SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Padres made their annual migration to the desert on Thursday with what they call "Truck Day" – a surprisingly complex task that involves transporting everything the Major League Baseball team needs for nearly two months at their Spring Training home in Peoria, Arizona.
T.J. Laidlaw, the Padres' clubhouse and equipment manager, oversees this massive moving operation. For two decades, he has been responsible for ensuring the team has everything in place when players arrive in Arizona.
"It's a lot of gear. I think we're at over 20 pallets of shorts, shirts, hats," Laidlaw said.
The preparation for spring training is a year-round effort, even though the baseball season only lasts about six months.
"Actually I start ordering next year's stuff in March. There's always new stuff, new hoodies, new graphics, and new things we've got to pay attention to," Laidlaw said.
The shipment includes tons of the usual baseball gear – bats, gloves, jerseys, and pullovers. But there are also unusual items that might surprise fans, like an entire bin full of butane lighters.
"We have, like, candles that we, you know, make the clubhouse nice. Random stuff does come up like that," Laidlaw said.
Just like anyone packing for a long trip, Laidlaw experiences last-minute stress as the trucks prepare to depart.
"Like, right now, in the last 20 minutes of this before the trucks leave, it's like, what did we forget? Just bring it all," Laidlaw said.
If something does get left behind, the team has a backup plan.
"FedEx, UPS are like our best friends, because we've overnighted a lot of stuff," Laidlaw said.
The equipment all ends up in Peoria, Arizona, where pitchers and catchers report to camp early next month.
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