by Tucker Warner

There’s something special about the start of the baseball season. Winter not yet having turned to spring, the players travel to a typical vacation spot for the weather, only to show up to work for nearly thirty days. In this time, with many players struggling to make the team, others fighting for a job, and young prospects looking to prove themselves for the first time to the club that put faith in them during the draft, one could argue that the purest form of baseball is being played. Untouched by the non-stop grind of the regular season, and untainted by any sense of personal flaws or shortcomings, spring training games are played out of desire, respect, and- dare I say- pure enjoyment of baseball. And as a sign that the game we all love has returned, winter/spring games are a reminder to us all that greatness is once again right around the corner, and that the beauty of the sport, that had been missed so much during the long, dark days and nights of winter, will be here soon.

And sometimes two Cuban teams stage a battle royale in the middle of the game, complete with players swinging bats at their opponents’ heads. Enjoy.