The Wandering Disciple

Sarasota, Florida: A sunny Fall day provided the backdrop for some afternoon baseball as the Fall Instructional League is underway in Florida. Today’s game featured the Orioles hosting the Twins. The Fall Instructional League runs for three weeks and features an opportunity for rising minor league stars to have a few additional weeks of instruction under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff. Click on the photo above for photos from the Orioles/Twins game .

Sarasota, Florida:  The Fall Instructional League is in full swing as the Orioles hosted the Twins at a sunny Ed Smith Stadium.  Today's game featured a big league surprise as Orioles slugger Chris Davis started at third base for the Orioles.  The fall instructional league is winding down with about a week left before camp breaks for the year. Click on the photo to view my Orioles/Twins photo gallery .

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Tampa Bay Rays spring training struggles continue as they fell to the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park. Andy Sonnanstine gave up four runs early and the offense was unable to recover, leading to their sixth loss in seven days. The Twins wasted no time reaching the scoreboard, posting two runs in the first inning. Ben Revere drew a walk to lead of the game. Revere stole second and then later scored an RBI single by Jason Kubel. Kubel would then score on a double by Danny Valencia to give the Twins a 2-0 lead. The Twins added two more runs in the second inning. Trevor Plouffe singled to get things started. He then stole second bad. Drew Butera followed with a fly ball to left that Johnny Damon lost in the sun, the ball fell to the ground and allowed Plouffe to score. Ben Revere then singled home Butera to increase the lead to 4-0. The Twins added yet another run in the third inning. Chris Parmelee homered to left to give the...

Sarasota, Florida: The Reds minor league squad took on a squad from the Twins for a fall exhibition game under sunny skies at Ed Smith Stadium for the final game of the fall instructional league. The Fall Instructional League follows the completion of the regular league season and consists of highly regarded prospects in the lower levels of minor league baseball. The players compete in a series of games and workouts to help refine their game and advance their careers. Just like minor league spring training and extended spring training, the purpose of the instructional league is to enhance a player’s game. No stats or scores are officially recorded; the focus is strictly on player development and not competition. Click on the photo above for pictures from the Reds/Twin gallery.