You don't have to like baseball to enjoy spring training!

BASEBALL

Column published in newspapers on March 7, 2018

by David Wilson

My Dad loved watching St. Louis Cardinal baseball but my Mom didn’t like it much.

But somehow, they made the marriage work.

In recent decades Dad had a Cardinal game on television almost every night and every weekend. 

Mom sat with him in the living room, and I could say that she suffered in silence, but actually, she wasn’t always silent about it.

I told Mom once that she and Dad should go to Florida during March and watch the Cardinals in spring training.

“Oh I can’t do that—” she said.

“Wait a minute Mom,” I said.  “It won’t be like going in to St. Louis and fighting the crowds to see a game. You will be around a different group of people, including a bunch of retired folks.  And the weather won’t be like sitting in the heat and humidity of St. Louis in July.  It will be pleasant.”

Mom was listening.

“Just go with Dad for one game,” I continued.  “Heck, you don’t even have to watch it.  You could just sit by him at the game and enjoy the weather and read.”

“And then,” I said, “after the game you could go do whatever else you want to do in Florida.”

As I described the possibilities to Mom I couldn’t help but think of a book called Spring Training by William Zinsser.

Zinsser was a great writer, and he spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training in Florida in 1988.

The Pirates were an up and coming team and Zinsser—being the great writer he was—showed us a unique look at their spring development.

Zinsser wasn’t a sports writer, but it didn’t matter. When he wrote about spring training he did it better than any sportswriter could.

The idea of going to spring training may not appeal to you, but if you read Spring Training it might.

My Mom didn’t protest when I suggested that they go to Florida, but unfortunately they never made it to spring training. Dad had a rough time the last couple of years he was alive.  He couldn’t just travel any time he wanted.

I do not, however, feel bad that they didn’t see a Cardinal game in spring training.

They got to visit many places, including Hawaii, Las Vegas; Savannah, Georgia; New Orleans; San Antonio; New Mexico; Arizona; San Diego; and yes, even Florida when they were younger (but not during spring training).

They did a lot together, but watching the Cardinals in the Florida sunshine wasn’t one of them.

Spring training is going on now, and I would love to go some year myself.

I would also like to have an extended stay in Arizona. 

I’ve always said if money were no object that I would spend January through April in Arizona every year.

If I can’t do that, I’ll at least try to do two weeks there some year soon.

Arkansas is a great state and a great place to live, but to be honest, Arkansas doesn’t have much for me this time of the year.

And I’ll also check out Florida’s spring training before I get to the point that I can’t, like my Dad was during his last couple of years.

I’m going to do it for Dad.  And for Mom.  And for me.

Whether you make a trip like that is entirely up to you.  But I think you should.

Even if you are like my Mom and don’t like baseball.  You can go to the game and soak up the sun and read a good book.

Maybe Zinsser’s Spring Training.

David Wilson, EdD, is a communications director and former high school principal. His book Learning Every Day is available on Amazon.com. You may email him at ledauthor@gmail.com.