NOTES: Nice starts to get help

Illnesses and injuries afoot
By Beth Sass / hereforthesass.blogspot.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Both managers, Beth and Dawn Sass, both found themselves at the Sass Rehabilitation Facility in Nice over the weekend. Dawn is dealing with allergic reactions to penicillin, while Beth isn’t actually sick--yet. However, since outfielder Nate McLouth showed up at Spring Training with strep throat (and has also reported to Nice for recovery), it was assumed it was only a matter of time before Beth became injured as well. Grant Balfour, who is as of yet undecided whether he’s going to pitch this year or take a position in Nice, joined the ladies and Nate. Relief pitcher Joel Zumaya had already reported to Nice, and was showing some good progress in his ability to play Guitar Hero.

“There’s no way I could’ve started the season as I was,” Joel said. “I mean, there’s no way I could’ve played against the other teams.”

Beth and Dawn were quite pleased. “When we sent Joel down, I think even Beth could’ve beat him on most songs--even if both were playing the easy level. Now he can easily beat Beth, but he’s still not ready for the majors. Sure, Joel playing easy could beat Matt G. playing expert, but he really needs to compete fairly playing the hard level,” Dawn said. It was unclear whether Dawn was speaking of relief pitcher Matt Guerrier or starting pitcher Matt Garza. Sass Notes declared it irrelevant.

Also joining the crew in Nice is third baseman Andy LaRoche, who tore a ligament in his right thumb. Andy should be out six weeks, but presents an odd problem for the Sass in who’s going to play third.

I don’t know’s at third. Beth is unduly amused by Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” skit, but she’s serious when she responds “I don’t know” when asked which player will be at third base this year. Andy LaRoche is currently out with a torn ligament, and there’s squabbling by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays--with whom Evan Longoria is associated. The Devil Rays have asked that Evan be played in the minor league system to start the year, thus delaying their need to pay him major league salaries by a year.

With Andy out, and Evan a question mark, the Sass may have to put pressure on the Devil Rays to let Evan play in the majors.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow… Sass players were surprised to show up for Spring Training on Saturday to a lovely snow-covered field. Groundscrew was baffled at how it happened. It clearly was fake snow, but how someone managed to cover the entire field was perplexing.

Starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick admitted to pulling the prank. “It snowing in Minnesota, so I thought we should pay homage to our team’s home.” He would not say how he managed to accomplish the feat, however.

Dawn was incensed. Not that Kyle pulled the prank, but rather that he waited until after she left for Nice to do so. “I wanted to see the snow!”