Baseball Spring Training Games Begin March 2

Finally the long dry spell of having to watch football, hockey, curling, luge and other lesser sports is about over. Tomorrow, March 2, marks the start of spring training in the Florida Grapefruit League. The season will kick off with the Atlanta Braves playing the New York Mets over in St. Lucie. Closer to home the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the University of South Florida in Bradenton. I may go up there to watch the game and get my Bradenton Marauders baseball cap for the season.

Tomorrow night long time friend Jon Andrew arrives from Atlanta for five days of spring training games. A life-long Boston Red Sox fan the focus of most games will be on them but we'll squeeze in a couple others along the way. The current schedule looks like this:

March 3 - Wednesday
Boston Red Sox v Boston College in Fort Myers at 1:00 p.m.

March 4 - Thursday
Baltimore Orioles v Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte at 1:00 p.m.

That Team from the State West of Wisconsin v Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers at 7:00 p.m.

March 5 - Friday
Philadelphia Phillies v Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin at 1:00 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates v Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota at 7:00 p.m.

March 6 - Saturday
That Team from the State West of Wisconsin v Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers at 1:00 p.m.

March 7 - Sunday
Boston Red Sox v Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota at 1:00 p.m.

Jon departs for Atlanta after this game

March 8 - Monday
That Team from the State West of Wisconsin v Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota at 1:00 p.m.

My high school buddy Steve Benavides who lives on the tundra in Wisconsin and whom I have not seen in 41 years arrives for a few days this evening. His brother Tom lives in Englewood. We have already reserved rooms in the Charlotte County Jail for the three of us during Steve's visit, so there will be no baseball games watched these days.

March 19 - Friday
Toronto Blue Jays v Houston Astros in Kissimmee at 12:00 p.m.

Detroit Tigers v Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista at 6:00 p.m.
(Going to these games to pick up two new baseball stadiums for my "Stadiums I've Watched A Professional Baseball Game In" list)

March 26 - Friday
That Team from the State West of Wisconsin v Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota at 7:00 p.m.

I may try to sneak in a couple more games in Sarasota during the down periods here. However what I'm really gearing up for is the start of Minor League baseball in Bradenton on April 8 just 38 long days away.