Phillies Equipment Truck is Leaving for Clearwater Today
Phillies spring training draws nearer and nearer as their equipment truck begins the journey down to Clearwater today with everything the team needs.
Phillies spring training officially begins in less than a week with the first pitcher and catcher workouts starting Feb. 14. With the start six days away and counting, Philadelphia’s equipment truck begins the trip to Florida today.
According to Google Maps, the drive from Citizens Bank Park to Specturm Field in Clearwater takes just under 16 hours, spanning 1,060 miles. In this video released by the Phils, equipment manager Dan O’Rourke says they will try to leave by 11 A.M. Wednesday and arrive by Friday morning.
Tomorrow is #TruckDay! Take a look at the preparation that goes into sending all the #Phillies gear down to Clearwater. 🚚 pic.twitter.com/FpcRFmci3f
— Phillies (@Phillies) February 7, 2017
According to Rourke, the team is bringing:
- 10,000 12 oz POWERADE cups
- 2,400 baseballs
- 2,000 short and long sleeve shirts
- 1,200 bats
- 600 pair of pants
- 600 batting practice hats
- 450 pair of socks
- 350 pair of shorts
- 250 batting practice tops
- 200 fleeces
- 200 light jackets
- 150 pair of batting gloves
- 140 batting helmets
- 125 leather and elastic belts
- 75 assorted spike, plastic and turf shoes
- 40 heavy jackets
- 25 sets of golf clubs
- 20 coolers and a half pallet of POWERADE mix
- 6 bikes
- 1 Phanatic hot dog launcher
More from That Balls Outta Here
O’Rourke offered an interesting comment on one of the lesser-known parts of having a younger team. He told Mike DeNardo of CBS Philly:
“The only thing different is that we have a lot of single players, or players with not a lot of children. So we have less bicycles and little tricycles and stuff like that. So we do have less personals with a lot of single players.”
The Phils have the second-youngest roster in the majors at 25.3 years old. Compared to the past several years where they had plenty of veterans in the clubhouse, it makes sense that the team needs less stuff for players’ families.
Only in baseball do fans get excited over a truck carrying equipment, but that’s what make those fans special.