Joakim’s Spring Training routine differs from the routine he follows during the regular season. Joakim wakes up early and heads over to the stadium at 7 a.m. He eats breakfast with his teammates in the clubhouse and gets ready for a full day’s work.
Pitching Day Routine:
The Royals start their day with a team stretch, which strength and conditioning coordinator Ty Hill conducts. After that, players loosen their arms and then do pitcher’s fielding practice (PFP’s). They shag during batting practice before finishing up with a conditioning routine. Tip on shagging: If you can catch and throw with your opposite hand, do it! You have to save bullets. Joakim often takes a fungo bat to the outfield and hits the balls back!
One conditioning drill the Royals run six 50 yards sprints (a total of 300 yards), back and forth. They do that twice.
On days after Joakim pitches, he does a full lower- and upper-body workout in the weight room.
Non-pitching day:
Joakim does his normal conditioning and throwing program, and he then watches the Cactus League game. If it is a home game, team rules require that a player stay for five innings of the game if the team is going to face that team during the regular season. If it is a National League team that the Royals aren’t going to play during the season, a player doesn’t have to stay at all.
Royals players who were not scheduled to play leaving after the 5th Inning during Spring Training.
Favorite things to do in Arizona:
- Go shopping at the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale
- Eat Cold Stone ice cream (Karla’s favorite)
- Eat at YardHouse or Kona Grill
- Walk around with his wife Karla and their chihuahua
