Spring!

"You can't wear that hat," John says.

I pull my Miracle hat off my head and look at it. "What's wrong with this hat?"

"No Miracle stuff at spring training. They want you to wear Twins Cities stuff only."

"Yeah, at least until 4:00," Chuck chimes in helpfully.

I shrug. "I'm not on the Twins payroll," I point out. "I can wear any hat I want. I can even where my Everblades hat if it pleases me.

"Where is my Mike Cudyer bat?"

"They don't make them," John says.

"Yes, they do, and Skippy was going to get me one."

"Skippy left," he says helpfully.

"I know. Probably out of fear of reprecussions for not get me a Mike Cudyer bat."

Ah...the joys of start of Spring Training. There is grass on the berm. Not all of the seats are in yet. You can jump off the patio into the trash compactor there is no fence there yet. They were bolting green padding onto the walls even as the players were taking the field.

As always, it's a bit of a three ring circus and I can't be at all the rings at the same time. This bothers me.

"I need to be cloned," I tell one of my friends.

"You need a posse," he counters as he attempts to stop his six year old from braining another kid with an aluminum bat.

Players running back and forth, especially Santana who seemed to be trying to run over as many people as possible; a long term game of "Find Frankie" which was not proving difficult, just follow the autograph seekers; kids saying "Mister, can I have an autograph," even when they don't know who the "mister" in question is.

Corey turns one kid down with a "later". He seems unhappy with that. "But I said 'sir'". Another kid is on his cell phone telling everyone back home in Minnesota that "Joe Mauer flipped me a ball!"

I find Kevin Slowey. I lose Kevin Slowey. Anna finds me.

"Where's Santana?"

"That field I think," pointing to the one behind my back as I try to find Slowey again. "Just look for the path of mown down people."

"Where's Torri Hunter?"

Dear god, I can't even find my boys and she wants me to keep track of her boys too?

"Where's you son?" I counter.

"Over there, why don't you take a picture of him?"

"I already did, he's in the second base cluster shot."

"Oh..."

I found Justin Morneau in the batting cage, first thing. This saved him from having to find me. I found Justin, my season ticket rep, in the gift shop. I told him where I wanted to sit, he told me he'd see what's available and get back with me. I had to rearrange my initial idea because they've moved the netting.

I find Slowey again the bullpen.

"Kevin, I need an autograph."

"Yeah, okay, after we're done." Except he snuck out through the dugout while I was trying to change film. I really need to get a digital.

I think the autograph seekers who are taking whoever they ran into instead of trying to get the guys they wanted were having better luck. I mean given that the same four guys were chasing Frankie around the whole time...

The weather was a nice sunny 82 degrees, if was amusing talking to everyone again, and I guess I did rather enjoy tailing Slowey all over the park.

Ah well...

In any case...Pictures, pictures, pictures:

American League MVP

How many second basemen do we need on this team?

Carlos Silva

Catching prospect Jose Morales

The Real Deal, whose new spring training job appears to be driving Francisco Liriano around in the golf cart.

Batting practice with Joe Mauer

Found! Kevin Slowey

You left me home alone to go to spring training?

Duh!