AUBURN - At Friday night's Hot Stove Dinner put on by the Doubledays, manager Dennis Holmberg joked about the first time he came to Auburn, as a rookie minor leaguer playing for Newark in the New York-Penn League.
Trent Valentino, of Auburn, works on his swing with Dennis Holmberg. The Doubledays' manager was in Auburn to help with a youth baseball clinic and to speak at the Hot Stove dinner. Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
"I looked around and thought, 'What a terrible place this is,'" he said, holding a microphone before nearly 200 of the Doubledays' most dedicated fans. "Then I came back seven years later, this time as the manager in Newark, and I thought, 'Geez, this place hasn't improved one bit.'"
To judge by the enthusiastic laughter, no one seemed to take offense. After all, wearing his technicolor aloha shirt, a lei given to him by a woman at the dinner, and a perma-tan only slightly less rosy than its summertime version, the skipper oozes benevolence, charisma and popularity. As Doubledays general manager Carl Gutelius said at the function, Mayor Tim Lattimore's job could well be Holmberg's, if he wanted it, once Lattimore's term came up (to which Lattimore quipped, "You can have it.")
But as affectionate as Holmberg is for the town he refers to as his "second home", he is as Floridian as his complexion. And it was his devotion to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, his employer for the past 28 years, that first brought him to Auburn, which was initially a difficult decision for him to make.
Asked about managing again at Dunedin, the Blue Jays' Florida State League team, Holmberg acknowledged, "I'd love to go back."
If he would indeed prefer to stay in Florida year-round, then he's a victim of his own success, to an extent. Over his career, Holmberg has helped guide dozens, perhaps over 100, minor leaguers to become major leaguers - a group that already included four players from the 2002 Doubledays by the end of the Blue Jays' 2004 campaign: Russ Adams, David Bush, Brandon League and Adam Peterson.
Without a club to lead until June, Holmberg is a self-described "ghost" coach at the Jays' Dunedin complex, where he works with players at all levels.
"Wherever they need me, I work with these guys," he said. "I see a lot of (former Doubledays) every year. There's a four guys from 2002 (who have played for Toronto). You throw in two or three more from 2003, wait a year and get three or so more from 2004, and (soon) you'll have the Auburn Doubledays all playing for Toronto. Except for the manager, dang it."
In the offseason, Holmberg never strays far from baseball. He catches his son, Kenny, in action whenever possible - the younger Holmberg is a standout infielder at Embry-Riddle College who was once drafted by Toronto out of high school. He teaches kids he knows around his home in Palm Harbor, Fla., how to better play the game. To stay busy, Holmberg, obviously an instructor by nature, is a substitute middle school teacher.
"There's a great demand for teachers and substitute teachers," Holmberg said, "so I do that and enjoy it. It keeps me in touch with the school system, and it keeps me in touch with kids."
Holmberg said the kids he teaches, many of whom have disabilites of one kind or another, are always mesmerized by his 1993 World Series ring and his gold Blue Jays wristwatch.
"They see the ring and they say, 'Is that real gold? Are those real diamonds?' And I say, 'No, it's Cracker Jacks,'" said Holmberg.
The fact that the World Series ring is exactly the same, except for the number, as the one given to Joe Carter and the rest of the players is indicative of Holmberg's loyalty to the organization. And as long as the Blue Jays want him in Auburn, he's still happy to be here.
"Are there other places to go? Sure. But you know, if it's not broke, don't try to fix it," he said. "It's a great relationship between hundreds or thousands of people, and front office people. There's communication that takes place, there's appreciation, and you can't lose sight of the fact that this is good and healthy for the people of Auburn - but also for the players and the organization."
Staff writer Andrew Walter can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 258 or citizensports@lee.net
To judge by the enthusiastic laughter, no one seemed to take offense. After all, wearing his technicolor aloha shirt, a lei given to him by a woman at the dinner, and a perma-tan only slightly less rosy than its summertime version, the skipper oozes benevolence, charisma and popularity. As Doubledays general manager Carl Gutelius said at the function, Mayor Tim Lattimore's job could well be Holmberg's, if he wanted it, once Lattimore's term came up (to which Lattimore quipped, "You can have it.")
But as affectionate as Holmberg is for the town he refers to as his "second home", he is as Floridian as his complexion. And it was his devotion to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, his employer for the past 28 years, that first brought him to Auburn, which was initially a difficult decision for him to make.
Asked about managing again at Dunedin, the Blue Jays' Florida State League team, Holmberg acknowledged, "I'd love to go back."
If he would indeed prefer to stay in Florida year-round, then he's a victim of his own success, to an extent. Over his career, Holmberg has helped guide dozens, perhaps over 100, minor leaguers to become major leaguers - a group that already included four players from the 2002 Doubledays by the end of the Blue Jays' 2004 campaign: Russ Adams, David Bush, Brandon League and Adam Peterson.
Without a club to lead until June, Holmberg is a self-described "ghost" coach at the Jays' Dunedin complex, where he works with players at all levels.
"Wherever they need me, I work with these guys," he said. "I see a lot of (former Doubledays) every year. There's a four guys from 2002 (who have played for Toronto). You throw in two or three more from 2003, wait a year and get three or so more from 2004, and (soon) you'll have the Auburn Doubledays all playing for Toronto. Except for the manager, dang it."
In the offseason, Holmberg never strays far from baseball. He catches his son, Kenny, in action whenever possible - the younger Holmberg is a standout infielder at Embry-Riddle College who was once drafted by Toronto out of high school. He teaches kids he knows around his home in Palm Harbor, Fla., how to better play the game. To stay busy, Holmberg, obviously an instructor by nature, is a substitute middle school teacher.
"There's a great demand for teachers and substitute teachers," Holmberg said, "so I do that and enjoy it. It keeps me in touch with the school system, and it keeps me in touch with kids."
Holmberg said the kids he teaches, many of whom have disabilites of one kind or another, are always mesmerized by his 1993 World Series ring and his gold Blue Jays wristwatch.
"They see the ring and they say, 'Is that real gold? Are those real diamonds?' And I say, 'No, it's Cracker Jacks,'" said Holmberg.
The fact that the World Series ring is exactly the same, except for the number, as the one given to Joe Carter and the rest of the players is indicative of Holmberg's loyalty to the organization. And as long as the Blue Jays want him in Auburn, he's still happy to be here.
"Are there other places to go? Sure. But you know, if it's not broke, don't try to fix it," he said. "It's a great relationship between hundreds or thousands of people, and front office people. There's communication that takes place, there's appreciation, and you can't lose sight of the fact that this is good and healthy for the people of Auburn - but also for the players and the organization."
Staff writer Andrew Walter can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 258 or citizensports@lee.net
