Notes: Welcome Party

Nice loses another player
By Beth Sass / hereforthesass.blogspot.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Here for the Sass Team announced that starting pitching Tomo Ohka returned to the team late Monday. Tomo had been on the DL at the Nice Rehabilitation Center since early May with a Partial right rotator cuff tear. Recently, he completed a rehab stint with the Nice Nice Guys where he performed admirably.

The Here for the Sass has gone through a number of changes since Tomo left the team, with the constant necessary trips to the DL by other Sassians.

“There are familiar faces of old friends, and there are new faces that I’m sure will be new friends,” Tomo said as he enjoyed one of Mrs. Guillen’s cookies after finishing a home-cooked meal by Sass outfielder Rocco Baldelli. “I missed the guys--both the guys I left behind here, and the guys that I met on the DL that have returned here.”

The Sass needed to cut a player to not go over the stringent rules placed on them by the league commissioner. Reliever Julio Mateo expressed an interest in spending more time taking care of the penguins at Sass Stadium.

“As a child, I always wanted to run a zoo. I’m hoping maybe when I’m done with my baseball career, I can open one, and learning to take care of the penguins will go a long ways towards that goal,” Julio said.

DL updates: After pitching two innings with the Nice Guys, reliever Grant Balfour has reported that he’s starting to feel soreness again. Grant has had two surgeries in the last two years, stemming from feeling soreness when pitching. Grant reported that he felt fine while pitching, but the soreness showed up later. Trainers will be checking out the situation.

Matt Guerrier hopes to join the Nice guys on Friday to begin Rehab work.

"It's weird that it's only Grant and I here," Matt said, "There have been so many guys on the DL this year, that it's odd that it's just us. But, I suppose, that's good news that it is just down to Grant and I."

Grant nodded in agreement.

So far, so good: Sass utility player Little Nicky Punto reported jamming his knee during the game Monday night. Trainers in Minneapolis did not put him on the DL and feel right now he can sit on the bench as day-to-day. He will go for MRIs on Tuesday.

Dawn wanted to make chicken noodle soup for Little Nicky to help him recover, but admitted she did not know how, and turned to Clubhouse Manager Rach for help. Unofficial Sass chef, Rocco, was busy taking extra fielding practice at the time.

Rach quickly got the chicken noodle soup on its way, explain to Dawn that making chicken noodle soup was a three part process: First, open the can; second, pour contents into a pan; and third, heat until warm. Dawn said she was quite certain in the future she could handle such a task. However, it’s hoped this is a skill that’s never needed again.

Upcoming Events: Sass fans are reminded that tonight is the second Sock Night. The first 5,000 adults of either sex to enter the park will receive a pair of Sass Socks. Sass socks for males are in the Sass team colors, pink and purple, and emblazoned with the Sass logo on the ankles The socks for the females are white, with the Sass logo on the ankle. This is directly the opposite of the previous sock night.

The previous sock night was so successful, that the management decided that a second sock night was in order, but decided to switch the colors so that both sexes had equal opportunity for both pairs of socks.

Apology: Sass reliever Rheal Cormier said he would be staying up as late as it took tonight to write neat letters of apology to the fans.

“I know. I gave up one run without getting a single hit. That is completely unacceptable and I’m disappointed in myself for letting the Sass fans down like that. I hope to improve on this in the future and hope that the fans accept my apology,” Rheal said.

Tonight: Tonight the Sass welcome the return of Tomo, who will take the mound against the Jello Fighters. The entire crew of relievers will be available again.