Oh Glorious Day! Spring Training Begins

The blood has begun to flow back through my veins. I can hear the crack of the bat, and I can smell the fresh cut outfield grass already. Spring Training has commenced. Pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch on this fine February Thursday along with a few Dodger position players like Yasiel Puig who were already in Arizona getting a head start on their Spring workouts. After a long cold offseason, one which included a flurry of roster moves for the Dodgers, the permafrost of boredom has started to thaw. Dodger baseball is back.

I dusted off my Clayton Kershaw shirsey. My body is ready. Baseball.

I’m not going to let Kenley Jansen‘s foot surgery put a damper on my delight this day. Although I’m going to miss his beautiful cutter while he is rehabbing his left foot, I’m excited to see what the new bullpen members can bring to the mound for the Dodgers. New faces and numbers will be joining the ranks this Spring, and I for one cannot wait to see some of the new Dodgers work out this Spring in Glendale, Arizona.

The first workout will be on Friday, and position players are due to report next Wednesday. The first full-squad workout is scheduled for next Thursday with the opening exhibition game set for Wednesday, March 4th.

According to a press release from the Dodgers on Wednesday, there are quite a few new amenities at Camelback Ranch for this year. Dodger Senior Vice President, Planning and Development Janet Marie Smith along with design team Younts Design, Inc. worked on these new enhancements and attractions for Camelback Ranch.

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Some of the new sights around the Camelback Ranch campus include a Tommy Lasorda bobblehead, a Dodger mini-scoreboard, a Dodger replica field scoreboard, All-Star panels around the lake, a L.A. logo sculpture, M.V.P. baseballs, retired numbers now line the interior of the ballpark, and there are new minor league affiliate mileage signs.

There will also be new concessions offered including bacon-on-a-stick! If there wasn’t a reason to visit Camelback Ranch, the bacon-on-a-stick should seal the deal.

M.V.P. baseballs will be a new addition to Camelback Ranch this year. Photo: L.A. Dodgers

The Dodgers have a lot of expectations surrounding the team going into Spring Training. Luckily this year, the Dodgers will not have an abbreviated Spring Training like they did before they opened the 2014 season in Sydney, Australia.

Last season the Dodgers had to deal with the loss of their ace Clayton Kershaw for six weeks early on, and this season they will open 2015 sans their closer Kenley Jansen. The new front office regime has assembled a solid roster, but there are still questions to be answered this Spring.

Hopefully the Dodgers have a healthy and productive Spring Training, and I’m looking forward to seeing some live baseball at Camelback Ranch next month. The road to the World Championship begins today, and I’m already looking ahead at that third consecutive National League West title.