Spring training is revived and well

It has been four years since Major League Baseball had a ‘normal’ spring training.

First, we had the “Stay-At-Home Era.”

Baseball looked (relatively) normal until March 11, 2020, when an uncharacteristic Arizona rainstorm canceled a full slate of Cactus League games that day — only for COVID-19 to shut down the world that night.

It was a long winter for the Cactus and Grapefruit — even after the winter ended.

We had the “Zip-Tie Era.”

A normal schedule was planned for 2021, but capacity restrictions led to hellacious ticket prices.