This should really be a fanshot, but with less activity here in the offseason, I'm always afraid the fanshots are too far down to be read by anyone.

Anyhoo, great article in the NY Times by Doug Glanville, a 6-year major-leaguer from 1996 to 2004 with the Phillies, Cubs , and Rangers. 

 

The best way to tell who had way too much time on their hands: they’ve bought something that they realized was absurd — a timeshare in a war zone, or an alpaca farm — but instead of admitting that, say, alpacas wouldn’t fare well in downtown Philadelphia, they try to sell you one, too.

 

...The off-season would not be complete without creating the ultimate drill to fix your broken swing. Hit with one eye. Hit blindfolded. Hit with your back to the pitcher. Or maybe kneel on this hand while biting a piece of tree bark, and then swing. The best part about these homemade drills is the special bats or strange machines players usually invent so the drills can be executed correctly. Landfills near major league cities are full of ballplayers’ discarded off-season mock-science contraptions.

Go read the whole thing. It's pretty well-written, and a fun diversion from the HoT sToVe.

If you're bored, you can predict your favorite Oriole's or ex-Oriole's offseason regimen in the comments. Beyond, say, drinking and punching judges.