A Few Things I Learned at Spring Training

Spring Training is a totally different experience for a fan compared to the regular season. You can get up close and personal with players, get autographs, take great pictures, and get really good seats for cheap. Here are a few of my observations while watching the Mets take on the Cardinals and Marlins.

• Oliver Perez sucks.

• When some fans finally get the attention of the player they want an autograph from, they feel the need to tell that player their whole life story. Guess what, all you Chatty Cathy's, he doesn't want to hear it and neither do we, so get your autograph and keep the line moving.

• Chris Young is tall. I mean, REALLY tall. I know he's 6' 10", but to actually see the guy in person, it was like watching the jolly green giant pitch out there.

• I don't believe Daniel Murphy should be playing second base. He looks incredibly stiff out there. Watching him take ground balls, and turning double plays in warm-ups before the game, he's not very smooth. There has to be a better option. 

• Oliver Perez still sucks.

• For those who don't know, once a player is pulled from the game after four or five innings, their day is not over. It's then time for them to head to a back field to do sprints. At Friday's game against the Marlins, players did their sprints along the warning track while the game was still going on.

• Despite paying for seats, you can move to wherever you want. I had seats right behind home plate for the Marlins game. It was behind the net, extremely crowded, and filled with a couple of vocal fans. So, I decided to move my seat a few rows up along the first base line right next to the Mets bullpen. I was able to get a good look at everyone warming up. It was a much more enjoyable experience. It was also one that I knew would NEVER happen at Citi Field.

Pat Misch warming up in the bullpen.

Sorry for the quality of the photo. My camera died and had to take this picture with my phone.

The whole experience was great. It's going to be tough paying $60 for seats where I need binoculars to see the field once the regular season starts, after paying $20 in Spring Training and sitting right next to players.