Cactus League - Spring Training Trip

[sully]

We got this trip booked today. It's just me and Lytle now, though. We'll be there March 5-8th. Watching games in Scottdale, Surprise and Tempe. We'll be at the practice fields in the mornings and games in the afternoons. May skip a practice and game to squeeze in a round or two of golf.

[P. Marf]

Sounds awesome.

[sully]

This trip was awesome.

Got to Phoenix Sat morning around 11. Ate lunch at In-n-Out Burger on the way to Scottsdale. Got to the brand new Salt River Fields, home of the Dbacks and Rockies, an hour before game time. Really nice park. Game was Sold out. No scalpers. Nothing. So, we headed across town to Glendale, to Camelback Ranch, home of the Dodgers and White Sox.

Dodgers were hosting the Reds. Clayton Kershaw started against Bronson Arroyo. Got to see Votto, Kemp, Casey Blake and others. Don Mattingly is managing the Dodgers. Dodgers take it 2-0. First spring experience, and we are blown away. So close to the players. It's awesome.

Had several beers the rest of that day and into the night, but made it to Surprise for practice the next morning. You are up close and personal with all the players here. It's like standing around on the field with them. So great. We didn't try to fight through for autographs this day. There were probably 30-40 others there watching. Walked over to the Royals practice fields to watch an Air Force/Kansas game, then tailgated until the 1:05 first pitch of Rangers/Brewers. Good game. Rangers win 8-1. Greinke got knocked around by Young and Davis. Harrison pitched well. Got autographs from David Murphy, Chris Davis, Mitch Moreland and Ron Washington. Got a good pic with Wash and me. Met some cool people and saw a screaming lined foul ball break the old man's hand two rows down from us. After the Rangers game, ASU played UC-Riverside. We watched the start, then got out of there.

The next day was our most baseball intensive day of the trip. Surprise for practice, where we watched all the minor leaguers hit and throw. They were just reporting to camp. The every day big leaguers didn't practice that morning. Then, went over to Phoenix Municipal to watch the A's/Mariners. Felix Hernandez was real solid. Good Game where the Mariners won 6-3. This was one of the oldest stadiums we went to. Still a cool place though. Next we drove about 5 miles north to Scottsdale to tailgate before the Rangers/Giants game that night. This game was a blast. Got a game ball foul tip. Met Mike Maddux. Met plenty of other good fans. Ogando pitched real well in the start. Then Hunter gave up 4 runs in the 5th. Giants win 4-1. Drank a few more that night and hit the sack.

Yesterday, we got back up and out to practice. All the regulars were there. Got autographs from anyone we wanted basically. Hamilton, Lewis, Davis, Hunter, Holland, Martin Perez. Got several good pics too. Lytle got a good pic with Hamilton. I was a bit in front of him, so the lady behind me agreed to take the pic. While we were posed, she asked for the 5th time what button to push. Hamilton was whipped. I told her again. Then she hit the wrong button which was power off. Ultimate Fail. Got to watch batting practice, all throwing, fielding. All up close, it was a lot of fun. You could hear everything they were all talking about. All the joking around. Young, Kinsler and Andrus kept stealing each others gloves, caps, etc. Stuff like that going on all around. You can really tell how fast these guys are with their hands/feet/etc. The pitchers all have cannons. Martin Perez is going to be a beast. So is Engel Beltre and Jurickson Profar. Anyway, we were there for about 3 hours, then packed it up and headed to Tempe for the last game of the trip at Diablo Stadium, Rangers/Angels. Great game. Great weather. Sunburned like no other. Ervin Santana vs Hurley. Both were great. Santana gave up 2 hits in 3 scoreless innings and Hurley pitched 3 hitless innings. Texas comeback fell short and they lost 2-1.

Then the trip got interesting. It was 4 PM and our plane took off at 5:45. We had to fill the car up and wanted to eat another In-n-out before we left. That got us back to the airport at 5:20, and we missed our flight. So, we sat around for a couple of hours and got back last night at 11:30.

Overall, it was a great time. 4 full days, 3 practices, 6 ball parks, 7 different games, tons of interaction with the players and coaches, great people in AZ, great fans, 11 autographed balls, tons of pics. Everyone needs to get to Spring Training at least once.

I'll try to get some pics up here soon.

[karilou]

im making time next year to hit up florida for spring training.

[sully]

You should. So much fun.

I also shot the S for a few mins with Mike Rhyner at the SF game in Scottdale.

[fischer]

Sounds like y'all had a great time.

[P. Marf]

Sounds like a blast.

[sully]

Still pissed about missing out on the Hamilton pic. Lady is an idiot.

[The River Assassin]

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

That pic with your arm around Wash is f'in awesome.

[fischer]

did he smell like cabbage?

[sully]

Thanks Finch. It is pretty awesome. I think it made him a little uncomfortable, but I didn't know what I was doing.

I don't know what you mean Fischer.

[P. Marf]

You have a pretty good clutch on him.

[The Real Doyle]

Ron looks like a cardboard cutout, he's the exact same in each picture.

[The River Assassin]

I'm sure that's not the first time a couple of drunk asses have asked to take their pic with him.

[fischer]

I mean that I always thought old homeless people smell like cabbage. Never been that close to one, though.