Spring Training is underway, which means baseball is back.
The crack of the bats and the smack of the ball, as they land into the pockets of leather gloves, are familiar sounds awaiting die-hard fans.
Unfortunately for those fans, yet again, they must wait another month for the real season to start. This is the Grapefruit League. Or the Cactus League.
Spring Training is a stretched-out process that gives athletes time to prepare for the season and gives “on the fringe” players an opportunity to make the opening-day roster.
The problem here is that it takes too long. It usually starts in February and ends with the season opener in late March or early April. And it is just useless for top players.
Baseball fan Anthony Pereira, a student at George Brown College, said star players do not need an entire month to prepare for the season.
“These players have an entire offseason to prepare,” Pereira said. “The entire Spring Training process is just eyewash and not entertaining for fans.”
I can’t argue with his statement. Spring Training is not entertaining.
Players do not give 100 per cent effort, they do not play the entire game, and it’s hard for fans to watch when players they’ve never heard of are playing.
Players at the top will not try whatsoever because they are guaranteed a roster spot, so they just use it to get warmed up. Spring Training is meant for prospects to display their talents in hopes of climbing the rankings of the club.
The problem with that is I do not care about the 100th-ranked prospect in the organization, I care about the stars of the team, and so do other fans.
I understand that there are fans who do care about prospects.
Baseball fan Michael Galina, a student at Brock University, said the players who are fighting for roster spots are the future of the game.
“I find Spring Training interesting to watch,” Galina said. “I like to know about the upcoming players that have the potential to become the next generational talent.”
To make Spring Training at least tolerable for the average baseball fan to enjoy is to make it shorter.
Spring Training games are set to start this year on Feb. 22 and the beginning of the regular season begins March 28. That’s 36 days of pre-season games.
To make it shorter, I believe Spring Training should take place over the course of 18 days, with nine games for every team.
This is the perfect balance between making sure players get enough time to get ready and quick enough for fans to take more interest in.
If there are fewer games, top players are more likely to try harder and play in more games. This means fans will take more stock in Spring Training.
This still leaves room for prospects to get game time and potentially climb the ranks of the club, giving them a better chance of making the big leagues.
I am hoping that the MLB will shorten Spring Training soon, making baseball better.