Ask any employee of the Boise Spuds what the term du jour is and they'll likely tell you "cuture." It's been the mantra of new general manager Joe Lederer and reports are that it's been embraced throughout the entire organization, from owner Francis Nephi Grigg IV all the way down to the parking attendants at Grigg Memorial Stadium. In interviews since his hiring last month, Lederer has stressed the importance of a winning culture for the Boise ball club, both on and off the field.
Encouraged by Lederer and manager Barrett Callahan, a group of Spuds players and their spouses spent New Years at Idaho's Sun Valley Resort. By all accounts, Lederer's plan to further team camaraderie as well as offer a break from off-season workouts seems to have worked, according to social media photos posted by various players.
Making the intrastate trip was team captain Pedro Nava, Bill Pidduck, Samuel Cant, Ken Gerhart, Carlos Muñóz, Dave Walsh, and newly signed Norm Smith, as well as spouses and girlfriends. Muñóz, who typically spends his off-seasons back home in the Dominican Republic, tweeted out "First time in the snow! Great way to start 2039 with my dudes! #spudfamilia" while Walsh's Instagram showed the lefty tossing snowballs to Smith, holding a broken tree branch like a bat.
It wasn't all fun and games, however, as BBN reported that Nava stubbed a toe on his left foot getting into the hot tub located on the property, a multi-million dollar lodge owned by Grigg. Team doctors plan to fly Nava directly back to Boise for tests and evaluation.
