Ken Phelps! Ken Phelps!

By rattlerradio

You know of what I speak.

But, why would that particular Seinfeld clip pop into my head this morning?

There was this blog post by Kirby Arnod of the Everett Herald that showed up on my google news reader and I thought ‘Nice tie-in.’

Before the Fall League begins, the Mariners’ magnificent seven [players participating in the Arizona Fall League] went through something this afternoon that the organization takes seriously — a two-hour session of media training presented by Mariners baseball information director Tim Hevly and public information director Rebecca Hale.

What happens in a media training session?

Their program was held in the multipurpose room at the Mariners’ spring training complex in Peoria. It included advice and tales of personal experience by former Mariner Ken Phelps, who lives in the Phoenix area; a few video clips of how to (and not to) conduct a postgame interview; and a discussion with a couple of real, live baseball beat reporters, Shannon Drayer (of ESPN 710 radio) and me (of The Herald).

Phelps warned the guys that anything they say or do, can and will appear in print and online. He told them that nothing they say is ever off the record, even if they think they have an understanding with a reporter that it’s off the record. He told them to never criticize their teammates, to be humble in their success, to be honest and be themselves.

And….And…

After Phelps, the players saw video of two postgame interviews. One was a young Mariner who’d gotten his first big-league hit last month and said all the right things to Brad Adam of FSN.

“Anything stand out in that interview?”

Rebecca Hale asked the group. I’m not sure who responded, but one of the guys uttered two words: “His chew.”

Exactly. Spit it out when the cameras are on, even if you’ve just put it in.

But, I thought there was no tobacco in minor league baseball.

Interesting read.Click the link for the whole post.