[Business Day One] End Of Spring Training FAQs
We here at Nerds On Sports like to educate as much as we like to entertain. As such, today’s Business Day One will tackle some Frequently Asked Questions regarding the splendid time of year when Major League Baseball’s Spring Training excitedly evolves into the regular season. So sit back, relax, and get your learn on.
What’s the deal with the Boston/Oakland series being played in Japan?
-Allow us to clear up a commonly held misconception – The Regular Season begins tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The Red Sox and Athletics are not playing an exhibition game tomorrow; they are indeed kicking off their respective 162 game seasons. There are still Cactus and Grapefruit League games going on, just not in Japan. In Japan, the regular season is getting underway. And yes, it is stupid.
Why are my normally nice friends insulting each other by saying things like “you reached big time for Jack Cust” and “I will dominate you in ERA?”
-Fantasy Baseball is also in spring training as well. During the fantasy baseball preseason, owners make ludicrous claims regarding the potential of their imaginary pitching staffs, infields and bench players. This does not make your friends bad people, just overzealous ones. This is the season for absurd shows of baseball geek bravado, and it will pass as soon as injuries begin piling up.
What should we expect out of the last week of Spring Training?
-The games are going to be more or less like regular season games. Starters are going to stay in longer, folks are going to hurt themselves, and fans are going to have a fairly good understanding of how things are going to work for the first month of the season. That is to say, if your team stinks right now, odds are they’re going to continue to stink once the games count.
What is the best way to get out of work to catch Opening Day?
-Well, soldier, this one is tricky. Every intelligent boss in the country understands that at least someone under his or her charge is going to try to weasel out of work on Opening Day. If your boss is the kindly sort, he or she may just let you take the day off. But if they’re a hard-nosed, you’re going to need to set up an excuse days in advance. For instance, start walking with a slight limp and complain about soreness in your knee. Keep it up for a few days and then on Opening Eve, mention to your boss that things are getting worse and you’re going to make an appointment with a specialist to see if there’s inflamation. If your boss is the least bit human and you’re a fair liar, you’ll be at the ballpark for the first pitch.