CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians morphed their annual winter development program into a fall initiative last year. For a week in September, about 30 minor leaguers toured Progressive Field and listened to speakers gab about all aspects of life in pro sports.
That week, I spoke with catching prospect Eric Haase and learned how he and his wife manage his baseball schedule, her winter work schedule and their child's schedule. I thought, "There are probably others out there with similar predicaments about which the average baseball fan has no idea." The concept for the series spawned from that conversation.