LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Spring Training is in full swing across Florida and Arizona with fans hanging on every pitch and at bat. Often lost in the shuffle of these exhibitions games is just how unimportant they can be sometimes. I had a chance to catch a couple of games in person and let's just say the performances weren't quite indicative of what you can expect once the regular season begins.
The Washington Nationals pulled out a 12-10 victory over the Detroit Tigers on St. Patrick's Day in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Lakeland. As exciting as it was the real fans who should be happy about the performance are Syracuse Chiefs supporters. By the time the game was decided it was guys wearing jersey numbers like 78 and 65 making the big hits. The spring is likely more important for these future minor leaguers as they have a chance to show their stuff in front of the big league coaches.
The following day it was the Atlanta Braves giving up a late extra point in a 17-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles... make that Phillies. You won't see too many 17-10 games in the regular season because the scenarios are just so different. Consider this line for Braves starter Kris Medlen: 5 IP, 14 H, 9 ER and oh yeah he earned the win. Medlen threw way too many pitches for strikes but a lot of that had to do with a 6-0 lead after one inning of a game that doesn't count. While some fans will be concerned by all the runs given up, just enjoy the exhibition season for what it is, a chance to get back in the swing of things and enjoy the game of baseball.
