I lived in Florida for five years and never once attended a spring training game, but have flown here each of the last three years to catch a brief taste of early baseball.

After a long cold(ish) winter, the first glimpse of the green grassy outfield and the ballplayers laughing and working out brings back magic childhood memories. Those memories, of course, are tempered by the guys sitting behind me who talked for four innings about how wine and scotch are made and the histories of Atlantis and Saudi Arabia... I have to wonder why some people bother to come to games at all. 

Game was between the Yanks and Toronto Blue Jays, with the requisite "Oh Canada" and "Star Spangled Banner" sung beforehand. Still seems weird hearing those at a baseball game, kept thinking there should be a Flyers-Canadiens game instead. Also,overheard a beer vendor chastising a Blue Jays fan with: "I don't have any Molsen so quit asking."

Gotta love baseball. 

Watched the Yankees and Rays battle it out today with a hit batter, several ejections, and a bench-clearing incident. (In fact, Shelley Duncan got thrown out twice in one play -- once trying to stretch a single into a double, and once for sliding in high and sparking a near-fight.)

Still, the incident that stands out in my mind also happened near second base, but a couple of hours earlier. During Yankees batting practice, Yankee coach Stump Merrill was chatting with players near the second base screen when he got hit accidentally with a thrown ball. Help was immediately called in, with concerned players milling about as medical techs took him away on a stretcher. Batting practice wass resumed, and the game played on.

Just checked through the local broadcast news and ESPN, both of which covered the "fight" but neither of which seemed to acknowledge the Merrill story which had more of an injury to report. In fact, I didn't even know it was Stump Merrill or the circumstances of the incident until two days later.

We may at times treat these games as the most important thing in the world, but it's incidents like this -- the Stump Merrill one, not the "brawl" -- that put it in perspective.

Forgot to mention this the other day.

In addition to the wonderful sights and smells and feeling in the air, there are some great things to listen to at the ballpark. (Apart from the Discovery channel pair I described two days ago...)

Most fans chat about the game, their favorite players, the chances their team has this season, and how much they hate their rivals. Occasionally, though, you get a snippet of humor intermingled with the banter.

Case in point: two people joking with each other over the course of the game. At one point the man asks: "Who's pitching?" The woman responds: "It's the guy standing on the mound, don't you know anything about this game?"

Priceless. 

He's hosted the Oscars, starred in movies, and sold out stand-up comedy shows, but over the last couple of days Billy Crystal has lived his lifelong dream. Since his first trip to Yankee Stadium as a kid (as he relates in his movie City Slickers), he's wanted to be a New York Yankee. Yesterday afternoon, he finally got his chance.

Granted, he just turned 60 today and was never a great athlete. Still, he worked out with the club, did his stretching and running and fielding and batting practice just like the other rookies. (I think probably Yogi was the only Yankee in camp who could actually call him "kid"...) When his turn finally came as leadoff hitter in the game, the crowd gave him a rousing ovation through every pitch, as if encouraged just by his temerity to stand there. Sure, he struck out swinging, but not before he knocked a good shot foul down the first base line. Lost in the reporting, though, was this accomplishment: in true recent Yankee fashion, he worked the pitcher and made him throw six pitches to get him out.

Billy didn't smack a homer, or even get on base. Still, the effort and preparation was enough to cement the day in his mind for years to come. He reminded us of the value of dreams, and to never give up on them. It was an honor to sit in the stands and watch him strike out.

I'd pay alot of money to get the same chance, and I have enough confidence in my own abilities to be sure that I, too, could get up there in the batters box and strike out...

Hell, I'd pay alot of money just to listen to Billy and Yogi talk...

The players play on, but my time among them is done. I boarded a plane yesterday evening for the long flight home, and this morning am back into the swing of things. (A bit bleary eyed to be sure, but back.)

I've done this spring training thing a few years now, and it's always been a great way to recharge the cells and remind me of the great times I had playing ball and watching games as a kid. Life tends to get more serious as we get older, despite our best efforts to the contrary. Trips like these, though, can help us push back against that trend, even if only for a short time and for only a little bit.

My brother brought his digital SLR camera to Tampa, and told me he bought a new lens. Wow! It's a 100/400 zoom, and it looks alot like a small thermos. Hook it up to the front of your camera, though, and you can count the catcher's nosehairs from the centerfield bleachers.

Joe must have taken about 300 shots, many of which were guys taking pitches or swinging and missing. He did catch some interesting poses and subjects, and I've been endeavoring to post some up here.

Check the Spring Training folder under the list of my blog entries to see such highlights as Billy Crystal's "Shot heard round the coffee table" and Ryan Howard's unique take on the Presidential election...