by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
Life on the road can be tough for minor league baseball players. Long bus trips away from family. Doesn’t pay real well (especially at the Double A level). And, you get to visit thriving metropolises like Zebulon, N.C. and Jackson, Tenn.
According to the Montgomery Biscuits, who were in town last week for a five-game series against the Jacksonville Suns, this town is the best among the Southern League’s 10 stops.
“This is about as good as it gets,” said pitcher Jimmy Magrane, who stayed at the Hyatt, which will house visiting teams this year.
Magrane said in past visits to Jacksonville the team stayed in motels by a Denny’s and a Subway and they were nothing like the Hyatt.
“But it’s really picked up,” he said. “Now you feel like a big leaguer.”
The short ride from the Hyatt to the new ballpark and staying in a riverfront hotel was what appealed to most of the team. The minor league baseball home team arranges the room for the visiting team within a certain fee limit set by the Southern League of Professional Baseball, which can sometimes lead to unforgettably bad experiences.
One city that stuck out the most in players’ minds was St. Petersburg, where the team has spring training. It was dirty, smelly and one player was bitten by a brown recluse spider twice, said Magrane.
Jim Tocco, play-by-play broadcaster for the Biscuits, said he’s heard gun shots and seen drug deals while staying in motels during his five years with baseball teams,
“You almost don’t want to walk across the street to go to a gas station,” he said.
But for those who are passionate about baseball, the good days outweigh the bad.
“It’s a dream job to me, absolutely,” said Tocco. “I would love to have a family and all, but this is what I’ve wanted to do.”
For the few players like Mathew Maniscala who has to maintain a family while on the road, his wife, Kim, came with him to Jacksonville.
“It’s fun. It beats staying in the same place all the time,” she said. “I kind of know what to expect.”
Other issues teams deal with when traveling include dieting and sleep.
“It’s hard for players to eat healthy because places aren’t open after the game,” said Tocco.
Maniscala said his first meal Friday was Sbarro’s pizza from the Landing. The team spends much of its free time working out at the gym. They are on the field by 4 p.m. to warm up for the 7:05 p.m. game, according to Tocco. Any extra time is usually put toward sleeping.
“We got here at 6 a.m.,” said Tocco, who came from a night game the day before in Montgomery. “Everyone kind of stumbles into the lobby. As soon as they get that room key, you don’t see them until the next day.”
Magrane said he spends his time mostly inside the room watching a movie or recording beats from his laptop to songs that he plays on the guitar. He did, however, frequent a few restaurants such as the American Grill and Hooters.
“Because we love them wings,” he said.
Magrane said it’s harder for players to go out after the game during the weekdays because most places are closed. After games, many spend their time playing video games, reading and listening to their iPods — and they sleep.
“A lot of the guys have a hard time sleeping on the bus,” said Tocco. “They have to double up and share seating while sleeping.”
But the Biscuits agreed no matter how rough the ride, they still love what they do — even team bus driver, Alex Pace.
“It’s exciting if you like to travel,” said Pace who will drive the Biscuits about 11,000 miles this season for up to 10 hours a day. “You get to see a lot of history and meet a lot of different people. And the team is (a bunch of) very nice guys.”