The World Baseball Classic had consumed my life over the last few weeks. Now I get a chance to catch up on some of the Spring Training games and watch how the new rules are shaking out. I will leave the discussion on that for another day.
I have been putting in some time at the Tampa Baseball Museum and had the opportunity to meet several baseball fans here in Tampa for Spring Training. I love meeting families from New York or Chicago with mixed loyalties, Yankees or Mets, Cubs or White Sox, friendly rivalries within families that share a love for the sport of baseball. The conversations are rigorous and always peppered with great stories of a game or a favorite player.
These guests of the museum remind me why I like this game so much. It begins with teamwork, amongst friends, schoolmates, family. It includes face offs on the field facing both nemesis and old friends. (Didn’t you love the moment when Trout faced Ohtani?) It can be a game of exaltation, success, loss and regret. Win or lose we know there will always be another game another opportunity and challenge to be part of a team united.
In preparation for the upcoming season the Tampa Baseball Museum & the Florida Sports Hall of Fame put on their 2nd annual big shindig in Ybor last night, “Baseball, Bourbon & Cigars”. It made for a memorable night out in Ybor and the museum, sharing cigars, bourbon and baseball stories with legends and fans alike.
So what now?
I need to squeeze in a few games with the Grapefruit League before Spring Training closes and the regular season begins. Maybe check out the Phillies in Clearwater, Orioles in Sarasota, Yankees in Tampa, Blue Jays in Dunedin and the Tigers in Lakeland. It just doesn’t get much better than this to have so many great teams with a short drive of one another.
Beyond that, I am scheduling games to attend and see the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley, The Miami Marlins at Loan Depot and the Tampa Bay Rays at the Trop. I welcome your input and recommendations on what I should see at these major league parks. So send me a note with your thoughts.
Thanks again for following BaseballBiz On Deck
With Gratitude,
Mark
markscorbett@gmail.com
