Scott Butherus' View from the Cheap Seats, Day 2:
(Left: Butherus and Pirate Ian Snell)
Today was a baseball day. First stop: the IMG Baseball Academy in Bradenton, where I visited with Tom Pluto. Coach Pluto has been in baseball for the past 41 years, serving in a variety of roles: All-American player in college; coach of several high school and college programs; scout for both the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics. Currently, Pluto works as an instructor with the Academy, where students from around the world combine academic studies with athletic training in a variety of sports. The Academy is also a popular place for marquee athletes to train during the offseason; the All-Star list of attendees includes Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Gary Sheffield and Jason Varitek. When I asked Pluto why Florida consistently produces some of the best young talent in America, he points to the weather. “Kids down here play year-round. When most of the ballfields up north are snowed over, kids in Florida are outside in shorts and a T-shirt…you can construct the most exact replica of a pitching mound in a gym, but it will never be the same as throwing on a grassy field.â€
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.