Picnic

As NL West brethren take BP, workout and improve, Bob Melvin, the game's premiere communicator with a losing managerial record, is intently prepping to address one of baseball's five largest workforces - three hundred Diamondback employees not selling tickets.

It's Derrick Hall's idea and here's his money quote:

"We have a great group of players, and we want our employees to get to interact with them so they can see that first hand"

Peculiar the feted 300 dont currently see that first hand, because after spring ball, they and the players basically work in the same building for six months. You'd think if the club simply instructed players not be A-holes half the year, say "Hi" once a month, the org might quietly bond without the expense (and pretense) of a media-driven feel trip.

Besides, what quality of "interaction" can one reasonably expect from this controlled, public relations picnic? Two hints:

the D-backs manager has invited the entire front office to sit in on the talk, which will be held outside at the Team's Minor League complex.

Team employees will be bused down to Tucson in the morning and following the meeting will watch the workout, have lunch and then head back to Phoenix.

So, underlings will "sit in" at a large outdoor gathering, "watch" a workout, be fed and return home on a bus. Not exactly a petri dish for lasting relationships. Meaningful communciation with a player can probably be ruled out under such circumstances, unless diddling the gal from payables behind the pavillion, accrues any added significance this spring.

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Song of the Day - Day Tripper (The Beatles)