Who Are These Guys?
There are more than one hundred players who report to camp who will either fill a spot somewhere in the minor league system, or be headed to the independent leagues, or home, after Spring draws to a close.
The majority are minor leaguers already at some level of the club's player development system. There are the Canadians, Venezuelans, Dominicans, Koreans, and Taiwanese trying to make the American big leagues. There are the players from the independent leagues, who are trying to land a spot on a ballclub affiliated with a major league team. Then there are the newbies who roll into their first spring in their slightly too new uniforms who come from the draft, scout signings, and even a rare open workout pick.
If you are lucky enough to find a list of players, you may recognize a name or two from scouting reports or your hometown team's roster. If you don't, and you're at a Spring site where you can watch the minor leaguers, don't sweat it: Following them through Spring can be a lot of fun. Like rock groupies, just might "discover" the next Hank Aaron, or Randy Johnson.
As Spring winds to a close, the players are assigned to the teams in the different classes of baseball. The die is cast, and their fate, at least for the beginning weeks of the season, is sealed. For the minor players, the comfort level drops here: Their season is like a long continuation of Spring. Perform, or make way for the guy that does.
