Spring Training...here I come! I've been gathering up my belongings...cameras, books, and annual guides. I've been in contact with the media relations staffs of the Braves, Astros, Nationals, Indians, and Tigers. I'm fortunate to get to go to Spring Training as credentialed media, thanks to the success of my other site, Baseball Digest Daily.
I have a rough itinerary outlined for my trip, but will have more details tomorrow. I will be based in the Orlando area and make various day trips to the spring homes of the teams mentioned above. I'm still working on the specifics of my Braves interviews, but have already confirmed extended face-to-face meetings with Cliff Lee (Indians), Jeremy Bonderman (Tigers), John Patterson, and Ryan Zimmerman (both of the Nationals).
I'll be arriving at "The Happiest Place on Earth" on Wednesday (the 22nd) afternoon, just about in time to catch the second half of the Braves-Phillies game. The rest of my tentative schedule looks like this:
Wednesday, 22nd - Phillies at Braves (Day), Indians at Astros (Night)
Thursday, 23rd - Orioles at Nationals
Friday, 24th - Blue Jays at Indians (Day), Nationals at Braves (Night)
Saturday, 25th - Mets at Astros
Sunday, 26th - Reds at Indians
Monday, 27th - Astros at Tigers (Day), Yankees at Braves (Night)
I will be posting stories here and at Baseball Digest Daily about twice a day. Pictures should be a regular part of the coverage as well as the scheduled interviews.
I'm hoping to bring everyone closer to the action in Florida and give our readers a real sense of what it's like on the fields during Grapefruit League play!