A certain generation of Kansas Citians will know what I’m talking about"What was your job at Exchange City?I realize not everyone that is a Royals fan is a Kansas City native Nolan Ryan Jersey , but for those of you that are, and that grew up in the 80s and 90s know exactly what I am talking about. Exchange City was a model of a real city that every school in the area visited for an annual field trip around the fifth grade. Everyone was assigned jobs, and you worked those jobs for fake currency you could spend at various shops in Exchange City to learn about the soul-crushing reality of our capitalist system. Oh, and one person got to be the DJ at the radio station!There were many other kinds of jobs - mayor, judge, traffic cop (stay off the grass!), sign-maker (signs were the major industry of Exchange City), candy store clerk. My job was newspaper reporter, I guess mostly because “poorly paid sports blogger” wasn’t a thing back then. We worked on hard-hitting stories like “KIDS HAVING GOOD TIME AT EXCHANGE CITY.” Ewing Kauffman, the founder and longtime owner of the Royals, was a financial supporter of Exchange City for many years, which should be no surprise considering how much he supported teaching young people about entrepreneurship. In 2008 Exchange City got a new operator http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , and it looks like they were hit hard by the recession. Here is a video, that looks fairly similar to the town when I attended in the 80s, except they added corporate sponsorships (kids, learn to be an auditor at KPMG!)Apparently Exchange City shut down three years ago. But there is a similar facility called “School of Economics”, operating in Blue Springs that some of you may have attended. It has been open since 1994, and will be opening a new location in downtown Kansas City later this year. The School of Economics may not directly teach the kids about Keynes or Hayek, but they do emphasize the producer and consumer sides of an economy. But I bring all this up because it is time for my son to have the Exchange City/School of Economics experience. My son’s class will be going in a few weeks so they can learn skills for the future, like balancing a checkbook and learning how to write a check. I urged him to follow in my footsteps and write for the prestigious newspaper, but I think an overleveraged hedge fund bought the paper and squeezed out the reporters in favor of video content. Instead he will serve as a cook (I presume microwaving hot dogs or somethin’). So for those of you that attended Exchange City or one of its descendants, what was your job? What was your experience like? Did you walk on the grass? And is there something like Exchange City in other cities? AL Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani has been medically cleared to resume full strength training on his right arm following Tommy John surgery, although he will not be ready to hit for the Los Angeles Angels by opening day.Angels general manager Billy Eppler provided a positive update Thursday on the recovery of his two-way star, who had surgery Oct. 1.The Angels expect Ohtani to be their designated hitter at some point in 2019 Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey , but he will not be active when the Angels open the regular season in late March, Eppler says. Ohtani is not expected to pitch again until 2020.“It’s clear to us that the timing of his progression will not allow him to be active for opening day,” Eppler said. “Anything beyond that, I cannot answer at this time, because it’s a multilayered progression that he has to go through. To pinpoint a time is unrealistic.”Ohtani’s latest appointment with Dr. Neal El Attrache “went really well,” according to Eppler. Ohtani was cleared to begin weight training Friday as the right-hander rebuilds strength on his right side.Ohtani had already begun lower-body conditioning, Eppler said. When his upper-body strength returns to an acceptable level, which typically occurs after a few weeks of weight training, he will be cleared to take dry swings.Ohtani will report to the Angels’ spring training camp in Tempe, Arizona, before their first workout for pitchers and catchers on Feb. 13. He will participate in camp, but only in his current rehab program.“He’ll be doing what he’s been medically cleared to do http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey ,” Eppler said.During his dynamic rookie year in the majors, Ohtani batted .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs in just 367 plate appearances while going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 10 pitching starts.Eppler declined to speculate on the length of Ohtani’s current conditioning stretch, or when he will return to any phase of hitting. Ohtani is attempting a unique recovery from Tommy John surgery as he tries to continue his hitting career while resting his pitching arm for the customary length of elbow ligament replacement rehabilitation.Eppler also gave an encouraging update on first baseman Albert Pujols, who hasn’t played since having surgery on his left knee in late August. The three-time NL MVP has been hitting “for a while now,” Eppler said, and has increased his weight training.“We’re very optimistic that the next stage for him is when we get out on the field and start moving around a little bit more, and then incorporating at-bats in games,” Eppler said.The 39-year-old Pujols has three years remaining on his $240 million contract. He batted .245 last season with 19 homers, putting him sixth in baseball history with 633 homers heading into this year.