Social Distancing Day 20 …
On my 16th day of self-isolation (and what would’ve been Opening Day of Major League Baseball), I talked to a friend who works in the Yankees’ minor league system about his two-week quarantine in Tampa.
(This is the closest thing I have to baseball right now, and the miniature Reese’s I bought on my only grocery store run in the last 20 days aren’t numbing the pain.)
Quarantine Experience
Jon arrived at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 27. In his fourth year as an athletic trainer in the Yankees farm system, he was looking forward to kicking off another season.
He has spent the last three summers with the Staten Island Yankees, the Class A short-season affiliate and namesake of the big-league squad.
Official team workouts start in March, but Jon wanted to be there early to help with individual workouts as players trickled in.
Fast forward two months, and the season is in jeopardy. All sporting events have been canceled or postponed, and he just wrapped up a two-week quarantine with the players he was looking forward to helping.
“Once we had the meeting and shut everything down, everybody didn’t know what to do with themselves,” Jon said. “Baseball players are such creatures of habit, so they have their routine. It was like, ‘Can I still throw?’ ‘What can I do?'”
Both the MLB and MiLB shut down spring training and postponed their seasons on March 12. Three days later, baseball had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. That player was a minor leaguer in the Yankees farm system.
“It was weird being the first organization with a confirmed case,” Jon said. “I wouldn’t say there was panic, but it was just uncertain.”
Jon and the rest of the staff and minor league players were told to stay in their hotel rooms (or alternative housing) and leave as infrequently as possible, only when essential.
As part of the medical staff, Jon was there to check on players and help if anyone experienced symptoms. He also helped deliver the meals he was so appreciative of receiving.
“The (Yankees) organization was great. They took great care of our guys and provided everybody with meals during the quarantine period.”
But this new role didn’t take up as much time as the role he typically plays.
“We don’t usually have any days off in March,” he said. “Once we hit the first workout, it’s 6:30 (a.m.) to 5 in the evening. If I wanted to lift, I’d have to lift after work. And then it’s go home, eat and go to bed, and get up and do it again the next day.”
Luckily, the athletic trainer with newfound (forced) free time bought a PlayStation just before the quarantine.
“That was a great investment,” he said. “I’ve absolutely dominated some NHL. I started a career and stuff, although I got drafted by the Red Wings, so that kind of sucks. But we’ll work our way out of that.”
He’s also doing a Bible-in-a-year study and says he has enough space in his room to refine his putting skills and play around with his golf clubs.
“I’ve been doing some hotel workouts, too,” he said. “It’s tough with just doing body-weight stuff. I had been on a really good lifting routine before this all started, so (I’m) just trying to stay in that.”
Jon says players were also given body-weight workouts and other programs to help with their mobility.
Players were released from quarantine on March 26, but international players who were unable to return to their home countries stayed in Tampa.
Jon and a lot of the staff are still around as well.
Although (like many Americans and people around the world) he and the team are trying to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation, he says the waiting game is tough.
“I’m down here to work,” he said. “It’s weird to not be in the complex with these guys and building relationships and hanging out in the dugout. This is just so different than anything I’ve experienced in baseball.”
Thank you to Jon for giving us an inside look. He also shared his recommendations for all of us to stay in shape during this time of staying home.
“Get up and move. Body-weight workouts can be great for overall fitness, and if you’ve got stairs or weight equipment, that is even better. Blocking out 30-45 minutes a day to move and get your heart pumping is a great start to any day.”
So Jon, where do my miniature Reese’s factor in to the equation?