High Skies, Part One

This week, Spring Training baseball games begin in Arizona and Florida. If you’ve never been to Spring Training, you don’t know what you’re missing.

I’ve only had the opportunity to attend a few times myself (each time in Arizona), but the experiences last a lifetime if you’re a true fan of the game. Baseball’s in my blood, and in many ways, Spring Training represents the game in its purest form – an enjoyable day at the park in beautiful weather; close seats; and plenty of hard playing from the young and hungry ballplayers. For those of you who haven’t yet experienced baseball in March, I’d like to take this time to tell you why you should as soon as possible, and if you’ll indulge me, share some of my favorite Spring Training memories with you.

The first reason? Easy – it’s baseball – at the soonest time you can get it! If you’re like me, and hail from an area that’s cold in February and March, the balmy temperatures of Arizona and Florida can be the perfect cure for the wintertime blues; making the whole experience even more satisfying – and entertaining.

The first time I visited Spring Training, my wife and I grabbed our seats on a quaint little field in Maryvale, Arizona, and basked in the sun while the teams went through their pre-game warm-ups. The mercury was in the low 60’s or so, and we were dressed in T-shirts and shorts. After all, the low 60’s can feel like 100 degrees when you’re used the single digits… Anyway, the kind denizens of Arizona are accustomed to a much higher temperature, and my wife and I got the strangest stares from the locals the moment we walked into the park. After making certain we didn’t have holes in the back of our pants, or worse, we finally figured out why – most of the people staring at us were wearing parkas! They must’ve thought we were insane – or from the North Pole… I still chuckle thinking about that day.

I’m fond of arriving as soon as games start – before split-squad games and long bus rides start to make the players a little less interested in interacting with the fans – and a little more interested in getting to sleep… okay, hitting the nightclubs… but I digress.

Spring Training is a walking, talking, breathing baseball history lesson – if you know where to look. I’m not much of an autograph hound, but given the opportunity, I enjoy talking to players and hearing their stories firsthand. Most fans recognize today’s stars, but yesterday’s heroes are often overlooked. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking with men like Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Vida Blue, and many others simply because nobody recognized them hanging out at the ballparks. Believe me, I’ll trade you every autograph of every player in the majors for another five minutes of sitting in the sun-drenched bleachers talking to Billy Williams about facing Bob Gibson…

If you are an autograph hound, however, there are plenty of opportunities to meet today’s superstars, as well. You may also find that some of them aren’t exactly what you’d expect. A few years back, I attended a Mariners-Giants game in Peoria. Most of the players signed autographs and took photos with fans as they entered the park. Most of the attention, as you’d expect, was reserved for two players – Ken Griffey, Jr. and Barry Bonds. At the time, Junior Griffey was baseball’s darling – his ever-smiling face a stark contrast to the oft-churlish Bonds. However, when the two star players arrived, the fans knew which one of them appreciated the attention. Griffey saw the throng of fans gathering, hopped on a golf cart, and sped past everyone into the stadium. Bonds, however, signed photographs and baseballs for at least fifty fans before he had to go stretch. He did it again on his way out.