"Official" Start of Spring

Forget Daylight Savings or any astrological indicator of the seasons. Sports fans know Spring really begins with the annual migration of baseball players and coaches to the warmer climates of AZ and FL - Spring Training. I will admit that the Red Raiders' victories last Fall had me temporarily interested in that other sport, but don't be confused, I am a die-hard baseball fan through and through and look forward to Spring like no other time of the year.

The metamorphosis has small, yet telling signs. Watching Sports Center again. Reading, not just skimming, the Sports section of the DMN. Contributing to office sports talk. Adding Braves and Rangers' schedules to my Google calendar. Strategically scheduling vacations to NL cities. And most importantly, dusting off the Stats book and jerseys. Yes, Baseball Season Jenise is coming.

So, how did I celebrate the start of Spring this year? As frequently happens, work made that relatively easy. First, the 2008 World Series trophy came to SWA Headquarters to visit last Friday (helps being the Official Airline of the World Series Champion). Although the backdrop had plenty of reminders that the trophy was won by that Philadelphia team (grrr), the trophy itself just looks like a World Series trophy, so I didn't mind taking a picture with it:)

Then, in conjunction with the Orlando trip (see Disney post below), we also took in a Braves Spring Training game at the Disney sports complex. Ironically, they were playing the Phillies. The cool windy weather made it difficult to remember it was Spring and Florida, but a Spring Training game is like nothing else, regardless of weather. I think it's best described as major league players in a minor league game - small stadium and more laid back atmosphere.

Now to anticipate the next big Spring event - Opening Day!