Columnists
Spring training 2012
We are experiencing the kind of weather when a young man’s fancy turns to…Baseball! For that matter, a young woman’s fancy as well. Not that I struggle to be politically correct.
The pitchers and catchers arrived a couple of weeks ago, as did a few others hoping to glean a few extra brownie points. At this point, just before the month of March, players are stretching and flexing, running and hitting, catching and throwing.
The Spring Training season begins in earnest for the Red Sox on Saturday, March 3. Prior to that date, players could take it easy on the playing fields. The Minnesota Twins open on the same day against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are less than an hour’s drive up the coast at Punta Gorda, an easy hike on the freeway.
The Red Sox are in the process of putting on a new face this year. I will not dwell on the fact that they had a disastrous September last year. They went in the tank, and have moved around some people to prepare for this season. Gone are the managerial types from the field and the office. Bobby Valentine now holds the reins at field level. A man of many seasons, he spent most of the last decade positioning players in Japan.
For the past several years, Red Sox players drove their own vehicles to out-oftown games during the Spring Training season. Often, it would be a matter of less than an hour’s drive. There are 13 major league baseball clubs preparing for the season in Florida. The Toronto Blue Jays are situated in Dunedin, on the Gulf Coast, north of the Phillies and the Yankees. The Pirates and the Orioles are also on the Gulf Coast.
Three teams are located in central Florida: the Tigers in Lakeland, the Braves and the Astros close to Disney World. The Nationals, the Mets, the Cardinals and the Marlins fill out the roster on the Atlantic Coast. All said and done, half of the teams in MLB are located on the eastern side of the U.S.A.
Valentine has decided that his players will leave their car keys in their lockers this spring. All players will board the buses at JetBlue Park to travel to “away” games in the spring. This may not be a big deal, but does merit a word or two. Suggestions were made that the Red Sox collapse last season may have come as a result of lax supervision by recently departed Manager Terry Francona. It was reported that some players were sipping bubby and wolfing down fried chicken prior to the conclusion of the game!
Management felt it was time for a change. Make that “changes.” Jason Varitek will not be wearing a Red Sox uniform this year, and he was indeed a staple behind the plate for many years: starting at least 100 games in 10 out of the last 11 years. Marco Scutaro, the capable infielder the Sox snatched from the Blue Jays, is gone. Jonathon Papelbon has moved on, creating a closing spot in the pitching corps.
Over at Hammond Stadium, the Minnesota Twins are also preparing for opening day in early April. For one dollar, you may purchase a lineup card to help place numbers and names to faces on the field. Joe Mauer, number 7 on my score card, and number one in the hearts and minds of most Twins’ fans, signed my card. He was most congenial. He strolled along the gauntlet between the fencing that channelled players to the clubhouse from the field. He knows the side of the bread that the butter goes on.
Fingers are crossed that Justin Morneau will start the season at first base. He is one of the very best Canadians ever to play the game, and he has struggled with concussion symptoms the past two seasons. The Twins need his bat in the lineup.
The bougainvilleas are in bloom. And yes, I did look up the spelling! Pass me the peanuts!
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