Astros Spring Training

Ever since I graduated from college (2003), I have been planning on taking a trip to Astros Spring Training. I had heard so many people talk about how neat the experience was, and how the players are eager to sign autographs and interact with the fans. I have come close to booking a flight a few times, but I finally got the chance to attend a Spring Training game on Friday, March 20, 2009. Let me tell you, the experience did not disappoint. I had a blast! I ended up going to Orlando for other reasons, but knew that Kissimmee was only about 30 minutes away, so I bought myself a ticket. My seat was down the third base line, in the first row, and right behind the bench for the bullpen. I was able to talk with several of them and listen to them crack jokes on each other, share information, and give the fans a hard time. Before the game I was able to get a few autographs and actually chatted with pitcher Chris Sampson for a little bit. The Astros ended up winning, but I will take the memories of the interactions with me more than the final score. I guarantee that I will make it to another Spring Training game in the future. Here are a few pictures that I took:

Catcher J.R. Towles, one of my favorite Astros, even though he will be playing for the Round Rock Express this season. You can see Berkman batting in the background of this picture. I like this picture because it shows how close I was to the bench.

Hunter Pence made an appearance at camp. He didn't play due to an injury, so he hung out in the bullpen area for most of the game. The guys were giving him a hard time because of his high socks.

Carlos Lee, or "El Caballo," taking a break in the bullpen during the Astros at bats. Instead of running all the way to the dugout, he just ran to the bullpen bench and sat there. This lead to one very entertaining moment when he had to sprint to the dugout because he was supposed to be in the on deck circle. The other thing I like about this picture is that you can tell the Lee is the only one not wearing a batting practice cap.

Craig Biggio made an appearance in camp, which was completely unexpected. Here he is sharing some of his expertise with catcher Lou Santangelo. They stood in my way for about 1o minutes, but I didn't complain because it allowed me to get this picture. It was incredible to hear how much he knows about all aspects of the game.

Overall, it was amazing and so much fun. I can't put in to words how exciting the whole things was. I would recommend to any baseball fan that they attend Spring Training at some point. You get to see the stars of today and the future stars play in a smaller park. It's like watching major leaguers play in a minor league park. I have a ton more pictures, but these were the best of the bunch, I hope you enjoy them.