Spring Fling

M1 with Dodger Legend Tommy Lasorda at Surprise Stadium

As a baseball junkie and die-hard Dodger fan, one of my dreams has been to be a part of that annual spectacle: Spring Training. When the LA Dodgers relocated from Vero Beach, FL to Glendale, AZ 3 years ago, the dream became more doable and this past weekend it became a reality! Mike Bayard, Mike Hawkes, Ryan Hawkes and myself (M1, M3, The Falcon, and M2 respectively) jetted over to the Valley of the Sun to cheer on our Dodgers in a couple of Cactus League games. Yes, this was Man-Cave trip # 2. Last year we made a trip up to San Francisco to check out the hated Giants, in person. That was an awesome trip. You may have read about it here. For those of you who are familiar with our Man-Cave activities, they are always about two things: Sports and food! This Cactus League trip exceeded all expectations and more than adequately met our two requirements. We also made it to four movies ( a quick review included):
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone> Not bad, pretty funny, don't rush out and see it.
The Call> Started off well, but devolves into total ridiculousness. Wait for the DVD, maybe?
Dead Man Down> Surprisingly good, but don't take the wife.
Identity Theft> Hilarious! A must see!
Enough about movies, let's talk baseball and food.

Friday morning we started the day with an hearty breakfast at Over Easy in Phoenix. The Eggs Benedict and hash browns were to die for! That night we ventured to Camel Back Ranch, spring training base for the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. A beautiful facility located at the west side of Glendale at the edge of the world. A nifty 10,000 seat main ball park with 8 separate practice fields, 4 for each team, adorned this desert oasis. While the different food choices were copious, the hot dogs were absolutely awful. Imagine a Dodger Dog boiled instead of grilled, served on bun baked several days ago. Yuck! Talk about wasted calories. At least the game did not disappoint; as the Dodger back-ups drubbed the KC Royals 8-1. Dodger Cuban phenom, Yasiel Puig went 3-3. He's big, fast and hits the heck out of the ball. Look for him to be the future Dodger left fielder for years to come. It was a great night!

M2 lounging on the grass at Camel Back Ranch

Saturday we started off with another breakfast adventure at one of Phoenix's favorite spots, The Black Bear Diner. After about a 45 minute wait the cholesterol assault on our bodies began. What a great place. 10,000 calories must have been consumed!

Cavers waiting to gorge themselves at Black Bear Diner

M1, M3, The Falcon, and M2 at Black Bear Diner

Yes, we shared it!

Black Bear Diner Breakfast Feast (The Falcon [blue shirt] ate 4 of the 8 plates of food!)

With full tummy's we set out for the home of the Texas Rangers and KC Royals, Surprise Stadium in Surprise, AZ. This facility was amazing. It was an upgrade from Camel Back Ranch. Another beautiful 10,000+ seat park. M1 had secured us great seats in the shade for this daytime match-up pitting our Dodgers against the Rangers. Clayton Kershaw pitched 6 innings of shout out 2-hit ball. He is ready for the regular season. Another 20 win season is not a reach. Unfortunately, after Clayton hit the showers the Rangers roughed up a few Dodger scrubs. But hey, it's spring training. The highlight of the game occurred off the field. Mike Bayard had a chance meeting with legendary Dodger Manager, Tommy Lasorda! How cool is that!

Surprise Stadium on picturesque Saturday afternoon

Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw in motion

Grabbing some ice cream cones on the way out of the park (and also running into an embarrassing drunkard) we hit the road cris-crossing back across the valley towards Scottsdale for movie and dinner. After the movie we arrived at one of the Phoenix area's most famous eateries, Don & Charlie's. This place is kind of a sports bar/restaurant with endless sports memorabilia covering the walls and ceiling. The joint was a mad house! As we entered, and elderly gentleman was seated at a small table with a box of baseballs in front of him. Upon closer inspection, it was the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays! Willie turns 82 later this year and he looks it. It is hard to believe that he retired from the game 40 years ago this year! The years have not been kind to Willie. He sat at the table like an automaton as his handlers fed him balls to sign at $200 a pop. There was no interaction with fans other than a single isolated half smile. It seemed so sad and pathetic. Somehow, I had hoped life would be better for one of the greatest players that ever lived. Finally, all the balls were signed and Willie struggled to his feet. An assistant helped him with his jacket, then his entourage walked him outside to the waiting mini-van. Then he was gone, vanishing into the desert night.....

Dinner was fantastic. A perfect capper for a perfect trip.

As we rolled back across the valley to the hotel, various spring training parks lit up the desert landscape like twinkling stars in the night. We reluctantly bid farewell to the Boys of Spring, but our next adventure is already in our thoughts...........

Sunset at Camel Back Ranch