jamisea

I love Allison! When Ryan played in Pensacola, Allison called me to ask questions about housing very early—like in January—as she anticipated that Ryan would land on the AA Roster. Lord knows that navigating LIFE off the field can be hard for players. If a player is lucky enough to have a parent who is as much of an advocate for them as Allison is for Ryan, they are truly blessed. FYI, Ryan doesn't do social media, so Allison keeps us up to date on him.

Two Words: Ryan Mason. Call him up. He'll sort it out. Nerves of steel & talent to boot.

As a Blue Wahoos host mom, this is great news! I miss my “sons” this year, but at least they will get paid. Thanks Twins!

I met Willie Joe when he was in Pensacola for the Twins Caravan. He was called at his home the morning of the event to substitute for another player who missed his connecting flight and wouldn't make it in time. Pascagoula, MS is a 1.5 hour drive down I-10 and so Willie Joe jumped in his car and drove to the Caravan. What a very nice young man. I don't know about his baseball playing yet, but his work ethic and personality are 5-stars in my book. I hope to see him in Pensacola very soon.

Keep going guys and we'll see you in Pensacola soon. Our family has hosted quite a few of the Latin players this season and they are really great guys.

Pretty sure the reason Hackimer was suspended has something to do with his public display of anger at the manager (Borrego) on the field. My husband was at the game. I can't describe it further than this as I was not there.

As a host mom for the past 3 seasons in Pensacola, I applaud the Blue Jays and agree that the Minor League players should be paid more. It's a good first step. Our team here, Blue Wahoos (AA) were associated with the Cincinnati Reds since 2012 and the Reds did feed the team "healthy" catered meals 2x a day at the stadium. Sometimes it was food the players did not care for, but they were fed. I understand the Twins does the same thing. On the road they guys get a per diem. However, I helped one of my kids do his taxed for the YEAR and he was only paid 6600.00. Also keep in mind they have to pay the "clubbie" for laundry, services, etc. and there goes $300/mo. out automatically. In the case of Pensacola—a resort town during baseball season—there are few affordable rentals and even less when you consider the player has to find a landlord who will give them an employment clause, so when they do get sent up, traded, etc., the player's not in agua caliente—financially-speaking. That being said, they do have very good health insurance—as they should. Most of the young men we have housed have not received a big signing bonus, but they are passionate about the game and know if they are from VZ, DR etc they are better off than many of their countrymen. If you are near a minor league team and have a spare bedroom, contact your local team and help a kid out.

Hey Everyone! I'm the volunteer Host Family coordinator for the Blue Wahoos. I can't wait for the season to begin. We're super excited to see the guys play this year because the team will be Numero Uno! Blue Wahoos stadium is beautiful, but what makes it really special are the management and staff of the stadium. Every time you go to a game, whether it's once or all of them, they make you feel welcome and fun. Yes, I am ready for the season to get going...a little hyped up I guess. When y'all come to see a game, ask for "Jami the Host Mom." I'm usually there, cheering on my boys. Here's a stadium pic...

Hi Rosterman, I'll jump in on this one.... My name is Jami Sanderson and I have been the volunteer "Host Family" coordinator for the Blue Wahoos for the past couple of seasons. My husband, Randy and I began hosting players during the 2016 season. This will be our 4th season hosting players and we are looking forward to it. When the players leave Spring Training and they are named to the Blue Wahoos, they are given my phone number. I have a list of both host families and temporary housing for the players to choose from. I've found that by the time the players are in AA, many don't want a host family—they prefer sharing an apt. with other players. But some players do like a host family— particularly international players. There is not a lot of low rent housing available in Pensacola because our area's high tourist season (unlike south Florida) is in the summer. My husband and I have primarily housed international players mostly because we live close to the stadium and have a car they can drive. I'm working diligently in the offseason to line up more host families and housing options for the new players and looking forward to meeting them!