Feb. 14, 1985
The pitchers and catchers are reporting today! And we’re in Clearwater with briefcases filled with notes, plus radar guns, and shiny new pens. Excited for the 1985 season to get going.
Feb. 15, 1985
Lunches, dinners, meeting folks. It’s nice being back in Clearwater.
Feb. 16, 1985
Beach time, just for a few hours. Whiskey and meetings for more hours.
Feb. 17, 1985
More meetings before the rest of the team reports Monday.
Feb. 18, 1985
RF Ruppert Jones signs a minor league deal with Houston, while Alan Knicely locks up with the Royals on a minor league contract. Tough offseasons for them.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team reports for spring training. Full team workouts start tomorrow, and I give my first press conference of the campaign. I tout Paul Molitor’s game-changing offensive ability and new manager Dick Howser’s steady hand, talk up Mike Schmidt’s leadership and Juan Samuel’s heightened role in the clubhouse, and promote the tweaks we made to the pitching staff.
“We’re balancing being both competitive right now and prepared for the future,” I say to the scrum. “It’s a critical year for us, and I think we’re going to surprise.”
Later in the evening, Dave Kingman asks to have a drink with me and Dick. He tells me he was having second thoughts about reporting to camp. “No ****, boys, it was hard signing that minor league deal. Knowing I didn’t have a guaranteed job anywhere kinda put it in perspective. I’m cooked.”
We toast to Kong, who has retired at age 37. He hit 357 career home runs with a .472 slugging mark.
Feb. 19, 1985
We turn around and decide to offer the same kind of deal to veteran SS Dave Concepcion. Just need a little more competition at that position.
And the Mets visit to share the field with us for the day.
Feb. 20, 1985
Topps is here today, shooting photos of players they didn’t capture back in August 1984, when they snapped us at Dodger Stadium. Plenty of prospects and rookies getting the treatment, including Jeff Stone, Paul Assenmacher, Todd Worrell, Rick Schu, Mike LaValliere, and Steve Jeltz. Also, obviously, Paul Molitor, Donnie Moore, Scott Sanderson, and UL Washington among newbies getting profile shots and “action” poses. They also wanted Mike Schmidt taking grounders at first base - I detected a heavy sigh.
Feb. 21, 1985
The Yankees grab Dave Parker from Cincinnati in exchange for catcher Butch Wynegar. An even trade, I suppose.
Feb. 22, 1985
We get a visit today from Jim Bunning and Robin Roberts. Scott Sanderson seemed to take a shining to them, and Kevin Gross, who’s trying to improve his fastball, was learning all he could from Roberts.
Feb. 23, 1985
The boys had a day off, giving them some time to explore the beaches.
Feb. 24, 1985
Not everyone was at church today. But everyone showed up for brunch.