The Spring Training Tradition

Spring Break '06, my senior year at Chico State. All my spring break plans had fallen through, so instead I decided to go home to Lake Tahoe. My Dad decided we should go somewhere warm, so he kidnapped me and our Spring Training Tradition was started...

We had plane tickets, but got to Arizona without a hotel room or game tickets. Our flight landed around 12:30 and we picked up a spring training map from the people at Hertz. They told us the Brewers game started at 1 and we could probably make it by the 2nd inning. We did, and before we knew it we were at a ball game, sitting right behind home plate, eating nachos, pretzels and drinking ice cold beer, in March.
We woke up early day 2 and checked out the Cubs practice facility. It was so open and fan inviting. We were literally mingling with the players and coaches. We decided to head out and get tickets to the Cubs game for that day. We missed the entrance to the stadium, had to turn around, and ended up pulling up on the street in front. I stayed in the card and Dad ran to get tickets. When he came back he had good news and bad news. The bad news; the game was sold out. The good news; right as he was being told there were no tickets, a season ticket holder at the window next to him was turning in two tickets for that game. What are the chances!? The trip was amazing, and we knew it had to become a tradition.

Spring Training '07 we decided to include the rest of the family; my Mom and Brother came along for the weekend. Adding other people to the mix changed the dynamic of the trip. They aren't the passionate baseball fanatics that Dad and I are, but it was a great family weekend. We decided it was back to just the two of us though.

Spring Training '08 had a different location. We passed up Arizona that year to go to Seattle WA and meet the newest member of the Evans family. Tristan Robert Evans was born January 21, 2008. I am the proud aunty of the most amazing little boy ever. He's the only thing worth missing spring training for.

Spring Training '09...The Dodgers are in Arizona!! How awesome is this? We bought tickets to check out the Dodgers all 3 days we were in town. In addition to checking out the Cubs practices, we now got the opportunity to go explore Camelback Ranch. The new home for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That trip included a lifesaver throw into one of Camelback Ranch's lakes and a $20,000 batting practice ball...

Spring Training '10...Countdown to Arizona... 14 Days...


I LOVE THIS GAME

D-O-D-G-E-R-S (Oh Really? No, O'Malley) - Danny Kaye

RIP Willie Davis...Immortalized in song...

So I say D, I say D-O,
D-O-D,
D-O-D-G,
D-O-D-G-E-R-S, team, team, team, team
O, I say O-M,
O-M-A,
O-M-A-L,
O-M-A-L-L-E-Y, Oh really? No, O'Malley
Sandy Koufax, oh my Drysdale, Maury Wills
I love you so
And we defy
Defy the J-I,
J-I-N,
J-I-N-T,
J-I-N-T-S, Giants!
Play ball
Orlando Cepeda is at bat with the bases jammed
Orlando Cepeda with a Wham! Bam!
He hit a grand slam
In the very first inning
But it's only the beginning
In the third like a bird we get two on an away
Then Fairly hits into a double play
Here comes big Frank Howard yes-sirree
Boy what a swing!
Strike three
Oh dem B, oh dem B-U,
B-U-M,
B-U-M-S, dem bums, dem bums, dem dry bums
Oh they may be bums but they're my bums
Top of the fifth
"Say Hey" Willy Mays hits a 3 bagger down the right field line
But he's out trying to stretch it to a homer
As Roseboro tags him on the bottom of the spine
With a crack you can hear all the way back up to San Francisco
Open your hospital
Inning six
Maury Wills draws a walk in the coach's box
Leo Durocher, Leo Durocher starts to wiggle and to twitch
A signal? No, an itch
Go Maury, Go Maury, Go, Go, Go
Maury goes
The catcher throws
Right from the solarplexus
At the bag he beats the tag
That mighty little waif
And umpire Conlan cries "you're out!"
Out? Out?
Down in the dug-out Alston glowers
Up in the booth Vin Scully frowns
Out in the stands O'Malley grins
Attendance fifty thousand
And what does O'Malley do? Ahh!
Bottom of the ninth
Four to nutin'
Last chance
Push the button
Oh we're pleadin', beggin', on our knees
Come on you Flatbush refugees
Maury Wills at bat
Hit it for me once
Stu Miller throws
Maury bunts
Cepeda runs to field the ball and Hiller covers first
Haller runs to back up Hiller, Hiller crashes into Miller
Miller falls, drops the ball and Conlan calls "safe!"
Yeah Maury!
Gilliam up
Miller grunts
Miller throws
Gilliam bunts
Cepeda runs to field the ball and Hiller covers first
Howard runs to back up Hiller, Hiller crashes into Miller
Miller falls, drops the ball and Conlan calls "safe!"
Yeah Conlan!
Willie Davis gets a hit and Tommy does the same
Here comes Mr. Howard with a chance to win the game
Hit it once
Big Frank bunts?
Cepeda runs to field the ball, so does Hiller, so does Miller
Miller hollers Hiller
Hiller hollers Miller
Haller hollers Hiller points to Miller with his fist
And that's the Miller, Hiller, Haller hallelujah twist
The Davises score it's four to four
Howard's still running the bases
From second to third it's almost absurd
Amazement on everyones faces
He's heading for home
He hasn't a chance
The poor nut is gonna be dead
But the ball hits him right in the seat of his pants
And he scores
That's using your head
So I say D, I say D-O,
D-O-D-G-E-R-S
The team that's all heart
All heart and all thumbs
They're my Los Angeles
Your Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles
Do you really think we'll really win the pennant?
Bums! Oooo dem bums!

