Baseball spring training on the horizon

Now that the Super Bowl is in the books (congratulations Saints!) we can turn the page and look forward to the rest of the sporting season. One event that is anxiously awaited each year by fans of our national pastime is the advent of spring training. Baseball is unique in many ways, and one of them is the fact that it starts in the spring and brings with it a sense of renewal and optimism, because whoever you root for, your team will be tied for first place on opening day, and past surprises have proven that anything is possible.

Baseball spring training begins with the reporting of pitchers and catchers, and that date varies slightly team by team, but it generally takes place around the third week of February. Major League Baseball spring training is broken up into two leagues; the Grapefruit League that takes place in Florida, and the Cactus League that is headquartered in Arizona.

The first Grapefruit League games in 2010 will be played on March 2nd with the exhibition season concluding on April 3rd. The Cactus League will get underway on March 3rd with a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners, and it too will conclude on April 3rd.

It is a lot of fun to beat the cold weather that still persists around most of the country during the month of March and head down to Florida or Arizona to take in a spring training game or two. If you are a fan of baseball, the environment that is provided by the more intimate venues and smaller crowds provides you with a much more direct vantage point, and players are often more accommodating to fans seeking autographs. Plus, you may just run into your favorite players after the game in a restaurant or on the beach. Attending some spring training games is an annual event that is a lot of fun for baseball fans young and old alike, and it is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Opening day for the 2010 MLB regular season is Sunday, April 4th.