Spring Training with the Braves

Spring training games are fun and yield the opportunity to see unbelievable things.

Yesterday, I drove to Orlando to watch the Braves play the Blue Jays. With it being a training game, it is usually hard to tell what you will see on the field, as well as off. The Braves didn't disappoint and played their regular line-up with the scrubs coming in in the 7th inning. Mark Redman (who was recently signed from the Royals) was the starting pitcher. I heard tale that the Braves paid $750,000 for him and I can assure you that they got ripped off. He hit two batsmen and looked erratic. For those who care, the Braves won 4-1 with back to back homers from Andruw Jones (who for once didn't show up to camp overweight and with more chins than a Chinese phone book) and Brian McCann.

Off the field, there was fun to be had by all. I was sitting immediately behind a family of four. Dad, mom, older daughter, younger son. Kids were probably 4 and 3. The father of this family must have a really, really hard job and enjoy his free time because he was the most detached father I have ever seen. Innings 1-2, while mother was in line buying grub, he let the kids tear open a big bag (i.e. not a single-serving bag like you get at Subway, but a full-size bag) of Doritos and go to town. By the time that Andruw Jones grounded out in the bottom of the second the son was covered in Dorito dust. All 10 of his fingers were covered, and his mouth had a halo of cheese powder. Not once did the dad say anything, reach into the baby bag at his feet and get a wipe, or attempt to take the chips away. In between the second and the third, the mom comes back with a big tray of food and is appalled that her son is wearing processed dairy products but, rather than wipe the kid off, she tells the kid "Let me get your daddy his food." She hands him a burger and then wipes the kid off. Dad doesn't flinch. The hilarity continued into the 7th when the mother pulled out a digital camera and tried to get a pic of dad and his two offspring. The father (wearing a shirt that read "Life begins when the season starts" and a Corona sun visor) turns and says "Wait until the game is over." Mom doesn't say a word. My girlfriend informed me that if I ever did that she would drop her drink on me.