I lived in Phoenix for eight years when I was a kid, but never went to a spring training game – there were only a few teams then, and they played during the day when we were in school.
As the Cactus League has grown, I’ve wanted to go to a game over the last few years – but never got around to it because this is the busy season for realtors too. But with urging from wifey and others, we picked a game and went for it last night:
Jim,
That was great. I’m a big baseball fan, but I’ve never been to a spring training game. It’s always been on my “maybe next year” list.
Glad you had a chance to go.
Maybe next year: Atlanta Braves in Orlando.
The Will Ferrell thing was an extra – I didn’t hear about it until that morning. The Padres pitcher was throwing inside so the hits would go to right field where Ferrell was playing – the previous batter hit a rope to right-center that was caught. Joc showed everybody that these games aren’t an exhibition for him!
Ferrell wore #19 in all the other nine uniforms he wore that day, but wore #20 with his Padres uniform out of respect for Tony Gwynn.
Though when he came into the stadium, he was wearing the old brown and yellow Padres uniform that I think had #19 on it. He then came out of the Padres dugout and went to the mound wearing his Dodgers uniform – maybe while they were preparing his new Padres uni with #20?
You’d think he’d want to play for the Dodgers last because his wife and 4 kids were in the Dodgers dugout, and he’s always been a Dodgers homer.
Wow you picked a good first game to watch. Sweetie n I go most years for a week. Golf in the morning and a game in the afternoon or evenings. Good times.
Wait, Jim, you went to see a game with MY Dodgers without me??? How could you? I guess I can forgive you because on my so-called bucket list is to see Kershaw pitch. And who ever heard of this “rookie” Will Ferrell anyway? 🙂
Hope to catch a Dodgers vs. CO Rockies game in Denver sometime in the 2015 season when I visit my kids. My Dodgers always win there. (It’s become a family joke.)