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So there I was all dressed up in my macho gator outfit when....

So here's a bit of a conversation I had with Billy Hatcher prior to the Yankees game in Tampa last Friday.

Mads: Hey Billy how was your daughter's 1st season at Tennessee ? (Chelsea Hatcher is on a soccer scholarship at Uof T)

Billy: Great man, she loves it there.

Mads: She's a great defender is she getting PT?

Billy Yeah its a good fit for her

Mads: How's the Red's defensive looking with Edwin and Gonzo both hurt a week before the opener?"

Billy: "We're going be good, our outfield can scat...and we'll be strong up the middle when Alex is back."

Mad's: "The Red's are not scoring much in ST can we make up for the loss of Adam Dunn"?

Billy:' We've got some really talented young players on this team and we're more balanced, its a better team offensively than we had last season."

This conversation is not verbatim but pretty close. Billy was on the dugout steps and I was in the first row of the Red's dugout and we could talk pretty easily. He got called away and I had no furhter chances to talk to him.

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Meanwhile the lonliest guy on the field seemed to be Chris Speiers

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Although they often sat together I do not think I saw a single exchange between Dusty and Chris during the three games in row that we watched, in fact the only coach who had any energy/interaction with the players was Hatcher.

I also had a brief conversation with Todd Frazier

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Mads: Hey Todd...you've been getting some PT what are your chances of going North with both Gonzo and Edwin hurt?

Todd: I haven't a clue. nobody has said anything to me. But I'm getting good experience

Mads: You've looked great in the 2 games I've seen you play, you seen comfortable against MLB pitching and your defense is impressive

Todd: "Thanks, Its been a lot of fun so far. But like I said no one has talked to me one way or the other about my performance so far..I guess its good enough to keep getting PT."

Mads: Good Luck, hang in there.

Todd: Thanks

When Frazier and Jannish were in the games the left side was very strong defensively. Unfortunately Jannish hits about the same way my granson Alex would if he were at ST

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Here's Alex with a Billy Hatcher Baseball

So i'll be dropping tidbits re: the ST trip over the next couple of days. It was a lot of fun but I came away thinking that this team still is stuck in a fog.