As the first two months of my 2016 season have come and gone, I have to look back and revel at the successes of it. As of today, I have gone to eight games, half of which have been college with the other half being the California Winter League. In two months, I have traveled an estimated 372 miles by car and bike. I have been to five total ballparks, two of which were first visits. All in all, I have been pleased with what I have done, and it has been a great set up for the rest of the season. So, it begs the question, why on earth am I going dark for the month of March and cutting back on baseball?
There are a number of reasons why I am doing this. The first has to do with money. I took a pay cut at my job, and while baseball is a huge priority in my life, being able to pay bills and eat during the month is more important. Also, by doing this, I'm saving money overall that can be used for the trips I have planned for later in the season. I'd like to be able to really get my money's worth on those trips and have the satisfaction of really working and saving up for a great experience.
Second, there's the tournament to think about. The tournament? Yes, this isn't the first time that March Madness has crossed paths with Baseball Road Trips, but for those two weekends, I really want to binge watch college basketball. Watching games simultaneously on my tv and tablet really takes my fandom to the next level, and it is a yearly past time that I have come to enjoy very much. Lastly, when it comes to the tournament, my Oregon Ducks are poised to make a run in the tournament too, so I have that to be excited about.
Third, there really isn't a lot of scintillating match-ups out there for me to go see. Sure, the College Phase is an important part of Baseball Road Trips, but I really got spoiled last year with some great match-ups. Last year, if you remember, I had two Powerhouse Weekends back-to-back that really showcased some seriously good teams. This year, it just didn't work out for the teams and ballparks I wanted to see. To be honest, seeing Kansas State play at UC Riverside was probably the best match-up, team-wise, I would've seen this season. Considering the tournament, the only weekend I would've been able to go to Malibu and see Pepperdine play was when they hosted Ivy League Columbia. Heck, even the Dodger Stadium Classic had one Top-25 team participating in Oklahoma.
Fourth, and this relates to saving money, I'm making a trip back to Oregon at the beginning of April. My parent's are moving to China this summer, and I am helping them settle their affairs before they leave. It, again, comes down to focus, and this is a very important life event for both them and me. The money I'm saving for that trip will allow me to not only go, but to take a weekend to inventory stuff I need to bring down here to California before they leave, settle financial affairs, and plan out the logistics of the next few months. This is the best way to support them as they prepare for this major life event.
Fifth, I'm having issues with my bike. Baseball Road Trips have grown and developed so much to the point where bringing my bike is second nature. Heck, can we all think of a time when my bike DIDN'T come on a Baseball Road Trip? Well, since I have started to ride my bike to work every day, my main cruising bike broke a spoke on the back wheel. It's going to take some money and time to get it fixed because they mechanic is going to have to take off the gear hub to put the new spoke in. They'll probably also have to true the wheel because I didn't notice the spoke was broken until after two or three trips to work on the bike, meaning the wheel may be bent. So, since I'm having to use my back-up bike to get to work, and it is not equipped for Baseball Road Trip travel, I'm a man without his trusty steed.
Sixth, El Nino has not been cooperating in March, so far. For the first two weekends, big storms have rolled through the area washing out some games. With the games that weren't washed out, the conditions were pretty miserable Even if I had my bike, getting rained on or pelted with hail, in some cases, would have made for a pretty bad Road Trip.
Finally, in looking at the calendar, every single weekend was booked with games. Well, as all of you are aware by now, I'm very much spoken for. With all of the baseball I had planned combined with work, it was going to be hard for me to spend time with my girlfriend. Going to games is a hobby, but the people I love definitely take precedence over the game. I've actually gone further than this month by cutting off some Angels games later in the year so that I can keep some Sundays free to spend with her. Trust me, folks, this is a sacrifice that I am more than willing to make, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
This blog isn't going away, and even though I'm going dark on my travels, you can bet I will still be watching the scoreboard and games on tv. I'll probably throw out some updates during the month on the plans moving forward for the season, observations I've made watching games during Spring Training, and any other things I have noticed worth writing about. So, please, don't anybody go anywhere because this season is just getting started and, looking forward, it is so exciting.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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