Barnstorming

The past couple of days, ESPN has been broadcasting spring training games.  It isn't anything important, it's just time filler in between the morning and afternoon programs.  It gets me into the baseball watching mood.  I don't really care about the teams that are on right now, Boston and Minnesota, but it is a sign of things to come.  Opening day is four days away (Yankees v. Rod Sox) and with the majority of teams starting the following day.  The Tigers are playing the Royals in the opening series which makes me happy because I can watch the games down here without going to the bar. 

The great thing about spring training games is the relaxed atmosphere.  Smaller stadiums, small crowds, small towns.  It makes me think of games from the barnstorming era.  Barnstorming is when big name players in the twenties and thirties traveled around to smaller towns and played exhibition games.  It was a fun thing to do and the players got a little more money.  Back then, they didn't get million dollar contracts for ten years, they had to earn it.  Most players worked other jobs during the off season just to make ends meet.  It was a different time, and I wish I could have seen it.  They played for the love of the game.  That is what made the game important to this country and why it is considered the national past time (suck on that, football)  Players may say that they still play because they love to play, but lets face it...it's all about the money. 

I love having an independent league team in town.  They may not be the best players, they may not bring in the greatest numbers, but they play because they want to.  They have to go out and get jobs when their season is done, but they come back every year because they want to and not because they are trying to make it to 'The Show'.  I want to go to more games this year, but it is hard to get people together to go in a big group.