Thank you for joining the T Bones. Was it hard to leave the Schaumburg Flyers and the Chicago environment?  Do you have a plan for keeping in shape in the off season?  What position would you like to play next season? Have a healthy and happy off season! - Donna & Bill, Shawnee, KS

Thank you guys for welcoming me to KC.  Without a doubt it is the best place in the Northern League, and from what I have been told one of the best places in all of minor league baseball to play.  It wasn't hard leaving the situation in Schaumburg, but it was hard being away from friends, family, and the fans that I had become close with through my three years as a Flyer.  It was also a little different this past season because I went to spring training with the Astros in Florida, so I was basically on the road from the middle of Feb. until Labor Day.

Right now it has been tough to really fully commit myself to training to play baseball.   I think keeping in shape is more of a lifestyle and as long as I am living an active lifestyle I will stay in shape.

Like I have always said, "Where they put me is where I will play."  My favorite spot on the field is behind the plate.

What was it like playing every position in one game?  That looked like fun. - Stephanie, Oak Grove, MO

That was the second time in my career that I have done it in one game, and it is a lot of fun.  I just wish that it would have come under different circumstances and we did it after we clinched the division rather than after we were eliminated.

Is there a position on the field you prefer to play? - Preston, Kansas City, KS

I touched on this in an earlier answer, yes, I prefer to be behind the plate.  I guess it is because that brings out the coach in me and I am able to control the game a little more by calling pitches and motivating my teammates during mound visits and other situations.  The only thing with catching is it is taxing on the body and the mental and physical grind is draining at times.

How do you pass the time on the long bus rides? - Gregory, Gladstone, MO

I'm a sleeper, once the bus is in motion I usually pass out.  This year we really got into Scrabble. Marty brought along his "Travel Scrabble" board one trip and I was hooked. From there on out we had a group that would play on the bus, in the clubhouse, wherever.  We even had to go as far as calling Andy's Mom one time for confirmation on a word (she is supposedly some sort of a Scrabble whiz), but we eventually invested in a couple dictionaries.

There will be a new playing surface this year at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, have you ever played on an all-natural grass infield?  How do you think it will differ from a typical infield or an artificial turf infield? - Chris, Lenexa, KS

I'm sure it will be fine. It probably will actually play truer.  As an infielder, especially at the corners, you try to minimize the number of hops the ball takes on the dirt to avoid any bad hops created by spike marks, rocks, or whatever else might alter the route of the ball.  If the whole field is grass, the ball should stay down longer and take good hops.  I am sure that with the job that "Donnie Baseball (head groundskeeper Don Frantz)" and the rest of the grounds crew does at the ballpark that it will again be one of the best surfaces in the country.

What other types of music do you like besides G. Love and Special Sauce (your walk-up music)? - Gail, Lawrence, KS

I am more of a laid back, acoustic guitar, no-worries type music listener.  I like Jack Johnson, Stephen Kellogg, Pat McGee, and probably some others that a lot of people haven't heard much of.  I also love worship music like Chris Tomlin, Third Day, mercyme., and Bebo Norman, listening to the words they sing brings me back to where I need to be.

Are you a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan? - Cheryl, Kansas City, MO

Cubs fan, no doubt.  I actually went as far as wearing a Cubs hat during Game 2 of the 2005 World Series at US Cellular Field.  Needless to say people weren't very found of me.

What is your favorite non-baseball movie? - Phil, Bonner Springs, KS

One of my favorite movies right now is "Facing the Giants", which really has a great message.  It is a football movie though, so if you are looking for a non-sport movie I would have to say Shall We Dance, Love Actually, and What Women Want are also great.  What can I say, I love chick flicks.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show? – Rebecca, Kansas City, KS

I don't know if I have any "guilty" pleasure TV shows, and I really don't watch much TV.  The only shows I really watch on a regular basis are House, The Office, and Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  Other than that I might have ESPN, HGTV, or the news on when I am at home.

Thanks to Nelson Gord for taking the time to answer your questions this week, and thank you to all fans who submitted questions.  Next week we will hear from T-Bones General Manager Rick Muntean.  He will talk about the T-Bones front office and the off-season.  If you have a question you would like to ask Rick, email Tommy Thrall at [email protected]