Life is all about timing. Some guessing, and hoping you guessed right….but mostly timing. My post-season travel and appointment schedule made it obvious that if I was going to get out to see any Fall ball, it was going to have to be towards the end of the AFL schedule. But I also guessed that maaaaybe if I returned to the AFL Home Run Derby and Falls Stars weekend for a second consecutive year, I might get to see Bryce Eldridge participating in both, and maybe get a special moment from the current star of the system.
Things didn’t quite work out that way! But I did get to spend a lovely week in the Scottsdale area. It’s a special treat to be in Arizona when the weather is cool and mild. The weather was in the mid-60s for afternoon games, and dropped down into the 50s or lower in the evening. And, as you can see at the top, the sunsets couldn’t be beat!
But I also got to drill down on the non-Eldridge portions of the Giants’ contingent, and spent a little time with several of the players. I also got a healthy dose of some of the very best that other orgs have sent to the showcase league this year, including two helpings of the Padres dynamic teenage duo of Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries, a titanic home run from Kansas City’s top pick this year, Jac Caglianone, and an electric outing from Phillies’ stud pitching prospect, Andrew Painter. Here’s Painter having his way with a couple of Giants’ prospects, Charlie Szykowny and Drew Cavanaugh (don’t worry, we’ll get to see some happier moments for both before our post is through).
I also got to talk a couple times with Scottsdale Manager Dennis Pelfrey, who will hopefully be back managing in Richmond once more in the coming year. I’ll start with Pelf, because I got him on camera doing something of a rundown of the full Giants’ contingent in the AFL, and nobody there is in as good a position to provide insight on how the fall work is going for them all. We also talked about the unique culture of the AFL, and what the staff gets out of the experience as well.
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