reading the articles about EE doing so well this winter got me to thinking. By the time he gets to spring training he'll be quite a ways ahead of a lot of guys who have been away from the game since October. They’ll need a month just to knock the rust off while EE and others like him will not only be sharp but they'll be in shape and probably better than they were last fall.

Why don't more player take part in these winter leagues? Especially if your trying to earn a spot on the 25 man roster. I'm also sure there are a few guys on the 25 that could really use this experience. I know it's the off season and they want and need some time away from the game but when I was playing at the high school level I loved the game so much I would have liked to do it year round. It's the greatest game in the world and on a huge stage; don't you think they would want to put everything they possibly could into it?

[Z-Fly]

As I have read (On Redszone), there were quite a few players that did play in winter ball. Some got sent home early.

I imagine the big name guys don't go because, they don't want to get hurt or see reason for it.

[Red Leader]

Most of the winter leagues are far away from these players homes as well. Most of these guys have families. I'm sure they want to spend their "offseason" with their families, and thus, don't want to be in another country in the offseason. They probably believe they spend enough time away from their families during the regular MLB season.

[Z-Fly]

Originally Posted by Red Leader

Most of the winter leagues are far away from these players homes as well. Most of these guys have families. I'm sure they want to spend their "offseason" with their families, and thus, don't want to be in another country in the offseason. They probably believe they spend enough time away from their families during the regular MLB season.

Agreed. I think that we all can sometimes forget that players are actually people. I know I do sometimes.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by Z-Fly

Agreed. I think that we all can sometimes forget that players are actually people. I know I do sometimes.

Yeah. Baseball players have to delicately balance work / family just like the rest of us do in our jobs. Some of us sacrifice family life in order to get ahead at work. Some of us will never sacrifice family time for work. I'm sure baseball players are the same. Maybe early on in your career you can make that sacrifice more easily, but once you've been married for awhile and have kids, it's not so easy. That goes for anyone with any type of career, baseball player, truck driver, or office professional.