IDOLS OF THE SPRING

Baseball players and fans alike feel that spring is a magical time of year. For the players, spring training is a rebirth, with high expectations for the upcoming season. For fans, it is a chance to see their favorite players return to the diamond as well as to hear about the up-and-coming players. This work is a compilation of interviews with 23 players, an umpire and a trainer: Chipper Jones, Walt Weiss, Glenn Hubbard, J.D. Drew, Jim Kaat, Craig Counsell, Ryan Dempster, Harold Baines, Andre Dawson, Mike Hargrove, Will Clark, Gary Sheffield, Davey Johnson, Shawn Green, Mike Bordick, Tim Bishop (trainer), Al Clark (umpire), Brady Anderson, Dave Cash, Al Jackson, Robin Ventura, Rondell White, Monte Irvin, Rick Ankiel, and Red Schoendienst. Each interviewee shares his own personal spring training experiences and thoughts on why spring training is such a special time of year for the players and fans.