NOTES: Last Week of Spring Training

Can someone spare a lefty?
By Beth Sass / hereforthesass.blogspot.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Sass approach their final week of Spring Training in 2008, and there are still a few concerns with the team. Relief pitcher Matt Guerrier is the only pitcher that’s left-handed, but he brings in the added quirk that he actually pitches left-handed.

“I need to make up for Joe Mauer,” Matt G. explained. “He’s right-handed, but he hits left-handed.”

Managers Beth and Dawn Sass are almost concerned about that. “To be honest, left-handed people kinda make us nervous,” Beth said, quietly so Clubhouse Manager, Rachel wouldn’t hear. “We’ve only got four lefties on the team, and Matt G. makes up for it by pitching right-handed, and Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera are both switch-hitters. We’re leaving Andre [Ethier] in Rachel’s hands. We trust Rachel.”

Colors… Another problem the Sass is facing is that outfielder Aaron Rowand painted a picture to present to the Sass team, to decorate the clubhouse. Unfortunately, he painted it before realizing the Sass colors were purple and pink, and the colors he used clashed with the lockers.

“I’ve been painting with watercolors for a long time,” explained Aaron, “And I’ve never really painted anything with a purpose before--most of it is just for fun, and my wife finds places to put them, or I donate them to various charities. It never occurred to me that people actually had to find places for my paintings that would match the room.”

Aaron is now working on a new water-color for the clubhouse, and his original painting was presented to Dawn, because it matched her breakfast porch. Joe and pitcher Jeremy Accardo have suggested a floral painting. Jeremy, who enjoys flower-gardening, said he was planning on growing flowers to complement the Sass clubhouse, and Joe said he could do cut-flower arrangements when the time came. Until then, Joe has been using a combination of flowers from a local greenhouse and silk flowers.

That bugs me! Clubhouse manager Rachel was in the clubhouse on Thursday evening when she noticed an insect crawling across the floor. Before she was about to stomp on it, infielder Andy LaRoche yelled at her to stop.

“I’ll spare you the Latin name,” said Andy, “But trust me when I say that you don’t see a lot of these bugs around here. They’re more native to the western United States.”

Andy rescued the bug, and euthanized it himself to add to his insect collection in his home.

“It’s simply amazing,” said outfielder Nate McLouth, “He has a whole room dedicated to glass cases filled with bugs, all clearly labeled.”