Indians Trainer Keeps It All Working
A rookie minor league manager was once asked by a veteran of the minor leagues what the most important positions on his team were. After a moment's thought, he fell back on the old baseball wisdom of strength up the middle. He began, "Well, probably my catcher, centerfielder, and..."
"Wrong," the older man cut him off. "Your trainer, your clubhouse man, and your bus driver!"
The trainer for a minor league baseball team is the traveling secretary, the "doc", the banker, the intermediary between players and coaching staff, and more. Indians trainer Teddy Blackwell brings well over a decade of experience to all the trainer's roles.
An Elon College alum, Teddy began his professional career with the B-Tribe immediately following graduation. He followed that up with a nine-year stint with the Indians Class A team in Kinston, N.C.
Prior to the 2003 season, Blackwell, a Sedalia, N.C. resident, was offered the opportunity to stay closer to home by returning to Burlington. His wife Deborah and son Raymond are regulars at the BAS, and during his school vacation, Raymond can often be seen at his father's side.
Indians players have benefitted from Teddy's presence in Burlington, but the biggest beneficiaries may be the Indians managers, coaches, and front office staff.
Indians General Manager Mark Cryan says,"Having Teddy here means that the clubhouse runs smoothly. When the team's on the road, everything's taken care of. He's a real pro."
"It was my first year managing, and I wouldn't have wanted anybody other than Teddy as my trainer," added B-Tribe skipper Lee May Jr. "He keeps the guys healthy and competing, and he knows how everything's supposed to work."
As part of his duties keeping the players on the field and playing their best, Teddy had some help this year from BENGAY, who introduced their Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch to minor league baseball this year. BENGAY also teamed up with the Indians to recognize the contributions of trainers throughout professional baseball. "It's a great product, and a good number of the guys have been using the patches," Blackwell commented.
"It's great to have another tool to help these guys through the little aches and pains that come with playing every day," Blackwell said. "And that's the key for us, to keep the kids healthy, to make it possible for them to get on the field and keep improving every day."
"Wrong," the older man cut him off. "Your trainer, your clubhouse man, and your bus driver!"
The trainer for a minor league baseball team is the traveling secretary, the "doc", the banker, the intermediary between players and coaching staff, and more. Indians trainer Teddy Blackwell brings well over a decade of experience to all the trainer's roles.
An Elon College alum, Teddy began his professional career with the B-Tribe immediately following graduation. He followed that up with a nine-year stint with the Indians Class A team in Kinston, N.C.
Prior to the 2003 season, Blackwell, a Sedalia, N.C. resident, was offered the opportunity to stay closer to home by returning to Burlington. His wife Deborah and son Raymond are regulars at the BAS, and during his school vacation, Raymond can often be seen at his father's side.
Indians players have benefitted from Teddy's presence in Burlington, but the biggest beneficiaries may be the Indians managers, coaches, and front office staff.
Indians General Manager Mark Cryan says,"Having Teddy here means that the clubhouse runs smoothly. When the team's on the road, everything's taken care of. He's a real pro."
"It was my first year managing, and I wouldn't have wanted anybody other than Teddy as my trainer," added B-Tribe skipper Lee May Jr. "He keeps the guys healthy and competing, and he knows how everything's supposed to work."
As part of his duties keeping the players on the field and playing their best, Teddy had some help this year from BENGAY, who introduced their Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch to minor league baseball this year. BENGAY also teamed up with the Indians to recognize the contributions of trainers throughout professional baseball. "It's a great product, and a good number of the guys have been using the patches," Blackwell commented.
"It's great to have another tool to help these guys through the little aches and pains that come with playing every day," Blackwell said. "And that's the key for us, to keep the kids healthy, to make it possible for them to get on the field and keep improving every day."