The Great Sock Debate

Maybe I'm "old school", but I like when pants come just below the knee, and socks show; a la Doug Mientkiewicz, and Juan Pierre (again with the mention of Pierre. I know he had a career season for the Dodgers last year, but he had it when they need it the most. Not only does he did play his heart out during those 50 games, but after his stint as the starting left fielder was over, he graciously took his seat on the bench and waited for his chance to pinch hit/run/or head back out into "Mannywood", and when he was called on, he usually delivered. Anyways, back to the socks. Socks seem to be a forgotten part of the overall appearance of the uniform. The different colors were a way to distinguish teams and for me, that is what a baseball uniform should look like.

Barry Bonds and Manny, have the "I'm too cool" baggy pants over the shoe look. I hate it. I remember in the '90's when I first saw Bonds with his. I grew up in Giants country so I didn't like him to begin with, and his sloppy looking uniform just added to that dislike. I think that guys who wear baggy pants have a certain attitude, like, I'm a superstar, I earned these extra 4 inches of pant.

Doesn't UNIFORM mean that they should all look the same? From Answers.com: adj.

1. Always the same, as in character or degree; unvarying.
2. Conforming to one principle, standard, or rule; consistent.
3. Being the same as or consonant with another or others.
4. Unvaried in texture, color, or design.

Maybe I just don't like change...

I LOVE THIS GAME

Spring Training Game 1

In the words of the incomparable Vin Scully, "IT'S TIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL!"

“IT allows us to escape. IT gives us something to root for and believe in. IT takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from the lowest of lows, to the highest of highs. That IT is baseball. And for the next 6 months Americas past time will be in full swing. Making our summer seem brighter and our nights seem shorter. When 25 individuals become 1 team. When expectations are at their peak, and when Dodger fans start hoping that their summer dream turns into the reality of playing in the fall classic” – Vin Scully Opening Day 2009

The first Dodgers spring training game today is, 12 PST vs the Chicago White Sox, and my man Juan Pierre. Thanks for those 50 games last year where Mannywood was JuanPierreWood.

Starting Lineup:
Furcal-SS
Kemp-CF
Ethier-RF
Ramirez-DH
Loney-1B
Blake-3B
DeWitt-2B
Martin-C
Johnson-LF
Padilla-P

I LOVE THIS GAME