Spring Training is nearly here.

[Walter]

There is something about the start of Baseball season that transcends just about all other sports. It isn't that the games in April are all that awesome or anything; it isn't that the start of college football season isn't more exciting...it's just that the start of Baseball season sorta says, "Let the new year begin...REALLY NOW!".

Humanity made it through another bleak winter.
Baseball season approaches!!
Warm Summer evenings out on the porch with the game on the radio, Vin Scully once again explaining it all....it's all just around the corner.

PLAY BALL!!

[AlaCowboy]

I'm seriously considering going to Florida for a week or two in late March and taking in some spring training games.

[Buckeye Dale]

<SNIFF SNIFF>
Smell that? All that OPTIMISM???

[AlaCowboy]

Feb 22, 2015 13:18:47 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

<SNIFF SNIFF>
Smell that? All that OPTIMISM???

Hey! Even the Cubbies are tied for first - until after Opening Day.

[Buckeye Dale]

Feb 22, 2015 13:26:52 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

Feb 22, 2015 13:18:47 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

<SNIFF SNIFF>
Smell that? All that OPTIMISM???

Hey! Even the Cubbies are tied for first - until after Opening Day.

Someday, when the ghost of Mrs. O'Leary's cow is finally exorcised, the Cubs might finally win, and ALL that Chicago garbage can be washed down the drains... (fingers crossed)

[oujour76]

Feb 22, 2015 13:30:20 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

Feb 22, 2015 13:26:52 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

Hey! Even the Cubbies are tied for first - until after Opening Day.

Someday, when the ghost of Mrs. O'Leary's cow is finally exorcised, the Cubs might finally win, and ALL that Chicago garbage can be washed down the drains... (fingers crossed)

It's not the cow. It's the goat.

[Walter]

Feb 22, 2015 14:26:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 22, 2015 13:30:20 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

Someday, when the ghost of Mrs. O'Leary's cow is finally exorcised, the Cubs might finally win, and ALL that Chicago garbage can be washed down the drains... (fingers crossed)

It's not the cow. It's the goat.

...and Bartman.

[Buckeye Dale]

Feb 22, 2015 14:26:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 22, 2015 13:30:20 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

Someday, when the ghost of Mrs. O'Leary's cow is finally exorcised, the Cubs might finally win, and ALL that Chicago garbage can be washed down the drains... (fingers crossed)

It's not the cow. It's the goat.

I'll bow to your greater knowledge of WTH is going on in Chi-town...

But please educate me a little then...what flippin' goat? I thought the curse started with Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern and starting the great Chicago fire. I take it the goat is another story, but I haven't heard that one.... YET.

[oujour76]

Feb 22, 2015 14:31:44 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

Feb 22, 2015 14:26:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

It's not the cow. It's the goat.

I'll bow to your greater knowledge of WTH is going on in Chi-town...

But please educate me a little then...what flippin' goat? I thought the curse started with Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern and starting the great Chicago fire. I take it the goat is another story, but I haven't heard that one.... YET.

"October 6th, a sad day in Cubs history. The Cubs entered game four of the World Series leading the Detroit Tigers 2 games to 1, and needing to win only two of the next four games played at Wrigley Field. A local Greek, William "Billy Goat" Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and a Cubs fan, bought two tickets to Game four. Hoping to bring his team good luck he took his pet goat, Murphy, with him to the game. At the entrance to the park, the Andy Fran ushers stopped Billy Goat from entering saying that no animals are allowed in the park. Billy Goat, frustrated, appealed to the owner of the Cubs, P.K. Wrigley. Wrigley replied, "Let Billy in, but not the goat." Billy Goat asked, "Why not the goat?" Wrigley answered, "Because the goat stinks." According to legend, the goat and Billy were upset, so then Billy threw up his arms and exclaimed, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." The Cubs were officially cursed."

www.billygoattavern.com/legend/curse/

As an aside.....do you recall the Saturday Night Live skit of "Cheezborger, Cheezborger"? That is the Billy Goat Tavern. It's located on Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago, literally right underneath North Michigan Avenue at the Chicago River near the Wrigley Building. It was a watering hole for many years for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times employees. Mike Royko used to hang out there. If you're ever in Chicago, give me a call and the "cheezborger" is on me.

[oujour76]

Feb 22, 2015 14:29:24 GMT -5 Walter said:

Feb 22, 2015 14:26:40 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

It's not the cow. It's the goat.

...and Bartman.

Yeah....that poor bastard is still in hiding.

[Buckeye Dale]

Feb 22, 2015 14:47:26 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 22, 2015 14:31:44 GMT -5 Buckeye Dale said:

I'll bow to your greater knowledge of WTH is going on in Chi-town...

