Winter Meetings Journal — Monday, Dec. 3

An Insider’s Outside Perspective of the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville. Or is it an Outsider’s Inside Perspective? Either way, here’s how it all went down for one low-level industry hanger-on: ME!

7:15 am: In an ultra-rare pre-10 a.m. start to my workday, I rouse myself out of bed in order to be ready for the challenges and tribulations that lie ahead. My immediate focus is the Bob Freitas Business Seminar, a day-long event "dedicated to educating and improving every facet of a professional baseball organization." Unfortunately, a comedy of errors not worth mentioning caused me to miss an 8:30 am talk led by Minor League Baseball’s Director of Licensing, Brian Earle, on product trends to look out for during the 2008 season.  So much for that early start.

9:45 am: After rambling around the unnavigable corridors and crawlspaces of the grotesquely huge Gaylord Opryland Resort for an inordinate amount of time, I arrive at good ol’ Presidential Ballroom B for a presentation by Reading Phillies Assistant GM Ashley Forlini. Regular readers of this fine blog are most likely aware that the R-Phils are an organization I hold in high regard, so I enjoyed getting the low-down on everything from the benefits of fireworks displays to $1.50 hot dogs to the ever-growing popularity of the mascot band.

11 a.m: I attend the Winter Meetings’ Opening Session, which is highlighted by Minor League
President Mike Moore’s outgoing speech (Moore has held his post since 1992). As has been reported on our fine website, Moore took the podium to a standing ovation. As a student of standing ovations, I must mention that this was an ovation of the relatively rare "slow-burn" variety. In this case, the standing efforts of one lone individual a few rows ahead of me slowly spread across the room. Within a minute or two, everyone in the ballroom had extricated themselves from their chair in order to merge into a singular clapping entity. There was nary a dry eye in the house.

1 pm: After downing a Stax Burger (the first of several underwhelming Opryland dining experiences), I make my way to the Ryman Conference Room hinterlands in order to speak with students from Lynn University’s Sports Management Program. The Winter Meetings experience of this group of students is detailed in this article. All I can add here is that it was an honor to be chosen as part of Professor Ted Curtis’ distinguished roster of guests, and I can only hope that I did not embarrass myself too badly.

2:30 pm: At this juncture, the Freitas Business Seminar relocated to the massive Presidential Ballroom for a series of business roundtable discussions. Over three half-hour sessions, I attended the following:

"Old School Meets New School — Sales Idea and Inventory", led by Clearwater Threshers‘ Assistant GM/Director of Sales Dan McDonough.

"Marketing Through Media Relations", a talk by Burlington Bees broadcaster/Media Relations Director Randy Wehofer, focusing on the challenges of operating in the Minor Leagues’ smallest full-season market.

"Using Technology For Fun and Success", a presentation by Brevard County Manatees GM Buck Rogers, a man who never seems to be lacking for energy. The Manatees’ annual "Treasure Hunt" is definitely something that deserves further coverage in this fine blog.

Throughout the coming weeks, it is a very likely scenario that I will expand upon what I learned at the Freitas Seminar in blog postings and articles on MiLB.com proper. Just try to contain your excitement.

6 pm: The Opening Reception of the Trade Show! The trade show is an absolutely gigantic affair, featuring vendors selling goods and services related to virtually every aspect of the baseball industry. The trade show ran through Wednesday evening, but the Opening Reception was the best time to attend due to the fact that free beer was involved.

I’ll have more on the trade show later, as it provided a veritable gold mine of ideas for future blog
posts and articles. The highlight of Monday’s relatively brief foray into this beast was being lured (via the comical sounds of a kazoo) into a discussion with Tom James, whose father invented the slinky.  Also, I was glad to run into Tony Mansolino, who tirelessly roamed the trade show floors in order to promote his upcoming children’s book. I will always be an advocate of the artistic pursuits of Minor League ballplayers, so it goes without saying that I’ll be providing updates on Tony’s book as it moves closer to publication.

9 pm: The MLB Advanced Media Winter Meetings Party, in which a fine array of food and beverage was enjoyed whilst witnessing the excruciating end of the Patriots-Ravens game on Monday Night Football.

Celebrity Sighting of the Day: Pete Incaviglia

In the next edition of the Winter Meetings Journal:  Ben attempts to leave the Opryland’s nefarious clutches in order to savor a fresh gasp of unfiltered oxygen. Don’t miss it!