Sometime in the early 1990's we went to a ST game at Jack Russell stadium in Clearwater. It was the Phillies home park. The Indians had three top prosepects that spring. Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Kenny Lofton. Lofton MIGHT have played the most in the majors at that time but I don't believe any of the three had many atbats in the majors at that time. We sat in the first row right behind the Indians dugout. I mean we were right there close to the players.I remember my friend was talking to Thome while he was in the on deck circle and thome heard him and looked at us...Not sure if it was the winning run or not but Lofton scored a big go ahead run in the 9th inning. He scored from first and the play the plate was super close.The Indians had plenty of fans that had come over from winter haven....
A side story to this memory, they were selling ST game used bats there. They had a barrel full of bats used by different players. My buddy went through the bats and looked at every one of them.He finally found one that was not cracked and so he bought it.It was dirt cheap too, think he paid like $20 for it. I was stunned when he came back to his seat with the bat. it had a number 10 on the end.We guessed it was Darren Daulton's bat. It is a Louisville slugger bat with MLB pro model on it instead of a players name on it. Anyway a few years later a bunch of us got together to play softball at a local recreation complex. My buddy brought that bat and showed it around and told them that he had bought it as a game used ST bat. Once they swung it and held it they could tell that it was a major league quality bat. One of the guys asked WHO's bat is this?... My buddy just smiled and said look at the number on the end... the guy looked at it and said, Number 10...... number 10.... oh my god Chipper Jones!.. my buddy never told them any difference, just said i'm surprised that it took you that long to see that..... Then all of the others wanted to hold the bat again if Chipper had used it in a ST game.....
