Matt and I spent the last week in Florida with his grandparents. The time with family was definitely the highlight, but a close second was our time at two Minnesota Twins spring training games.My dad took me to tons of Twins games when I was growing up. At every one of those games, he told me how much better the game would be if it were being played outside, "where baseball belongs." The result is my crazy love of baseball, and a genetic insistence that America's pastime be played outside.
Spring training is, of course, outdoor baseball, but it's so much more than that. It's an experience of submersion in baseball culture. While we were having a picnic lunch by a training field, for example, Tony Olivia and one of the coaches strolled by. Kids and parents were playing catch, right next to scouts with clipboards taking notes on potential new talent. These pictures capture just a bit of that experience.
Hammond Stadium from a distance:
Hammond Stadium a little closer:
...and closer still:
Our picnic by one of the many training fields:
One of the four main practice fields:
...and the tower from which the scouts watch all the prospects:
Oh, and there was a little baseball going on, too:
Finally, just for Rebecca, the obligatory "my feet are on vacation, too" shot:
I can't think of a better way to spend a sunny afternoon than sitting outside at the ballpark. We went to two games on this vacation, but I could've gone to 20.
