Farewell to Spring Training

It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the beginning of Spring Training. The sun was shining and the roster looked like a vast improvement over the previous two years of 81-81 records. There was quiet optimism that this Arizona Diamondbacks team may be a sleeper pick to sneak up on some teams and play in the post season for the first time since 2011.

Over the course of the next 52 days fans, players, and team personnel have ridden a rollercoaster of emotions that included losing their ace, seeing their 8th inning setup guy go down to an elbow injury, watching their offense return to inconsistent results, and drop three games in Australia including two to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Final Game of Spring TrainingThe Diamondbacks have gone from a team that seemed destined to make a strong playoff run to one who fans hoped would overachieve and return to 81-81 mediocrity.

Today marks the end of the Spring Training journey. With an afternoon matinee against the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field fans would bid farewell to the dog days of spring baseball and welcome the puppy days of the regular season. Because who doesn’t love a puppy?

It was a beautiful day for baseball and a fitting adieu to spring. The roof to Chase Field was open to remind us why we should thank our lucky stars every day that we live here instead of somewhere covered in snow and ice. Yeah we will conveniently forget that it gets to be 118 degrees in the summer and our shoes will melt to the sidewalk. These are the kind of days we live for.

This final game was sort of a microcosm of how spring went. The Diamondbacks pitching gave up a couple of runs but the game was within striking distance. The relievers came in and gave up four runs to put the game out of reach only to see the offense come alive late to not only catch the Cubs but take the lead. Then just as the fans settled in for a rendition of Dbacks Swing the bullpen once again blew the lead leaving the fans stunned at another loss. Stop me if this sounds too familiar.

As the final out was recorded and the fans dropped their heads wondering what just happened, the team was already preparing for their second Opening Day this month. Monday is a new day and another new beginning although this isn’t technically a new beginning but hopefully a restart.

Jeff Summers

Just a digital guy in an analog world pondering the metaphysics of baseball and whether the knuckleball defies Newton's first law of motion.

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Jeff Summers

Jeff Summers

Baseball Epistemologist

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