I spent Sunday at Dodgertown, arriving early morning to trek out to the back fields. It was relatively quiet, since it was Sunday and early.  The Major League starting pitchers were taking BP and played a simulated game.  It was kinda cute cause they picked sides like little kids, and the guy who was picked last was teased about it by Randy Wolf.  They didn’t run the bases, but Rick Honeycutt called out if their hits were singles, doubles and outs etc etc.  When one of the younger guys ( no name on his uniform) laid down a nice bunt, the others let him know.  They guys in the field teased each other about their fielding, especially when Eric Stults tried to field a ground ball that took a funny hop and it went through his legs.

Dodgertown does let you get quite close to the guys on the field, and they often have to make their way through fans to get from one field to the next. Derek Lowe had to cross through the fans to head to the stadium, and was stopped by a lady in her late 60’s who was about 5′ tall. She asked for an autograph and standing next to him while she signed she looked like she might have been about 6 years old next to a regular dad. Didn’t have a chance to snap a pic before he finished signing and moved on. Inside before the game he took warm-up pitches on the bullpen mound right next to the stands and I was able to snap some great ones of both him and Mike Lieberthal, the Dodgers backup catcher and former Philadelphia Philly. Take a look

Derek Lowe

Mike Lieberthal

It really is too bad that the Dodgers are moving to Arizona soon.  History is here, but money is out there, and its money that drives all the decisions.  Fans at the game were hopeful another team might find in interesting and come play here, but the Orioles are the only team not locked into a long term contract and word from the front office is that Peter Angelos has close ties to the Ft. Lauderdale community leaders, so despite the worst spring training conditions around they will stay in Lauderdale and wait for the city to build them a new facility in a few years.  And one wonders why the Orioles are stuck in the situation they are in.

Tommorrow will be a double header–Devil Rays vs. Indians in the afternoon, and Reds at Yankees in the evening, so there should be some good shots and some good stories.