Diamondbacks utility man Ryan Roberts is knows for a few things: his versatility as a player and his tattoos. Now he’ll be known for something else.
As I found out through Big League Stew, Roberts actually spent part of the year living in the Reno Aces’ clubhouse during his minor league stint with the Triple-A team this year. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic has all the interesting details on the story.
The gist of the story is that Roberts leased a place in Phoenix because he expected to make the Diamondbacks’ 25-man roster. He didn’t and was sent to Triple-A Reno. Initially he had a place in Reno with his daughter and wife, but when he was called up to Arizona in May, his family came with him and they decided to remain there when he was demoted a few weeks later.
Instead of getting a lease for a place in Reno, Roberts decided to start crashing in the team’s clubhouse. He’d stay there, play video games, eat and drink from the stocked fridge, and then be at the park ready for the next day’s game. However unorthodox, the move was very practical for Roberts considering his team was on the road half the time and he spent most of his time at the park.
I’m guessing Roberts won’t be starting a trend amongst minor leaguers but I like the move. At the very least his wife can take comfort knowing that her husband wasn’t up to any funny business while he was in Reno. One question: does this story mean Roberts was homeless?
Sources:
Ryan Roberts’ low-rent housing in Reno [Arizona Republic]
Ryan Roberts lived in Reno’s clubhouse during minor league stay [Big League Stew]
