Players are cut every day in mid-March. Some veterans are told there are no big league jobs available and instead are offered bus rides and meal-money pennies in Class AAA, and minor leaguers are told they are not good enough. It can be a rough time, with players walking out of the manager's office with their heads hanging.
But players told of reassignments in the Padres' camp are leaving the office of new manager Bud Black all pumped up, GM Kevin Towers said. "Just incredible," Towers said over the phone Sunday.
The reason, Towers believes, is because of the remarkable manner in which Black communicates with his players, the thought he puts into what he will say to each, the way he has treated the players in camp, the way he has made them feel like they are a special part of the organization. Black's style is part Knute Rockne, part Dr. Phil, part "Rocky" theme music.
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Buster Olney
