@movernie
Well….2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) season has came to a close. The Washington Nationals became the 2019 World Series Champion, the 1st time in franchise history. Congrats! Also, the baseball executives had gone through Winter Meetings. Many free agents were signed already and some players got traded.
2020 year is here and spring training is only a few weeks away. It’s time for baseball fans to start planning for the 2020 Spring Training baseball season. Have you ever experience spring training baseball? It’s super fun and many fans travel to Florida or Arizona on a road trip or just simply fly down to these places to watch their favourite teams getting prepared for the upcoming regular baseball season!
As many baseball fans know, there are two leagues during spring training, which begins in February, when pitchers, catchers and other positioned players begin to report to their respective teams. The grapefruit league situated in Florida. And the cactus league situated in Arizona.
The whole purpose of spring training is to allow new players to get some training, practice and get to know their new teammates. It is also the chance for the coaches, management to evaluate the skill level of each athlete and determine who can make the major league teams and who requires more seasoning at the minor league level for further development.
Last year in February, I was very honoured to be apart of the press trip, hosted by Visit Phoenix, Visit Mesa and Visit Gilbert to check out what spring training baseball is like. Quite a large number of journalists converged to participate in this spring training press trip. Going to spring training games have a totally different vibes than regular season games. The athletes are enjoying the nice warm weather during spring training. They were so chill, interacted with the fans and kids. The players at the spring training were definitely very approachable and personable. The stadiums are smaller in capacity, making the perspectives and view point of watching the game so much more up close and personal. It feels more cozy.
Almost every major league team has its own stadium, with some teams shared the same complex and training grounds. However, all the stadiums are located super close to each other that you can drive around in short distance and be able to follow along the teams that they root for. It’s super convenient to drive around different communities.
I have always love watching baseball. I play community softball myself and love playing catch. So, when the tourism boards reached out and invited me to go on this trip. I was super excited.
Below are some of the MoVernie BLOGs that I had written from my spring training experience at the cactus league and I hope you find my BLOGs valuable and helpful for your planning to attend spring training.
Baseball Legend Ichiro Suzuki Announces His Retirement Today
http://bit.ly/2JrKkp5
Sloan Park (Spring Training) – Home of the Chicago Cubs – Mesa, Arizona
http://bit.ly/2YnholL
Maryvale Baseball Park (Spring Training) – Home of the Milwaukee Brewers – Phoenix, Arizona
http://bit.ly/2HGJOlu
NOTE: Remember that the Grapefruit League is located in Florida and the Cactus League is located in Arizona. This is very important when you are planning for your flights and hotels to cheer on your favourite team. You surely don’t want to mess up booking the wrong destination.
