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As every baseball fan knows, Spring Training is now in session. The day the trucks leave Fenway Park and head down to Fort Myers, is the day that I begin to get excited about a new season. Pitchers and catchers report not long after that, and so it begins, another year of being a baseball fan.

I am a fan through and through. My favorite team is the Red Sox and has been since I was about five years old when my Dad took me to my first game. However, Spring Training means more to me than just baseball. It means that winter is drawing to a close and when you live in New England, the arrival of spring is a much anticipated event. Maybe the skiers in the crowd would disagree, but for me, winter is at the bottom of my favorite things in life list.

I begin to see familiar faces on the sports channels and it's like seeing an old friend after many months of absence. I do feel an attachment to the players as I spend almost every evening with them for about six months of the year. Spring Training is also a time when we get to see the new faces and begin to learn about how they will fit into the team. Of course, many of the new faces won't be around to see opening day but I'm sure those that do go back to the minors still enjoy playing even one game with the professionals.

Spring Training is a rebirth of sorts. For me, I hope it's the continuation of a very successful season. In case you don't know, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007. For those of you who aren't Sox fans, a rebirth is a good thing. It's a time of renewal. With the slate wiped clean, all teams get out there and begin the long haul to October. Regardless of the trades made during the off season, a new season can bring about many changes and surprises. Injuries are always a worry and the Red Sox are already seeing a major one with Curt Shilling out until at least the All Star break.

Trades are often the highlight of the off season but I thought this was a very uneventful year. The biggest talk was the Johan Santana trade and I think the Mets pulled off a good deal with that one. The Mets should be a team to be reckoned with. The Cabrera trades were also good. The Tigers added 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera and the White Sox picked up shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Both teams have been in contention for the past few years and I think we'll see them at the top once again. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox stayed relatively quiet this year. Of course, they were part of the Santana talks but I wonder how serious either team was. I'm thankful he moved to National League and that the Yankees didn't pick him up.

It's sunshine and warming temps in Florida and Arizona and the start of another great season. None of us can predict what will happen and I think that's the beauty of it. Some of us will be lucky enough to see our teams play in Spring Training and, even better, during the regular season. There's no place like going to the stadium. The beautiful green grass mowed with some creative design, the crack of the bat, and singing "Take me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. Those are the highlights of my summer and I treasure each and every one. It all begins with Spring Training and it's finally here.

Learn more about this author, Max White.
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