Detroit Tigers Spring Practice.

Since October, Nick and I have been anxiously waiting for baseball season to start. Driving through the orange groves, past Disney and through Lakeland early in the morning brought excitement and joy to the two of us. We were on our way to see the players of our favorite team, the Detroit Tigers!

We started the morning with Starbucks coffee and I had some delicious oatmeal with brown sugar and dried fruit.

 

We saw some hot air balloons drifting gracefully through the morning sky.

When we arrived to Joker Marchant Stadium, we were greeted by a beautiful field of green grass and palm trees.

 

 

This is Buster Olney recording a segment for ESPN!

We headed over to the fences where we got to see everyone walking out to start practice!

Quintin Berry and Tom Brookens

Joaquin Benoit

Miguel Cabrera (on the right)

Prince Fielder

 

Don Kelly

Avisail Garcia - who people always mistake for Miguel Cabrera

Drew Smyly - Nick calls him my boyfriend because I think he's cute

Al Kaline

Kenny Rodgers and Justin Verlander

Torii Hunter

Victor Martinez - My Tiger!

Jeff Jones

Alex Avila

 

Rod Allen

 

After the players were done warming up (what I call the boring part)...

 

We got to watch the fun part; hitting, a little pitching and fielding.

Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder

JV

Miggy

Prince

Prince and VMart

 

John Keating and Rod Allen

 

Then we headed back to the fence from before and ended up getting the same exact spot as last year to try and get autographs. We ended up with 12 signed balls and 1 signed baseball card! One of the Ramon Santiago balls and the Victor Martinez baseball card is for a coworkers son.

 

Nick getting Benoit's autograph

 

Johnny Peralta

Nick with Johnny P in the background

 

Prince Fielder - We already have his signature and a picture with him from last year so we didn't get another from him.

Nick being silly with VMart by him

 

Nick let me stand in front of him and be the getting signatures from everyone, it is my favorite part! Getting to say hi and talk a little bit to the guys that we watch for years play for our favorite team is so exciting! When I asked Victor Martinez for his signature I got to tell him that he's my Tiger! That was my favorite part of the whole day!

 

Here are all of our signed baseballs.

 

 

We've already mapped out all of the spring training games that we're going to this year... the first one is next Saturday with Nick, my Sister-in-law, Lori and nephew, Adam! We can't wait!