More Winter Meetings from Indy…

Posted on 09. Dec, 2009 by Corey in All, Dayton Dragons Baseball, General Baseball.

Only at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings can you find a collection of the finest in the baseball community. At the Downtown Marriott, host hotel for the 2009 BWM (Baseball Winter Meetings), one can stand in the lobby and have the finest members of the game walk right across your face. The downside is that you can also have a very important high ranking official bump into you, and not be able to know who he is.

The 2009 BWM is a much different experience for me than the 2008 meetings in Las Vegas. For starters, there is no comparison between Sin City and Indianapolis. I could write an entire entry on the pluses and minuses of each city. This year in Indy getting from place to place was much easier and quicker, and finding food was simpler and cheaper. The biggest disappointment for me was that I seemed to have seen and talked to less “stars” of the great game of baseball than the year before. Don’t get me wrong, the room was still filled with Hall of Famers current and future. Plus if you got bored standing around talking, there are no black jack tables to keep you busy for a few.

But as a total package the experience at the BWM is great. I have the privilege of meeting so many people that have spent so many years in the game of baseball. To be able to pick their brains about things is unreal. I was very pleased that my good friend John Bryk was able to fly in and attend the meetings with me for a second straight year. John has worked over 18 years in baseball and was able to introduce me to so many people.

I would also like to thank the baseball community as a whole. Everyone is very nice and pleasant and most people have no ego or arrogance to them, and do not let their title or rank show. I head into my third year in professional baseball as a Low Single-A Clubhouse and Equipment Manager, but am treated with as much respect as a general manager of a World Series club.

I have some pictures and short stories or descriptions that I would like to share. I do need to apologize for some of the quality of the pics, as they were taken with my camera phone. I did have a digital in my pocket, but felt out of place and wrong to whip it out and start snapping at certain points. I wanted to act like I belonging, not star struck and respect everyone and their privacy. I do plan on writing a few more posts about the 2009 BWM and some other areas and activities that go on, so please check back. As always, please feel free to email me at Corey@Coreybrinn.com or click on the comment section below.

I have told people for years how much love and respect I have for Peter Gammons. Something about the way he carries himself and delivers stories and news that I enjoy so much. I have also joked that I got to add extra fathers to my life (and don’t get me wrong, mine is already the best!!) that Gammons would be on that short list. The past two BWM I have watched him work the room speaking to general managers, scouts, other members of the media, or anyone that he could to gain a scoop. I was thrilled last night when I was in the Marriott and walked down the hall to see him sitting down in front of a camera to do a live video feed with Karl Ravech and back to the ESPN studio. I eagerly stood and listened to see what breaking news Gammons would report. My mouth hit the floor when I heard him say that following the meeting he would be leaving ESPN to take a job with the MLB Network. I was extremely glad that I was standing there at that moment and selfishly felt he was talking straight ahead to me, instead of through a camera to the rest of the country. Following his report, as he stood up to leave, I smiled at him and silently wished him my best in his new adventures. The second picture was taken about five minutes after that as he came and stood over by me to make a phone call. I was not ease dropping or snooping, but it was apparent he was a bit emotional and had a tear in his eye. Twenty years in one job is a long time. I could go on and on and write many posts about Mr. Gammons, and I relieved that I will still be able to follow his work on the MLB Network.

Standing on the second floor of the Marriott Downtown hotel was the media headquarters. The work room, and hallways were filled with members of the media from all over the World. I saw World, because many members of the Asian media were seen trying to get the story on free agent Hideki Matsui and others. I can only imagine how much bandwidth and how many “tweets” were coming out of this area. MLB Network had an elaborate area set up where they broadcasted the “Hot Stove Live” show throughout the day. Also pictured is MLB.com’s video streaming area. XM/Sirius Radio had an area set up to report live throughout the day.

I have been a HUGE fan of baseball all my life. I love a good autograph or piece of memorabilia like the next person, but I am a firm believer that there is a time and a place. And camping out in the lobby of the Winter Meetings, and waiting by the elevators is not the time nor the place. There were quite a few of these autograph seekers (like pictured above) with binders and even bags full of balls, cards and other items. I did get a chuckle trying to watch a small group of them chase Nolan Ryan down the hall as he weaved through people, but also felt bad for Tommy Lasorda who was trying to catch up with old friends and kept being interrupted. Wish Major League Baseball or the hotel could hire some sort of security to stop this problem.

Next seasons Baseball Winter Meetings are going to be held in Orlando in the Walt Disney World Resort at the Swan and Dolphin hotel. I have no idea how I am going to manage to stay at the meetings and not go into the theme parks!! Guess I will have to make it a LONG trip down there to fit everything in.