This is an account of life on the road with a Frontier League baseball team as told by a first-year baseball broadcaster, Roger Redmon of the Florence Freedom.

"You don't truly get a feel for what baseball players are like until you travel with them. After six home games to begin the season, I got a full dose of travel Frontier League-style to the tune of nine straight games away from the friendly confines of Champion Window Field. My biggest concern in anticipating broadcasting from new venues is sight lines from the broadcast booth, logistics for hooking up equipment, game notes and just any kind of broadcasting situations. For the players and coaches, their favorite topic is the type of hotel we'll be staying in and what sort of eating establishments are nearby. You see, when everyone travels together in one vehicle (the bus) you aren't exactly mobile when you're staying in hotels on the road. Therefore, having a choice of eating establishments close by is essential."

"Roommates are another factor to consider when traveling with the team. Luckily, my roommate and I are both of the 'live and let-live genre.' The team's trainer, Dominic Favia, is my roomie. We get along well and seem to enjoy each other's company. I've found that it's important to have someone to bounce things off of, and also to unload some frustration on. Dom is in his second season with the team, so he's a valuable resource for me.  Dom also taught me that members of the traveling party are known by the task they perform. In other words, my travel name is 'Radio,' while our bus driver, Dave Wright, is known as 'Bussie.' You get the picture.

"Nine games in a row on the road is not popular with anybody. The bright spot of the first road trip to Gateway, River City and Kalamazoo is one day back at home between River City and Kalamazoo to grab some fresh laundry and get our bearings straight. Although, after dropping five of the first six to the Grizzlies and Rascals (you've gotta love the nicknames!) maybe a few hours out of the immediate vicinity of manager Jamie Keefe and pitching coach Chris Hook will be welcome for everybody. I don't have to tell you why those two are unhappy. We lost 17-8 at Gateway in the first game of the trip, and that set an unhappy tone for the rest of our little excursion. The only bright spot from the three games at Gateway was our exposure to a unique sandwich that can only be found at GCS Ballpark in Gateway. This unusual burger has received national attention via ESPN 2's Cold Pizza and the CBS Evening News. It's a fairly normal hamburger until you consider what the bun consists of: two "Krispy Kreme" donuts. Enough said. One of our pitchers, Luke Adkins, was the only member of the traveling party brave enough to sample one. His review wasn't positive. But, believe it or not, lots of folks like them. At least the donuts are toasted, so the icing isn't as much of a factor.

"After a day at home, we headed out for Kalamazoo, Michigan and a three-game series with the defending league champion Kings. We're still licking our wounds from the poundings we took at Gateway and River City. But at least we won the last game at River City. That softened the blow a little. If you're going to win one of the three games in a series, win the last one. That colors the mood for the bus ride a little more brightly.

SAD BUT TRUE TALE FROM THE ROAD...

As a lifelong fan of the game of baseball, I've found you can easily separate the human element from the pure and simple numbers of the sport. In other words, if you don't hit enough home runs or drive in enough runs or hit for a high enough average, then you're susceptible to being traded, released or sent to the minor leagues. In the Frontier League, there is no option other than being traded or released. We don't have a farm system in which to assign players. The reality is when you're released from a team in our league your options are limited. For many players, that's a sign you should implement life's 'plan B.' I've only been in professional baseball for a few weeks but I've already seen reality rear its ugly head. We have a right-handed pitcher named Bob Burris who was a shining star in the Frontier League a few seasons back when he pitched for Jamie Keefe in Chillicothe. In fact, Bob was so impressive in his stint in our league that he was signed by the Oakland Athletics organization. His numbers (there's that word again) were sparkling for Vancouver in the Northwest League where he had an earned run average of 1.91. His future looked to be limitless until an off-season car accident tore muscles in his neck and shoulder, severely affecting his ability to throw a baseball the way he had become accustomed. That was three years ago. Bob was attempting a comeback with the Freedom, until reality (there's another word that isn't pleasant) reared its ugly head again. Not enough velocity. Not enough movement on his pitches. Not enough command of the strike zone. Luckily, Bob had planned for the future. He would need to return to his job in Florida working for the Department of Homeland Security. But not until this road trip was over. He would stay on as a batting practice pitcher and first base coach until further notice. One of the good guys would be leaving us. I've learned not to become too attached to players. They may not be here that long.