Players come, players go, players come, players…well-you get the idea. A player can be gone and back before you know it. A player can get promoted, released, waived, resigned, reassigned quicker than the time it takes me to write this column. Some players skip one or two levels-briefly, and then are sent back to their original designation. Lately I’ve been reluctant to go to the washroom at the ballpark or take the elevator three floors to the concourse for a hot dog fearing that the roster sheet I picked up before the game that night only a couple of hours ago might be only half accurate by the time I return. Triple A players need cell phones in the likely event they are waiting in the airport lounge, (or bus terminal), to get to their next level of baseball only to be told they are going somewhere else, staying, or they’ve been released. The only thing which seems to stay constant is the odd veteran, the manager, the coaching staff and the office staff. I mean, somebody has to stay here and sort this all out. I now know why players names are usually only taped on the top of their locker.

This past week has been especially crazy and the emails of roster updates, changes and corrections from the Lynx media staff were arriving by the hour. You can’t tell the players even with a scorecard these days. Recent injuries to some key Philadelphia Phillies jump started this last round of roster moves and, of course, they can not be predicted. But I would recommend a revolving door be installed at the entrance to the clubhouse and a couple of taxis on permanent standby outside the stadium as soon as possible. Just pack a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans and a pair of dress pants and a tie-and always have your bag ready and nearby in the clubhouse. Might just speed things up.

Relief pitchers seem especially vulnerable to the “ups and downs” of Triple A baseball. Some can’t seem to pick just one city to live in. First it’s Ottawa, then Philadelphia, then Ottawa, then..well you get the picture. Some of the other pitchers seem torn between Reading and Clearwater and Ottawa and back to Reading and/or Clearwater.

Some players get promoted and then a few games later, get released. Some arrive at Triple A, are effective, then are returned to the low minors. Some players, no matter how good a season they are having, don’t go anywhere. Some players retire.

All players seem to accept this as part of life in Triple A. They have been on countless long bus rides, (Lynx got into town yesterday at 3:45 AM), all kinds of weather, and all the other things which can happen on the road. Having living accommodations in more than one place can’t be easy. At the very least it must be confusing.

Although winning and losing isn’t the be all and end all in minor league baseball, it’s usually going to be your best players who get promoted to the Show. I’m always happy when someone gets his shot, no matter how brief. I’m always a bit sad when someone never gets to experience the ultimate or gets released. Many times a promotion from Triple A is a temporary injury replacement. Chris Roberson and Joe Thurston are getting another shot with the Philadelphia Phillies. Brennan King and Gary Burnham are still waiting for their chance. J.A. Happ hopes for more than just one emergency start. Jason Jaramillo plays the position easiest to get to the bigs. But mainly they come to the ball park, prepare for the game that day, and do what they can. Oh, and hope for that phone call from the big league club. Even, I suspect, the manager.

Last night when I asked Lynx manager John Russell about the problems all these roster changes can cause as he tries to organize the team, he laughed, (or was it cried- he’s a calm, steady type of manager so it was probably a laugh! ), and said “that’s minor league baseball.” But that really does sum things up.