Spring Training Surprises

Like baseball itself, Spring Training has changed and evolved over the years.

Logistically, it sure has for Cincinnati. The Reds left Florida for Arizona in 2010, a move that probably still irks some in the Nation. Apparently, it came down to Sarasota and Goodyear and Reds Owner Bob Castellini didn’t want to pull the trigger. But Goodyear came up with the money; Sarasota did later, but it wasn’t soon enough. The Reds left Florida and went westward.

And with the evolution of guaranteed contracts, job security and the expansion of pitching staffs from 10 to 12 to sometimes 13 pitchers on a 25-man roster, the competition for the everyday players has somewhat thinned out. There isn’t the suspense…