LOS ANGELES, CA — One of the most beautiful things we hear every winter is, “Only a few more days for pitchers and catchers!” Only about 26-27 days right now.
It is the one sentence that gives us hope during a rough winter. The thought of playing ball in the stadium, watching games at a Major League Ballpark, or just having a catch with your kid has always made us think of happy days ahead.
And thus, as poet Alexander Pope said in “An Essay on Man” in 1732, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”
At games in both the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona, fans can get a good look at their favorite players and watch young prospects go through drills.
Fans travel from all over to see MLB teams up close as they take part in spring training – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The games take about three hours, and the big stars usually leave after an inning or two on the mound and the best hitters will play until they get maybe two at-bats. That has been the norm since Babe Ruth played.
But you can spend all day on the back fields. That’s where you can see pitchers working on drills to improve their mechanics, types of pitches, and location. To me, it was always the most interesting part of spring training. You can get close enough to see just how hard a professional pitcher throws. And at 75%, it still looks scary. Catchers’ drills are always amazing to watch. Just to see how much work they put into their craft.
Watching how professional ballplayers go about it in their routines and ramp up towards the season is a sight to see for fans all of ages – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The games are played in stadiums that seat between 6,800 and 13,000, so you get to be close to the action and can even have conversations with players. Something that is next to impossible in the big ballparks during the regular season.
Players are on their way to spring training sites in Florida and Arizona, and MLB has released the practice game schedules for these clubs through the start of the regular season. So maybe plan a trip to spend a week in a warm, sunny part of the country to see your favorite club, or set up your favorite comfortable lounge seat in front of your TV and stock up on refreshments, because the season is about to begin.
But the best part of spring training is the realization that the regular season is getting close, and whoever you root for will be in first place on opening day.
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