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PORT CHARLOTTE http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , Fla. (AP) — Grueling, late-night road trips are a loathed hallmark of minor league baseball, and most ballplayers can’t wait to leave bus life behind.Jack Labosky is traveling in a different lane. A relief pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Labosky used his $3,000 signing bonus to purchase a school bus, and he and girlfriend Madi Hiatt plan to live out of the renovated “skoolie” during the 2019 season. A healthy dose of whimsy went into that decision, to be sure, but it’s also a creative way for the couple to stretch Labosky’s meager minor league salary.“It’s kind of the one time in my life I feel like I’m able to do something like it,” Labosky said.The Rays selected Labosky, a two-way player at Duke, in the 22nd round of the draft last June. He quickly accepted the signing bonus — trivial compared to the millions earned by most first-round picks, but for Labosky, “$3,000 was hard to come by as a college student, so that was great to me.” He played the final 2½ months of the season with Class A Hudson Valley in Wappingers Falls, New York, living with a host family to stretch his $1,100-per-month salary while Hiatt, his high school sweetheart, went home to California.The stint at Hudson Valley was a test run in minor league life for Labosky, who is hoping to be assigned to Class A Bowling Green in Kentucky for opening day. After a few months apart, he and Hiatt determined that in future seasons Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey , wherever Labosky goes, Hiatt will, too.The problem: Labosky made only about $5,000 during his first season, including the signing bonus, and is not expecting much of a raise in 2019. With Hiatt focused on getting a master’s degree in educational psychology from Purdue University Online, there isn’t much room in the budget for rent.“Around the first offseason is when I realized, ‘Hey man, I’m pretty broke,'” Labosky said.Their first thought was to get an RV. Parking figured to be cheaper than rent, and a mobile home could move with the couple as Labosky hopefully climbed the minor league ladder. But RVs and fifth-wheel trailers cost at least tens of thousands of dollars.The internet led them to a thriftier option: renovated school buses, or “skoolies.”“It’s a little hippie,” Labosky said with a laugh. “Personally, I don’t consider myself, like my grandma says, the flower children of the ’60s, living in buses, stuff like that. I don’t really consider myself on that level. I’m doing it more for, I’m 22, turning 23 this summer, I don’t really have much responsibility outside of baseball.”“We just decided, ‘Why not?'” Hiatt said. “Why not just take a leap?”They bought a 1999 Blue Bird International for $4 Brian Flynn Jersey ,000 from a private Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Labosky drove it back to Durham, North Carolina, to begin the renovation process.“It had crayons and candy wrappers and homework under the seats,” Labosky said. “It was kind of crazy driving it home.”Their approach to the makeover mirrored that of HGTV’s Joanna and Chip Gaines — Hiatt took charge of design, Labosky handled construction. To save money, they did nearly everything themselves. They ripped out seats , insulated the walls and installed electrical wiring, water pipes, heating, air conditioning, a stovetop and more. They have a full-sized bed, a toilet and a shower. The floors are dark, the walls are tan and the cabinets are white — basic, but an impressive use of 172.5 square feet.“People say it’s modern,” Hiatt said of the aesthetic. “There is nothing real special about it, to be honest.”They painted the exterior white because white paint was the cheapest. Aside from a few small details — like the curtains sewn by Hiatt’s grandmother — the bus was ready to go by the time Labosky left for spring training in late February. Total cost, including purchase price: around $13,000.The skoolie is staying behind until Labosky learns where he’ll be on opening day. The right-hander had a 2.63 ERA with Hudson Valley last season and seems a good bet for a promotion to Bowling Green, but it’s possible Tampa Bay holds him in extended spring training in Port Charlotte. He’s hoping for the former, since players don’t get paid in extended and trailer parks are cheaper in Kentucky than Florida.Once Labosky has his assignment, Hiatt’s dad will help her move the bus because Hiatt hasn’t learned to drive her house yet http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , and a long road trip isn’t the best time for a crash course.And then the adventure is on. The couple started an Instagram account, The Grand Bus Adventure, to document the journey. Hiatt might follow Labosky and the team bus on the road once or twice during the season, but the plan is for her to stick around Port Charlotte or Bowling Green, find part-time work, study for her master’s and keep up with her own athletic training — she’s a collegiate runner-turned-marathoner who is preparing to run the Boston Marathon on April 15.Labosky has gotten some ribbing from past and current teammates about the bus, but mostly they’re impressed by the final result.