It’s almost that time of year again. Spring training! It brings the entire baseball world back to life. In less than a month, pitchers and catchers will report early for conditioning and bullpen sessions.
This past year was another memorable year for the major leagues. With a Triple Crown winner in Miguel Cabrera, #2 of the most talked about rookie of the years in baseball history, (Mike Trout, Bryce Harper). There was #7 no hitters thrown, three of which were perfect games. And an organization has claimed the World Series trophy for two of the last three years.
It is in March where the team from last October is transformed. General Managers make last minute decisions to put the best possible team on the field. Seasoned veterans try and knock the rust off their bats while young prospects try and reach the summit they’ve dreamt about for years. Anyone who says spring training doesn’t matter is insane. Spring training gets players ready for the grueling 162 game season. It gives fans a glimpse of what their new look team is capable of. Overall spring baseball shows off the present and future of every club.
It’s so hard to try and predict which team will be the last one standing in October. But the baseball writers love to talk about it. Constant predictions pile in, most of the past ones have been wrong. With all the moves being made to ball clubs it’s impossible to know how they will blend. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim all have made huge changes to their team. But teams don’t traditionally do well when there is more than one premier star. But a team like the 2010 San Francisco Giants, known for being a band of misfits, can win the World Series. A naturally grown organization gives the players that family type feel. It’s a game made to be played for fun. Not a job performed for salary. At least it’s not supposed to feel that way. You can’t buy a baseball team. You can only grow one.
March baseball is a season before the season. For some players it doesn’t matter that much, but for most, it’s the only memory of the big leagues they will have. Action is televised every day for a month. Families get to watch their sons excel at a new level. Mothers and fathers go through the so called devils road to heaven, (minors) with their sons. So it’s just as enjoyable for the families as it is for the players.
Spring training is more vital to baseball than people think. Without it, pitchers would have no endurance and injuries would plague everyone. Without spring baseball, we would have no baseball. Rejoice in the warmth of Arizona, orFlorida. It’s what’s keeping America’s pastime alive.