Not quite enough...

This is my first year of actually following Spring Training. Past years I have only known what is going on thanks to whatever sound bites actually made the 10pm news, and that was only if I took the time to watch the news. The amount of reporting always depends so much on what the expectations are for the team, or more accurately, the expectations according to the particular sports reporter. And to be honest, in past years the sound bites were enough. I did not know that I could listen to the games, only that they were not televised. So there was no desire for more, or feeling like I was missing anything.

This is such a different experience. I am listening to KFAN (except game times of course) all the time (which spends more time on football than baseball during my listening hours - so next year maybe it will be a new Vikes blog!), reading the blogs, reading the sports pages, and listening to games that I can barely hear and understand since it is almost impossible to get AM stations in the building I work at. The one frustration I have is not being able to actually WATCH the players and games. This year I know all the names, the possibilities and yet can't put a face to the name, or a style to the position. I would also love to watch some of the nonroster invitees (a term I never heard till this year - which are all the players that are invited to camp, but are not a part of the 40 man roster.) There are I think 21 nonrostered players and a few of them have made great plays in the games I have been able to hear. Again - something that never would have been a concern to me in past years, until they moved up someone from AAA.

Last game I watched on gameday's f/x (is that what you call the gameday screen where it shows all the pitches and tracks where they go and the results?), and while it is interesting during the season once I know the pitchers and players, it felt a little dry for the pitchers I don't know. But all the Spring games on gameday are offered live, and I of course need to earn a living and can't watch them.

So this year I join the ranks of the devotees who rely only on stats, the news, and other peoples points of view for an entire month. My imagination is in full gear, and I can't wait to compare it to reality. This year I know what I am missing and it is just making the craving for being able to watch a game so much more intense. I am hooked and loving it!

I am curious... what do you do to feel more in touch with the team during the preseason?