Hopefully the weather does warm up a little bit in St. Louis this weekend. For those of you not in the area, it was 1 degree F on my way into work this morning with a wind chill of -20. Needless to say I showed up more acerbic than usual.
This weekend is the Cardinals annual Winter Warm Up. All the proceeds go to the Cardinals’ foundation Cards Care. We talk about prospects here and players at VEB but when was the last time that we really mentioned how tremendous their support of the community is? Sadly, I can’t remember, but the team and players do an incredible amount of charity work that they deserve to be lauded for.
I’ve not been to the Winter Warm Up before but I’m strongly considering it this weekend. Winter Warm Up pass — $40. Colby Autograph — $30. Daryl Jones Autograph — FREE! There’s a presentation on Sunday about merging stats and scouts, which I hope and believe the organization is trying to do more and more, that sounds intriging. Another presentation on Monday that might be more up our alley here with Jeff Luhnow and John Vuch discussing the minor leagues.
There’s something for everyone here and if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, Jan. 17-19, the Winter Warm-Up should be a lot of fun and you’ll be supporting kids in need at the same time. If you’ve been before, let everyone know what you thought and any tips you have for getting the most out of the event.
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I went last year just to get autographs. It was 3 full days of waiting in lines. I’m not able to go this year, but I was very disappointed when I found out the prospects there this year. I walked thru the vendor area a few times. My brother in law caught a few of the presentations and really liked them.
Most players don’t interact too much with the fans. They’ll greet you and maybe answer a question or 2, but that’s it. PJ Walters was the most talkative last year. The former players are great to talk to; Danny Cox and Glenn Brummer both talked to me for quite a while (Brummer is a former neighbor).
I wish I were going. I’m going to FL for the weekend to visit my wife’s family, though, so I’m sure I’ll have a good time being out of the cold for a bit.
Here in Iowa, the actual temp is -20, -21 to be exact. The wind chill is -35 to -50. I think I’ll just stay in, thank you.
And yeah, I wish I could go, but family/$ reasons unfortunately I can’t.
I second that notion. At least us Iowans will probably get a full season of Niko in QC to look forward to.
I started going in ’99 and it’s best if you go with someone as there will be times when there may not be anything scheduled that you are interested in seeing.
I’ve always liked the Q & A sessions that go on in the rooms outside the main hall. Those are mostly with owners, front office types, scouts, minor league personnel. Not “on the field people”, though TLR usually has one.
Keep an eye on what is happening on the main stage. That’s when some players will have an impromtu interview or Q & A right after they finish their autograh session.
The autograph lines can get VERY long and slow. That’s why they try to keep the players from talking for too long with anyone.
If you can stand the cold, we usually leave and go somewhere close by for lunch before returning.
It’s a pretty good time once you get past the fact that it’s a few thousand Cards fan bunched up in a limited space. Maybe one of these years they’ll move the event to the Dome. It’s not like it’s being used for anything right now anyway…….
Some of the guys don’t talk much – line or no line. I paid for Randy Flores last year (he was the last guy from the ’06 team that I needed a signed card for) and I was the only one and he breifly looked at me, said hi, and didn’t pay attention to me again while he signed the cards. I talked more to the handler than I did to him.
There are some pretty big names (for prospect addicts) that are free this year. Daryl Jones, BRETT WALLACE, Bryan Anderson, David Freese, Jon Jay, and Jess Todd to name a few. Bob Forsch is also going to be free. This will be my first time at the Warm-Up.
OT: Does anyone know when the 2009 draft reports start showing up on MiLB.com…i feel like they had started at this time last year
i enjoyed reading the article and the comments from everyone. to eugene, randy flores is not particularly friendly. i played poker with him and jason marquis in milwaukee(ithey were in town) and flores just isnt personable. as for the way we give back, the cardinals r a model pro sports franchise, plain and simple. the public relations for them is great in almost every way. tickets r overpriced but buy them at the game. for people who like baseball u cant live anywhere better. now if u like hockey or football….
If anyone is interested, there is a great interview Bernie did with Jeff Luhnow. He discusses the system, how they draft and of course the Porcello decision
And posting a link would be helpful….
http://stlsportsinsider.com/Bernie%20Show/Thursday/BM%20011509-5%20Jeff%20Luhnow.mp3
The interview is available here:
http://www.stlsportsinsider.com/Bernie%20Show/Thursday/thursday.html
And here’s a direct link to the audio:
http://www.stlsportsinsider.com/Bernie%20Show/Thursday/BM%20011509-5%20Jeff%20Luhnow.mp3
^ Warning for the casual listener – it’s 40 minutes long, but well worth it.
-RBB
I went to the Winter Warmup for the first time last year. It was a lot of fun just to see all the guys up close and personal. I got to spend a little time talking to some of the younger guys, ie Joe Mather and Brad Thompson. The Q&A sessions are really interesting and there are all kinds of collectibles and such for avid Cards fans.
Some of the younger guys go out in town this weekend too, so that can be really cool. Last year we spent all of Saturday night with them. We even had a few drinks on Tony’s tab. It was a lot of fun, and actually my favorite part of the whole weekend!