Spring Training 2009: Day Four

Today is my last game. Maryvale Baseball Park, one of the little stadiums. One I really love.

Last year it took me an hour-and-a-half to find it. I figured I'd take surface streets. The freeways in Phoenix, especially I-10, are ferocious any time of day, and I had thought I'd avoid that. As a consequence, I got lost. More than once.

So this time, armed with a GPS, it took me 30 minutes to get to the park. I took a look at my seat -- right behind home plate -- and watched new manager Ken Macha talk to his players and watch bp. I was watching Ken. I've always liked him; he led the A's to two championships, and was booted after some mysterious "disconnect" with the players. I imagine Ken was under a lot of stress during those pre-playoff days, and it's unfortunate that we fired a good manager. But the Brewers picked him up two years later. I wish him well.

The Brewers were playing the Dodgers today. Yes, the same team I watched last night. I sat down at a concourse table with an umbrella to eat my pulled pork sandwich in the shade, and two people (not together) joined me. In the discussion, we learned that all three of us had been at the game last night. They didn't seem to think that was unusual, but I sure did. I asked one of them, the one with the Brewers hat, "What do you think of Ken Macha as a manager?" He answered slowly, "Welllll....he's an uneventful guy, if you know what I mean."

I went back to sit at my seat when the game was about to start. My friendly neighbor and I got into a chat as to what brought us here, etc. He was traveling with four other men. The guy on his left was 80, and didn't want to get to each stadium more than half an hour. He seemed to admire the fact that I wanted to get to each park right as it opened. In fact, he left after the first inning so that he could stroll around the grounds.

Before he left, though, he told me that he was a retired Las Vegas policeman. We chatted for a few moments about the tragedy in Oakland. He told me he couldn't believe that two of the officers who died had been SWAT officers. He wondered how, with their armor and face shield, any bullets could get through. He then related a story about a fellow policeman in Las Vegas who wasn't wearing any body armor, and in responding to a call at a bar, took seven bullets, stopped the two guys who attacked him, and lived to work again in the same department (but in an administrative capacity).

The game began. A few things happened of interest. I was interested in watching catcher Jason Kendall, who runs the Brewers' pitching staff like a finely tuned instrument. I met Jason once on the field when I was selected as Fan for a Day and got to attend Play Like a Pro. He was such a charming, down-to-earth guy, I hated to see him leave Oakland. But getting $10 million a year for a horrible .200 average.... well, it was inevitable.

Manny was back, playing in the outfield this time. During his second at-bat, after his first hit, he actually got into an argument with the umpire over a called third strike. It's spring training! This either means he cares about what happens, or it means that you don't call a third strike on Manny.

The Brewers showed that they have pitching and they have hitting. The Dodgers were obviously trying out some pitching prospects, and the Brewers hit against them easily.

But I was beginning to lose interest even though (1) this was a great seat and (2) the shade took over my part of the stands. It was very, very pleasant sitting there. Everybody seemed to be into the game. And we had so many foul balls (straight back? Go figure.) that everybody seemed to be laughing and bonding over that. I was two feet away from my first foul ball....and I didn't duck.

The GPS took me out into I-10 again and bumper to bumper traffic. Man, I could live in Phoenix quite easily, but I would hate traveling on the freeways.

Four days is perfect. I am now ready to go home. I met a lot of different fans from different cities, and I believe baseball is in good hands for another year.