For the past 137 days, 20 hours, and 32 minutes I have been waiting for exactly this moment. The 2009 offseason is now officially over. We can stop thinking about a lost season where the Diamondbacks lost 97 games.
We can forget about all the shattered expectations. We can put behind us the injuries to Conor Jackson and Brandon Webb. We can erase the memories of Chris Young’s dismal season, and blot out the thoughts of Bob Melvin being fired.
All of that can now become a distant memory. Today everything starts anew and hope springs eternal throughout all of baseball but especially at Tucson Electric Park.
While much of the country is huddled around fireplaces and space heaters wondering when the snow will start to recede, in Arizona we can break out the sun block and short sleeve shirts. Fans will begin making their way to Tucson to watch as the Arizona Diamondbacks begin reporting for Spring Training.
Today marks the first day of Spring for Arizona Diamondbacks fans. Pitchers and catchers have made the trek to Tucson Electric Park for the beginning of the end of Spring Training at the old pueblo.
Next season the Diamondbacks will usher in a new era in a state of the art facility in Scottsdale but that is the farthest thing from their minds. The players will enter the parking lot at TEP and make their way to the clubhouse.
Official workouts will not begin until tomorrow so today they will pass the time by checking in, finding their locker, and unpacking their gear. There will be physicals and meetings with the coaches and training staff.
For fans lucky enough to be in Tucson it will be a chance for them to see the players as they make their way to the Spring Training complex. Who has arrived early and who has not yet checked in.
They will look for favorite players and try to recognize the new members of the Arizona Diamondbacks who will be counted on if the team is to compete in the National League West. This is a day of hope.
This is the day when every baseball fan in America looks forward to. It is the day when all the teams are on equal ground. Each has the same chance of competing and making the post season.
It is a new beginning and marks the end of what has seemed to be the longest winter in history. The air will soon be filled with the sounds of baseballs hitting the freshly oiled leather of baseball gloves. That will be followed by the crack of a bat and the smell of fresh cut grass.
With the bright blue sky overhead you take a deep breath and try to absorb all that is going around. You want to pinch yourself to make sure it is not a dream. It’s hear, Spring Training is finally here.
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