Spring training; Why all the hype?
Just a few more weeks and Major League Baseball’s spring
training fiasco all comes to a close and we can start enjoying the
games that actually count on the standings sheet.
Spring training; Why all the hype?
Just a few more weeks and Major League Baseball’s spring training fiasco all comes to a close and we can start enjoying the games that actually count on the standings sheet.
I could never figure out why fans get so hyped up for spring training, whether it’s to watch the teams that are in Florida or to root for those teams in this region of the country that show up for Cactus League play down in Arizona.
Sure, fans should be excited that the regular season is about to get under way, but why schedule vacations around these games? I guess it’s all about working on a tan and polishing off a few beers. Or I guess the mentality is that it’s the hip thing to do because everyone else is doing it.
If you’re going to go, do me a favor and please don’t sit in the stands and keep score. That’s just taking it too far.
I understand that the exhibition season in the NFL is a success too, but that only requires a short drive to Oakland to watch the Raiders or San Francisco to see the 49ers.
Baseball somehow is able to get people to break out the credit card and take a plane flight to watch meaningless games in the off season.
And the most puzzling part is that most of us wouldn’t ever consider flying to San Diego, LA or Colorado to watch a game that counts during the regular season.
It just doesn’t make sense.
The other day it was all over the news about how Barry Bonds looked like a fool in the outfield as the blazing sun caused him to muff up two easy fly outs. Who cares? Talk to me when he blows an easy out against the Dodgers in September.
It’s amazing. I guess this just proves that baseball is still America’s pastime. But I always thought it was from April to October, not during spring training. Talk about marketing success.
The Oakland A’s have trouble selling games out at home, but they have no problem getting thousands of fans each year to fork out thousands of dollars on week-long trips to the desert.
Go figure.
In the last five years alone, Cactus League games have drawn more than 1 million fans, with a record 1.27 million fans attending games in 2005.Â
And more than 50 percent of the fans at the games visit from out of state, making a $200 million impact to the local economy. The A’s front office would love success like that during the regular season.
I guess the two-hour plane flight down there would make more sense if we lived in Milwaukee and had temperatures hovering in the low 30s, but this is California. It was just 88 degrees out here the other day.
This time of year we should be focusing on the NBA and NHL seasons, March Madness and golf. There is just so much going on right now that actually counts.
Oh well, I guess I’ll just never get it.
So continue to enjoy those lazy days of summer – at the end of winter. Root, cheer and scream for teams that no matter what – win, lose or draw – will have no impact on anything.
I guess it’s kind of like watching the PGA Tour on Saturdays, NASCAR qualifying heats and the first quarter of a football game.
