Give it a week or so and Spring Training games will seem to be irrelevant, save for news of any injuries that occur. However, right now the thought of listening to or watching some live baseball can’t help but make any baseball fan excited. The games begin today and Gameday Audio/MLB.tv subscribers in Britain will be eagerly logging on for the first time in 2009 this evening.Â
Video footage of Spring Training games is often thin on the ground simply because the games are not being broadcast by anyone. The provisional schedule for this February/March suggests that we’ll be able to watch more than usual this time around and the great thing about Spring Training games for Brits is that they normally take place at a convenient time for us.Â
The first MLB.tv game of the season is a good example. The reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum will start his ’09 preparations from 20.05 GMT as the Giants play against the Indians. Anyone staying up late can also see the Red Sox against the Twins from five past midnight.
Times listed on the Watch/Listen page at MLB.com are all in Eastern Time, which is currently five hours behind GMT. This will change to four hours on 8 March as America moves to daylight saving time (DST), before moving back to five hours on 29 March when our clocks change to British Summer Time (BST).
There are four games being shown on Thursday evening: Astros v Braves (18.05), Marlins v Mets (18.10), Rays v Yankees (18.15) and D-Backs v Indians (20.05). Friday brings us two games on MLB.tv: Cardinals v Mets (18.10) and Padres v Indians (20.05). Fans of the Tribe are certainly being well-catered for early on this year.
On top of this coverage, radio commentary from the majority (although not all) of the games will be available via Gameday Audio. Baseball, like cricket, lends itself brilliantly to the radio medium and Spring Training games are a particular joy when followed by this method.
No one is really concerned about the scoreline. The announcers will therefore spend more time bringing you the sights and sounds of the baseball carnival going on in the stands and the surrounding area. Sit back and be transported to Arizona or Florida.
It’s a lot of fun listening to the announcers discussing baseball news and the culinary treats on offer at the ballpark, with the sound of bat hitting ball and the murmur of the crowd serving as a backdrop. Typically key members from the Front Office and the scouting departments of teams will often pop into the booth as well, passing on lots of useful information about prospects and fringe players hoping to make the twenty-five man roster.
Listening to Spring Training games has become an annual ritual for me. There’s nothing like tuning in for the first time and hearing your team playing once again. The A’s play their first game of ’09 against the Brewers from 20.05 tonight and that first pitch will signal the end of the long baseball-free winter months.
It can’t come soon enough.
baseball starts today happy days
Looking forward to watching these, having purchased the Premium MLB.TV package last night. According to the MLB.TV support forums they plan on testing the new flash video player on a few Spring Training and WBC games before the regular season begins.
Oh, I can access the 2008 archived games, as well as the 2007 ones (didn’t go any further back that that though). 🙂
Too right.
Baseball is back.
Really enjoying listening to the A’s game, although I’ve given up trying to keep score as the raft of lineup changes start to take effect.
Fifty-five players in the box-score (I wonder what the record is for a Spring Training game)… and no result.
This may help some people: My MLB.tv log-in details from last season still allow me to watch live games during spring training (which also happened last year).
If I remember correctly, my 2007 subscription expired just before the 2008 regular season. I’ll continue to wait it out before buying a new subscription just to see if the pound strengthens against the dollar.
Good point. I’m not sure exactly how long the 2008 subscription will last for, but renewal e-mails have started being sent out. These will take effect fom around 1 March.
Spring training games are the best time to start learning to keep score. The games don’t matter, and neither do mistakes.
Work out the kinks now and you’ll be prepared for the regular season.
That’s what Spring Training is for.
You guys really are wonderful fans! To be honest, I’m still trying to understand how you can feel the way you do living in GB. If you lived here and had even the local coverage (not to mention, the national), you would be overwhelmed. Baseball fans here just take Spring Training and Baseball for granted because it is simply a ritual that they go through their whole lives. I guess when a game is the “national game”, it’s just normal life. I admire you and give you all the credit in the world for your passion about baseball. Matt Smith and Joe Gray, especially, have made me realize how fortunate I am to have what I take for granted around me every day. I have been lucky enough to go to Arizona for Spring Training quite a few times and believe me, it really is nice. For people living in the North, it is nice to simply get away from the cold to the desert, let alone enjoy the leisurly pace of Spring Training. Hang on guys, the season in both GB and here will be upon us soon. Chico
Ron: good point. It can get a bit confusing in the latter innings of early Spring Training games, but scorekeeping errors are no problem really.
Chico: I think you’ve got it right there. We don’t get too much baseball here and most of the people we know aren’t interested in the sport (or are even hostile towards it!). So there’s no danger of us taking baseball for granted and I think that goes for all British baseball fans. We have to make an effort to follow the games and I think that makes us love it all the more.
Matt: It has to be frustrating to not be able to talk to neighbors, co-workers, friends and even family members about the game. Baseball GB really is a wonderful tool to keep British fans together. Great job! (and American fans also!)
Chico: The thing I enjoy most (and I doubt I am alone here) is a close, well-played game on a warm day. To get a close, well-played game and warm weather on the same day is rare in Britain, so when it happens I know I am lucky. This is what I am hoping for lots of this Summer.
Joe: I feel the same way. I will have to admit that when I am coaching a game for our high school team , I like a big lead so I can relax a bit! Close, well played games are really the best kind of games, however. Sloppy, error and walk filled games are the worst to watch as a fan. Games with a lot of runs are usually indicative of bad pitching. I think most fans still love a lot of home runs. Ever since the Babe came along, American (and around the world) fans fell in love with the the long ball and it hasn’t changed to today. We try to teach our guys to hit hard line drives and let them know home runs will come later as they become stronger. I love those ropes to left or right center! Warm weather goes without saying. Baseball really was meant to be played in warm weather. I still wouldn’t want to live in Florida or Arizona in the summer. Florida is HUMID and sticky every day. Arizona is always over 100. Where I live the winters are brutal, but the summers are pleasant and perfect for day baseball. Hope your season with the Pirates is successful! Chico