2011 Spring Training Day 1

Up early, Jack and I headed to the airport to catch a flight to Phoenix. This is the sixth straight year that Jack has gone to spring training with me. After an uneventful flight, Drew met us at the gate. He had flown in earlier from Burback. This is the third straight year that Drew has joined us for spring training.

After some fun with rental cars, we headed to old town Scottsdale to meet up with the rest of the group. Parking the car across the street from the stadium, we wandered on foot into Old Town Scottsdale. Catching up with the group, we settled in the bar at a buca di beppo to watch the NCAA games.

After Wallen got back from the airport with Tomasin and Bachman, the group headed to Scottsdale Stadium to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. This is the first time since 2001 that we have gone to Scottsdate Stadium. Part of the reason that we have avoided Scottsdale is that it is very hard to get good tickets for a large group...

The Giants lost the game by the score of 6 to 3. The Dodgers' minor league player of the year last season, De La Rosa threw four hitless innings. The stadium was packed; the announced attendance was 12,188.

After the game, the group headed back to buca di beppo. I made a short side trip to a waymark in the Scottsdale Mall. After a bite to eat, we headed to the hotel to check in. We are staying at a Holiday Day Inn Suites near the airport this year. With part of the group from Seattle, we finished the night in the hotel bar rooting for Washington to beat Georgia in the NCAA tournament game.