Grinds attends MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas: Reactions



ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew analyzes the events from Day 2 in Dallas

 A lot has happened since our last blog entry but we like to make sure everything we talk about on here is always engaging and worthy of our reader's time. That being said, Grinds recently set up shop for a few days at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas, Texas for Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings. If you had a chance to tune in or follow the days events via ESPN or the MLB Network you know that the gathering is basically a 72-hour opportunity for players, coaches, general managers, and agents to engage in rapid fire negotiations for the markets biggest free agents. While there are events that take place throughout the week (galas, dinners, tradeshow, etc.), the main event takes place in the hotel lobby and atrium where baseball's brightest stars, biggest names, and most notable media reps gather to act and report on up-to-the-minute developments as they happen. In the first 15 minutes of our arrival we spotted San Francisco Giants Manager Bruce Bochy, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and recently acquired Miami Marlins closer Heath Bell. It truly is a behind-the-scenes experience that can best be described as a baseball business marathon.

Miami Marlins newest acquisition
SS Jose Reyes arrives in Dallas for

Grinds specific attendance at the Winter Meetings was used to introduce the product to new circles within Major and Minor League Baseball and also to meet with representatives from MLB directly to discuss the role Grinds could play in assisting players limit their tobacco use in the future. Per the recently finalized Collective Bargaining Agreement and a source from the league office, there will now be a conscious effort from the players and teams to inform their players of the risks of smokeless tobacco.  While the details surrounding this program are still unclear, the fact that the MLB Players Association has finally committed to addressing the issue is a development in itself. The upcoming 2012 season will be the first in which tobacco use is actually regulated at the Major League level -- a development that should be interesting to follow as some players who have used chewing or smokeless tobacco for decades will now have to answer to the league office if caught violating the terms of the new agreement. Grinds plans to follow developments as close as anyone and hopes to help players, coaches, and team personnel seeking an alternative to their tobacco or energy habits all along the way.