Spring Training is nearly here.

[bgovolfan]

Feb 23, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

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

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.

Harry, I'm not a big baseball fan by any stretch of the imagination ... so to me there isn't any such thing as a good baseball game short of the World Series <g>

Odd thing is, my sister is less interested than I am ....but husband retired from the Yankee's about 3 or 4 years ago(after 40+ years) and they still want him to come down for spring training every year.... or so he says...who knows, it may just be a good excuse<g>
Her two kids still live inTampa so that helps her to ease a month long pain

Bg(but easing her pain may be inflecting pain on her kids ..you never know<g>)VolFan

[oujour76]

Feb 23, 2015 10:37:30 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

Feb 23, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

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.

Harry, I'm not a big baseball fan by any stretch of the imagination ... so to me there isn't any such thing as a good baseball game short of the World Series <g>

Odd thing is, my sister is less interested than I am ....but husband retired from the Yankee's about 3 or 4 years ago(after 40+ years) and they still want him to come down for spring training every year.... or so he says...who knows, it may just be a good excuse<g>
Her two kids still live inTampa so that helps her to ease a month long pain

Bg(but easing her pain may be inflecting pain on her kids ..you never know<g>)VolFan

I don't go to the games for the baseball. I go to sit in the sun, watch women and drink a few beers. So, I'm guessing you might enjoy it.

BTW....what did your BIL do for the Yankees? I used to do some work with them....maybe he and I have met? Wouldn't that be funny?

[bgovolfan]

Feb 23, 2015 11:40:25 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 23, 2015 10:37:30 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

Harry, I'm not a big baseball fan by any stretch of the imagination ... so to me there isn't any such thing as a good baseball game short of the World Series <g>

Odd thing is, my sister is less interested than I am ....but husband retired from the Yankee's about 3 or 4 years ago(after 40+ years) and they still want him to come down for spring training every year.... or so he says...who knows, it may just be a good excuse<g>
Her two kids still live inTampa so that helps her to ease a month long pain

Bg(but easing her pain may be inflecting pain on her kids ..you never know<g>)VolFan

I don't go to the games for the baseball. I go to sit in the sun, watch women and drink a few beers. So, I'm guessing you might enjoy it.

BTW....what did your BIL do for the Yankees? I used to do some work with them....maybe he and I have met? Wouldn't that be funny?

His name is Gene Monahan...this is from Wikipedia,Gene Monahan is the former head athletic trainer for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He spent almost 50 years with the Yankees ...

was hired by George Steinbrenner when he first bought the team.

And I have not been completely honest ...my sister and Gene have never actually gotten married but they have been living together for about 15 years.....so I don't really know how to refer to him other than BIL<g>

Bg(but their house in NC is in her name<g>)VolFan

[oujour76]

Feb 23, 2015 12:02:32 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

Feb 23, 2015 11:40:25 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

I don't go to the games for the baseball. I go to sit in the sun, watch women and drink a few beers. So, I'm guessing you might enjoy it.

BTW....what did your BIL do for the Yankees? I used to do some work with them....maybe he and I have met? Wouldn't that be funny?

His name is Gene Monahan...this is from Wikipedia,Gene Monahan is the former head athletic trainer for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He spent almost 50 years with the Yankees ...

was hired by George Steinbrenner when he first bought the team.

And I have not been completely honest ...my sister and Gene have never actually gotten married but they have been living together for about 15 years.....so I don't really know how to refer to him other than BIL<g>

Bg(but their house in NC is in her name<g>)VolFan

Not sure if I ever met him or not. The media and PR guys I worked with over the years were named Tom Bannon, Gregg Mazzola and Rick Cerrone. He will know those names.

[bgovolfan]

Feb 23, 2015 12:10:03 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 23, 2015 12:02:32 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

His name is Gene Monahan...this is from Wikipedia,Gene Monahan is the former head athletic trainer for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He spent almost 50 years with the Yankees ...

was hired by George Steinbrenner when he first bought the team.

And I have not been completely honest ...my sister and Gene have never actually gotten married but they have been living together for about 15 years.....so I don't really know how to refer to him other than BIL<g>

Bg(but their house in NC is in her name<g>)VolFan

Not sure if I ever met him or not. The media and PR guys I worked with over the years were named Tom Bannon, Gregg Mazzola and Rick Cerrone. He will know those names.

I'm sure that he will ...I'll try and ask him the next time we talk (which isn't that often)
Here is a pic that may hit a recall button....it came from my sisters facebook page so I'm guessing there's no harm in posting it.

Bg(they are not her best pics..so i'm dead if she finds out)VolFan

[mscott59]

Feb 23, 2015 12:10:03 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 23, 2015 12:02:32 GMT -5 bgovolfan said:

His name is Gene Monahan...this is from Wikipedia,Gene Monahan is the former head athletic trainer for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He spent almost 50 years with the Yankees ...

was hired by George Steinbrenner when he first bought the team.

And I have not been completely honest ...my sister and Gene have never actually gotten married but they have been living together for about 15 years.....so I don't really know how to refer to him other than BIL<g>

Bg(but their house in NC is in her name<g>)VolFan

Not sure if I ever met him or not. The media and PR guys I worked with over the years were named Tom Bannon, Gregg Mazzola and Rick Cerrone. He will know those names.

rick cerrone as in the former tribe/yankee catcher? when did you do work for ny? didn't know that... did you ever meet costanza?

[oujour76]

Feb 23, 2015 13:25:34 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

Feb 23, 2015 12:10:03 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Not sure if I ever met him or not. The media and PR guys I worked with over the years were named Tom Bannon, Gregg Mazzola and Rick Cerrone. He will know those names.

rick cerrone as in the former tribe/yankee catcher? when did you do work for ny? didn't know that... did you ever meet costanza?

No, you are talking about Rick Cerone. Same name and pronunciation, but different spelling.

[beuycek]

Feb 23, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

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

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.

No more Plant City since the Reds headed West. It is now a state of the art softball complex where some big time tournaments are played.

Haven't been to Sarasota since the new stadium was built Lakeland is still a favorite destination as it is the only city on this coast that the Mets visit every year.

[oujour76]

Feb 23, 2015 14:29:43 GMT -5 beuycek said:

Feb 23, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

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.

No more Plant City since the Reds headed West. It is now a state of the art softball complex where some big time tournaments are played.

Haven't been to Sarasota since the new stadium was built Lakeland is still a favorite destination as it is the only city on this coast that the Mets visit every year.

My favorites are Dunedin and Lakeland. Both still have an old time feel to them. In Dunedin (blue Jays) the stadium is in the middle of a residential neighborhood and it only seats about 3,000. When we stayed at Indian Rocks Beach, I could get up at 11:30, get cleaned up and head to Dunedin for a 1 o'clock game. Would be in the seat by the opening pitch with a beer and a hot dog. Tickets are easy....a friend of mine is a huge national ticket broker and he sets me up with guys selling on the street outside the stadium. He texts me a name and a cell #...I call it and meet the guy on the corner. Good prices, too.

[canefan]

Feb 23, 2015 9:53:34 GMT -5 mscott59 said:

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

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.

Yeah, it made quite an impression on the kid. He and his wife are both RN's today and have a couple of young kids. He hooked up with her when he was a freshman in high school and eventually quite playing ball, which irritated me and his dad to no end. He was one of those special kids that could have pitched D1 and I think had a shot at playing pro ball. But, as happens so often, the power of the pussy is mighty.