But please educate me a little then...what flippin' goat? I thought the curse started with Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern and starting the great Chicago fire. I take it the goat is another story, but I haven't heard that one.... YET.

"October 6th, a sad day in Cubs history. The Cubs entered game four of the World Series leading the Detroit Tigers 2 games to 1, and needing to win only two of the next four games played at Wrigley Field. A local Greek, William "Billy Goat" Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and a Cubs fan, bought two tickets to Game four. Hoping to bring his team good luck he took his pet goat, Murphy, with him to the game. At the entrance to the park, the Andy Fran ushers stopped Billy Goat from entering saying that no animals are allowed in the park. Billy Goat, frustrated, appealed to the owner of the Cubs, P.K. Wrigley. Wrigley replied, "Let Billy in, but not the goat." Billy Goat asked, "Why not the goat?" Wrigley answered, "Because the goat stinks." According to legend, the goat and Billy were upset, so then Billy threw up his arms and exclaimed, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." The Cubs were officially cursed."

www.billygoattavern.com/legend/curse/

As an aside.....do you recall the Saturday Night Live skit of "Cheezborger, Cheezborger"? That is the Billy Goat Tavern. It's located on Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago, literally right underneath North Michigan Avenue at the Chicago River near the Wrigley Building. It was a watering hole for many years for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times employees. Mike Royko used to hang out there. If you're ever in Chicago, give me a call and the "cheezborger" is on me.

Ahhhh.... I do recall something about that, but had forgotten... (not a Chicago ANTHING fan)... & you got a deal, buddy... 

[canefan]

Feb 22, 2015 12:48:53 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

I'm seriously considering going to Florida for a week or two in late March and taking in some spring training games.

Honestly, the spring training games tend to suck. Pitchers work on their weaker pitches, hitters focus on their weaknesses, all of which is necessary, but makes the games less competitive and less entertaining to watch. More fun is to go early or go on days when they are not playing a game and wander the complex as much as they will let you. Haven't done this in a few years so I have no idea if you can still get the access we use to, but that is much more fun. We had the Indians training in town when my kids were little league age and one of the pitchers I had on our team got into the complex and found his way to where the pitchers were working with their coach. After sitting and watching them for a while, one of the pitchers, I think it was Orel Hershiser, started talking to him and they wound up putting the kid on the mound and working with him on his delivery and control for something like thirty minutes. That kid remains a huge fan today. Twenty years ago you would get a lot of chances to talk to players and just suck up the whole experience. I could see things changing as more and more money poured into the game so it wouldn't surprise me if it was much harder to do these things today.

[bgovolfan]

Feb 22, 2015 12:48:53 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

I'm seriously considering going to Florida for a week or two in late March and taking in some spring training games.

My sister and brother-in-law are down there now for spring training (Tampa)..... they will stay until it's over in the first part of April (I guess that's when it's over ... that's when they plan on being back).

Bg(they were there while I was here homebound by an ice storm )VolFan

[oujour76]

Feb 23, 2015 8:37:28 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

Feb 22, 2015 12:48:53 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

I'm seriously considering going to Florida for a week or two in late March and taking in some spring training games.

My sister and brother-in-law are down there now for spring training (Tampa)..... they will stay until it's over in the first part of April (I guess that's when it's over ... that's when they plan on being back).

Bg(they were there while I was here homebound by an ice storm )VolFan

Won't be there this year, but have gone to many a spring training game in that area... Tampa, Dunedin, Clearwater and St. Pete. With a fairly short drive, you could also see games in Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakeland and Plant City. I saw a ton of games down there over the years.

[mscott59]

Feb 23, 2015 8:15:55 GMT -5 canefan said:

Feb 22, 2015 12:48:53 GMT -5 AlaCowboy said:

I'm seriously considering going to Florida for a week or two in late March and taking in some spring training games.

Honestly, the spring training games tend to suck. Pitchers work on their weaker pitches, hitters focus on their weaknesses, all of which is necessary, but makes the games less competitive and less entertaining to watch. More fun is to go early or go on days when they are not playing a game and wander the complex as much as they will let you. Haven't done this in a few years so I have no idea if you can still get the access we use to, but that is much more fun. We had the Indians training in town when my kids were little league age and one of the pitchers I had on our team got into the complex and found his way to where the pitchers were working with their coach. After sitting and watching them for a while, one of the pitchers, I think it was Orel Hershiser, started talking to him and they wound up putting the kid on the mound and working with him on his delivery and control for something like thirty minutes. That kid remains a huge fan today. Twenty years ago you would get a lot of chances to talk to players and just suck up the whole experience. I could see things changing as more and more money poured into the game so it wouldn't surprise me if it was much harder to do these things today.

that's certainly orel's m.o. met him at a charity event after he retired and he loved talking about the intricacies of pitching. engagingly passionate guy imho.