Postcard #4 from the GM Winter Meetings

I think it’s time for me to
return home.

The only event today worthy
of mentioning was the Annual Manager’s Luncheon for the media.  It’s kind of cool to see Dusty Baker, Bud
Black, Terry Francona, Joe Girardi and Bob Geren all chatting it up in the same room during the
pre-lunch cocktail reception.  Sports
Illustrated’s Tom Verducci was there, as was
FOX’s Ken
Rosenthal and AP’s Ron Blum. 

Once the reception was over,
everyone was seated in a separate dining room. 
Each team was assigned to a round table with eight seats.  Geren and I hosted our beat writers Susan Slusser and Jane Lee,
while USA Today baseball writer and
Bay Area resident Jorge Ortiz joined us, as did
some members of the Japanese media who had interest about gauging our interest in signing Hideki Matsui. 

As by now you know, it’s our
team policy not to comment on any speculation or characterization of available
free agents.  So, our conversations,
though friendly, were very generic with our friends from the Pacific
Rim.  However, I always look
at these instances as great opportunities to establish closer relations with
international media, since there will come a day when we will feature a
Japanese player that will require their coverage on a daily basis.  I enjoyed sitting next to Takashi Yamakawa of Kyodo News,
and also meeting a reporter from the Hochi
Shimbun.  Geren was very gracious to
everyone on the table, and I think enjoyed the small talk that’s rarely part of
his daily routine during the season.  It’s
a time when we can all just be people, people on both sides of the fence who
should appreciate what a great profession we’re all part of.  

Of course, it won’t be long before we turn
our attention to another season and the tension returns.  Pitchers and catchers report in 70 days.