Spring Training '06: Winter Haven, FL!!!

Again, this is a very loose interpretation of the term "roadtrip," but it was easily the best work experience of my life, and something I wish I could do every single year for the rest of my career.

Because of my radio station's affiliation with the Cleveland Indians Radio Network, I was paid to be flown to Winter Haven, Florida for four days to broadcast live and conduct interviews from the Tribe's spring training facilities. When our plane left Cleveland, it was 17 degrees. When we landed in Orlando, it was 78. Beautiful.


The Indians were very hospitable.

Basically, Chain-O-Lakes Park served as a big, fat playground for me. This is me robbing Travis Hafner of a homer in batting practice by going ultimate barehand on the baseball Major League 2 style.... or just a cool pose.

Me and Indians pitcher Paul Byrd. I really, really hope Byrdie didn't use HGH unscrupulously like the Mitchell Report indicates, because he was really one of the absolutely nicest ballplayers I've ever met.

Grady Sizemore.

2007 Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia.

We caught a game at the Tigers' spring complex in ghetto-ass Lakeland, Fla.

It was actually a lot of work. Everyday, my alarm went off before the sun was up, and we worked all day at the ballpark until the sun went down. But when you're from Ohio, there's nothing like sipping on coffee on your hotel balcony and going over your work notes for the day while the sun rises over palm trees and you're wearing shorts in the first week of March.

Absolutely awesome sunsets from Winter Haven. Unfortunately, Beef-O-Brady's was pretty much THE only hangout in town. Not a lot happening in that part of Florida. Definitely a retirement community.