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Monday, Mar. 25, 2002 - 10:44 p.m.

Spring Training: The Last Day

My last day in Florida. I�d hoped to get over to Jack Russell Stadium to see the real Phillies take on the real Yankees. I also considered making what I estimated to be a 40-minute drive east to Lakeland to see the Mets play the Tigers. Or I could�ve spent the afternoon out at Clearwater Beach on the Gulf, but I didn�t.

I went back to the minor league complex. I watched warmups, talked to a few players, a few more coaches, and walked across to the DiMaggio fields to watch the young Phillies take on the young Blue Jays. After three innings, I went back to the Phillies fields to try to catch a director to ask one more question, but he was tied up and I grew tired and uninspired. After grilled cheese and fries for lunch at McCabe�s, I went back to the hotel and spent an hour by the pool in the late afternoon sun.

Then I sat down at my computer and got a little more work done before Jeff called and told me where he and Greg were having a few beers. This being my last night, I went to join them. We talked more baseball, made more jokes, discussed more college basketball and ate more bar food. Then, a little after 9 p.m., the three of us left and, for the most part, my Florida trip was over.

I didn�t feel that bad about not making it to a major league game. I didn�t really want to sit and watch it in the stands. I can do that anywhere, major or minor leagues, and have. And I�ll see plenty of baseball this summer covering the BlueClaws. What I would�ve liked was to get a press pass, to be on the field during batting practice and talk with some major leaguers. But I couldn�t make that committment early in the trip, in case I needed Monday afternoon for work. And by Sunday, it was pretty much too late to get credentials (they require a fax on office letterhead the day before). I also didn�t regret not visiting Clearwater Beach. I went last year, for an afternoon to have lunch with Brian, a high school friend, and some of his pals who were down from Orlando. Clearwater Beach is the spring break/tourist trap, and going there would�ve made me long for college days or, at least, college friends. It would�ve made me long for Casey, too, but I did that a few times each day -- at the pool, at lunch, at a bar, in the giant king-sized bed. So even now, back here in 50-degree New Jersey (though it�s not as bad as when I left), I don�t regret missing Clearwater Beach this time. I�m a little sorry I didn�t get to see Brian, but I e-mailed him twice, a month before I went and a week before, and never heard from him. I told him I�d call when I got down there, but I quickly realized that I wouldn�t have time to go to Orlando, and since he didn�t return my e-mails, I figured he wouldn�t have time to come to Clearwater, so I decided against complicating things with a visit squeezed in among all that I had to do.

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