Quick one about MLB Spring Training...

So its now the first week of Spring Training and I am so relieved to get schedules for MLB games printed out and follow all the sports writers on their treks down to Florida and Arizona. The beginning of baseball season is like Christmas to me, I get giddy and excited like a little kid that the season is starting and I cannot get enough information about all of the news going on and images from training camps.

I know to some its just like a rough practice in Spring Training, but to me its exciting to see the teams begin to get warmed up again and to see them really gear up. Similar the exhibition games might not mean a whole lot but they are still entertaining and they are still baseball. I think they are fun to listen to when I can, at work or on the road, since they are usually during the day, like the games of old. I love listening to the games as it is, that blog will be sure to show its head this season, and so I always by the GameDay Audio subscription on mlb.com so I dont miss anything. Its cheap and it keeps the feed coming during the season as well.

But I digress, spring training to me is not only about the coming of the season, but that hope of warmer temps, the greener grass, and those other spring-like sensations we all experience during the spring. As a kid it meant more because I had more time to enjoy it, but it still makes me feel all "warm and fuzzy." All in all, I am ready for some baseball. Its hard to go several months without it, so let's play ball and Go Orioles!

Mark McGwire and the 1990s

For my first blog I wanted to address some of the issues in the mainstream news these days. One certainly is Mark McGwire who just this week finally officially revealed he was using steroids during his peak years. Most of all during his year that he broke the record for most home runs in a single season. As much as it is not a surprise it still sadens me. I figure most of the home run hitters from the late 1980s until the early 2000s were on some kind of an enhancement drug and they were showing signs all over the place. From their obvious muscle gain that happens overnight, to the injuries they would later receive.

I always liked Mark McGwire from his draft in the 1980s until his retirement. I never thought of him as the best of role models because of his alleged dabble into the enhancement drugs, but I always knew he was a good hitter and a good all around baseball player. I am glad he came out with it now rather than someone like Canseco finding more proof to the case for him. I admire his courage because a lot of people talk trash about those players and it seem like a maddening thing to deal with. I know some people feel like he still cheated, but see as it was not illegal at the time, it was just unfair. I dont like it but many people find the loopholes to get ahead in life, not just baseball.

What I truly wish is that he gives others the reason to make sure this type of activity is banned from baseball because apparently it has not be enforced enough still with sluggers like Manny Rameriez and A-Rod being linked to them last year.

In closing I am hoping that the mistakes made in the MLB will be corrected soon. Mr. Selig I hope you and your associates are listening because we cannot suffer more players to have to feel like they need this, or the sport to have to go through many more criticisms like this.

Hope everyone likes the post and I will have many more baseball blogs to come, especially with the season coming up.