“Once people see the finished product and they realize, ‘Oh, it’s a motorhome, it’s pretty normal,’ they’re a lot more positive toward it as opposed to being like, ‘Hey, I live in a school bus.’ That just sounds crazy,” Labosky said.Crazy, but certainly creative. And easing the anxiety of planning a life around Labosky’s pursuit of big league dreams.“I’ve learned throughout the process when Jack did get drafted and went to New York that this lifestyle requires no planning,” Hiatt said. “Now I’m not that stressed out, because we have a house on wheels. Now, everything I own literally comes with us.” ATLANTA (AP) — Max Fried credits time spent in the bullpen with helping his mentality as he becomes more confident in his talent and more aggressive with his approach.Now the Braves‘ young left-hander doesn’t want to go back to a relief role.Fried took a perfect game into the sixth inning, Nick Markakis drove in five runs with five hits and Atlanta beat Yu Darvish and the Chicago Cubs 9-4 on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.Fried said he has learned to “just trust my stuff.”Fried mixed his fastball clocked at 97 mph with a curve and slider and threw them all for consistent strikes.“When a kid figures something out with all that assortment, then you’re really got something,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.Fried (1-0) made a strong bid to keep a spot in Atlanta’s rotation after Kevin Gausman and Mike Foltynewicz come off the injured list. Gausman is expected to make his debut against Miami on Friday night, and Foltynewicz Justin Grimm Jersey , a 2018 All-Star, could return in about 10 days.Making only his 10th career start and his first this season after two scoreless relief appearances, the 25-year-old Fried recorded 17 straight outs to open the game. Mark Zagunis singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth to become Chicago’s first baserunner.Fried allowed one hit with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings.The Braves led 9-0 before the Cubs scored four runs in the ninth. Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer and Javier Baez followed with another homer off Chad Sobotka.The Cubs have lost five straight and are 1-5 for the first time since 2012, when they lost 101 games.“It sucks but that’s the beauty of this game,” Rizzo said. “We get to come in tomorrow and write our own script.”Three Chicago relievers gave up six runs in four innings.“We’ve just got to get our bullpen in order,” manager Joe Maddon said.It was a troubling series for the Cubs, who committed six errors in an 8-0 loss on Monday night and walked five batters in the eighth inning of a 6-4 loss on Wednesday night.Darvish (0-1) gave up three runs on five hits and four walks, one intentional, in four-plus innings. He set a career high with seven walks in his first start at Texas on Saturday.Right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. walked two batters and threw a wild pitch that allowed Inciarte to score from third. Tyler Chatwood allowed the three-run double to Markakis and a run-scoring single to Dansby Swanson.Braves left-hander A.J. Minter, making his 2019 debut after coming off the injured list, walked two batters before recording the final two outs in the ninth.Light rain began in the second inning and continued most of the game.TRAINER’S ROOMCubs: C Willson Contreras remained in the game after apparently having his left thumb jammed while tagging out Ozzie Albies in the fourth. Contreras blocked the plate, and Albies made a head-first slide into the catcher’s glove.Braves: Minter had been out with left shoulder inflammation. … Foltynewicz (right elbow bone spur) did not allow a hit or a run in five innings of his first of two planned rehab starts with Triple-A Gwinnett.DARVISH ENCOURAGEDDarvish was removed after giving up a leadoff double to Ender Inciarte and a walk to Josh Donaldson in the fifth. He said his pitches “were coming out better … and then my mind is better, too.”GET WELL, SKIPPERThe Braves placed large get-well cards for former manager Bobby Cox at three locations for fans to sign. One of the 4-foot wide cards was placed near Cox’s statue outside SunTrust Park. Cox, the Hall of Fame former manager, suffered a stroke on Tuesday and remains in an Atlanta-area hospital. No details about Cox’s condition have been released by his family or the team.CAREER NIGHTThe three-run double by Markakis was the big hit in Atlanta’s five-run fifth inning. Markakis matched his career high with three doubles and five hits. “It’s a good feeling, especially when you’re helping the team,” he said.ON DECKThe Cubs will continue their nine-game road trip when they open a series at NL Central rival Milwaukee on Friday night with LHP Jose Quintana looking for his first win.The Braves remain home to open a series against NL East rival Miami. Gausman is expected to come off the injured list for his 2019 debut after recovering from right shoulder tendinitis.