play ball!

I am beginning to wonder when I became such a big fan of baseball.  Now don't get me wrong, I've always enjoyed going to a game when the opportunity came around.  (I've been to both Wrigley and the Cell in recent years.)  But generally, I found it to be a little slow and kind of boring, meaning that I never watched it on TV or followed the teams.  I think my developing love of baseball had something to do with moving to Arizona...because spring training down here is AWESOME!  Yesterday, my friend Erika and I decided that before we graduate in 2013, we want to see a spring training game at every Cactus League stadium.  I think it is a pretty reasonable goal.

So how much do I love baseball?  I love baseball so much that I rescheduled a quiz so that I would be able to attend a game this afternoon.  But let me explain...  On Monday afternoons, we have rotations (either clinic rotation, community service, radiology rotation, or basic life support training).  This week, I was scheduled to have off.  I made plans with my roommate to drive out to Goodyear to see the Cubs (my team) play the Indians (her team).  Last week in lab, my professor, Dr. M, came over and told me that they wanted me to come take a radiology quiz Monday at 1PM.  (Due to a scheduling error earlier in the quarter, they were trying to squeeze some of us groups in at odd times.)  I initially told her I would be there, but then realized it conflicted with my baseball game which also started at 1PM.  I mentioned this to her and she asks, "okay, when do you want to come in for your quiz?"  Seriously?  I can move a quiz to go to a baseball game?  "Is noon okay?"  And that is how I took my quiz at noon so that I could make the baseball game by one.  I freakin' love my professors sometimes.

But why is spring training so awesome?  It is pretty different from the regulation games; generally it is a lot more relaxed, a lot less hassle to get in and out of the stadium, and pretty darn cheap.  Eight bucks will get you a generous swatch of grass at most parks where you can spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch.  And it smells like summer (suntan lotion, beer, and grass...isn't that what summer is supposed to smell like?).  And it gives you something to call home and gloat about, because March in AZ is awesome, while March in IL is still cold.  Come on, it is live entertainment that is cheaper than a ticket to the movies.  Sign me up!

And since baseball is a game of statistics, here are some stats about my spring training experience so far.

total stadiums visited: 4/10
games attended this season: 4
     -Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals (Sox lost 8-3)
     -Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland A's (Sox won 18-1)
     -Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies (Cubs lost 6-4)
     -Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Indians (Cubs lost 4-3)
exciting baseball things that happened:
     -outfielder goes over the wall: 1
     -home runs: 7
     -grand slam: 1
     -player steals home: 1
things unrelated to baseball that happened at a game:
     -comments regarding my cubs shirt: 3
     -times I was told to put on my "rally-cap": 1
     -times that the "rally-cap" didn't work: 1
     -times I was asked if I wanted to have a sex toy party: 1

And now you should all read this interesting article about grass.  (Seriously, you should.)