Photos from Day 3 in AZ

For more pictures of the day in Tempe, head over to the Timber Rattlers Facebook page.

The first three pictures are to show how close the two diamonds are to each other at the Angels' minor league complex.

The walkway separates the two diamonds. The field to the left had the Advanced A game. The field to the right had the Timber Rattlers game.

Turn the head to the right and watch the Rattlers.

Turn the head to the left and watch former Rattlers.

This is a shot of Eric Arnett watching Kyle Heckathorn pitch in the Advanced-A game. Folks, just because they pitched in this game does not mean that they will be starting the season there.

The walk was not back to the clubhouse. It was to the bus. Just like in high school. Get off the bus, dressed and ready to play. Get on the bus after the game while you are still in your uniform.

This is the view from the front of Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Pictures from day two

For a pictures of the team in action head over to this album at their facebook page. Below are some post-game scenes from the press box at the Maryvale Baseball park after the Brewers game. Click to embiggen.

The door to the home radio booth. No. He wasn't there.

The view from the top row of the part of the press box where the beat writers had been, um, writing.

Here is the view of the stadium from a party deck on the way into the press box.

Pictures from Day one

You can find a pictures from today's practice and game over at the Timber Rattlers facebook page.

These are of a more personal nature. As always, click to embiggen.

Maryvale Baseball Stadium from behind home plate.

A reverse angle

Peter Gammons! Peter.Freakin'.Gammons.

Who wants to be interviewed by Harold Reynolds?

This Dodger fan did? But, the way he gave his answers tell me that he is a week early for WrestleMania!!! Brother!

These are people heading for the big league game as I head to the minor league fields.

Let the day begin

I made it to Arizona...with no problem. I made it through the Marquette game...barely.

I am two hours behind CDT, but that means it's only about 7:30 here. I'll be heading over to the minor league complex in about an hour.

Depending on wireless connection, I'll have updates on the blog during the day, including a little on the first Timber Rattlers spring training game as they face Lake County today.

Maybe a live blog...if possible. No promises.

Check back here around 2:50pm CDT to see if anything is happening.

If not, I'll keep you updated on my twitter feed. twitter.com/CMehring I'd use the Timber Rattlers one, but, that one isn't hooked into my cell phone.

Right now...I'll just let The Call take it away.

The next post you read...

...will be from Arizona.

In answer to a few questions...No, I do not have room to take anyone along. I will be working. And updating the blog. Plus, there will be some new things over at the Timber Rattlers home page. If possible, I'll update my twitter feed and the Timber Rattlers facebook page.

Once I get settled into the hotel, I'll have some updates.

Until then...rejoice! Timber Rattlers Baseball is three weeks away!

The week ahead

Deadlines, meetings, decide if I should get a haircut, trip to Arizona, work on the media guide, conference call, decide if I want to make a fool of myself in the Right Field Bleachers Bracket Challenge...

Oh, that third one?

Yes. I will be in Arizona starting Thursday evening. The plan is for me to hang out at Spring Training and file reports on how future and past Timber Rattlers players are playing.

Depending on how the internet connection is at the minor league diamonds, I'll have some results on how those are going as they are going. Does that make sense?

The dates that I will be at the Spring Training Complex are Friday 3/19 through Monday, 3/22.

So, stay tuned to Rattler Radio, the Timber Rattlers Main Page, the Timber Rattlers Facebook page, the Timber Rattlers Twitter feed, and my Twitter feed.

I will do my best to keep you updated on what is going on with the Timber Rattlers in Spring Training at any and/or all of those internet-type places.

I will even try to bring back some good weather for the start of the 2010 season.

Brewers fan going to Arizona for Spring Training?

Buy a ticket and support the Cubs. Rent a car and support the Cubs.

What?

No.

Really.

If you haven't seen the news, an Arizona state rep named John McCornish has just introduced a bill that proposes both an increase in car rental taxes and a surcharge on all spring training games played in the state. Yes, even the ones that don't involve the Cubs.

The funds would then help pay for the state's portion — roughly $59 million — of the $84 million it will cost to build the facility that ended the Cubs' threats to move to Florida.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and his friends at the Diamondbacks started the bellyaching over this proposal — even though the White Sox got a new ballpark 20 years ago through similar methods — and they've recently been joined by the Rangers and A's.

Arizona and the Cubs will contend that the franchise is the cornerstone of the Cactus League and that other facilities are packed to the brim when its fans travel across the Valley. They're right, of course, but it bends all logic that a visiting Mariners fan should have to pay a surcharge on all of his tickets when he has no intentions of seeing the Cubs play.

And the line of other owners bristling at the thought of the extra charge should kill the idea that the rising tide lifts all boats. The extra tax could actually hurt their attendance on days that Ronnie Woo Woo and crew don't show up in the stands.

(At this point, I should note that the other owners are in the business of making a profit and might just be angling to preserve space for price increases of their own. Still, I'm on the side of keeping spring training as affordable as possible — and if you've never been, you'd be surprised how much tickets can cost — so any opposition to the surcharge is fine by me.)

That is from Big League Stew.

This is from the MSN.com.

Representatives of the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox said Wednesday that all Cactus League teams oppose a proposed surcharge on all spring training tickets to pay for new Chicago Cubs stadium in Mesa

“All 14 other Cactus League teams oppose House Bill 2736 as introduced. We are working persistently with legislative leadership in the House to construct an alternative plan that will work for everyone, including the Cubs,” said John Kaites, a Phoenix attorney and lobbyist who represents the Mariners and White Sox. He would not provide details, however.

And as an add-on to that last post

Brewers extend Spring Training invites

The Brewers have extended Major League Spring Training invites to seven non-roster players -- right-handers Eric Arnett and Kyle Heckathorn, left-hander Zach Braddock, catchers Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado, and outfielder Logan Schafer.

Arnett and Heckathorn were drafted last year by the Brewers. Maldonado played a few games for the Timber Rattlers last season.

A history of the Cactus League

MLB.com has a little something. Let's call it a primer before Spring Training starts.

Robert Brinton first sold the Cactus League program when he was 6 years old.

Fifty-eight years later, Brinton has bought into the program, too. As president of the Cactus League, he has watched the Arizona Spring Training league evolve into a baseball power that rivals its older East Coast counterpart, the Grapefruit League.

There will be 15 teams training in Florida's Grapefruit League when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 18, and with the recent arrival of the Cincinnati Reds in Goodyear, Ariz., 15 teams will now train in Arizona.

"We were down to seven teams in the early '90s and my vision was to see if we can get 10 teams here," said Brinton, who lives in Mesa. "To end up with 15 teams shows the hard work of many people working together over the years. It's been more successful than we could have ever dreamed."

The leagues have come a long way. The Cactus League started in 1946 with the Cleveland Indians in Tucson and the New York Giants in Phoenix. The Grapefruit League started in 1908 with an exhibition game between the Reds and the St. Petersburg Saints. The Chicago Cubs were the first team to train in Florida when they arrived in 1913.

When the Cubs became the third team in the Cactus League in 1952, Brinton was a boy who wanted to be ballplayer when he grew up. On game days, he camped outside of Rendezvous Park in Mesa to sell four-page black and white programs for 25 cents.

Much more at the link.

Spring Training Video

Stealing this one from Geoff Baker, too. Here is video of JJ Putz ('00) in a game against some M's minor leaguers from the weekend.



That last guy at the plate was Jeff Dominguez ('06).