FanPost

Padres Spring Training Is A Life-Changing Experience

I started going to Spring Training last year with a big group of fans. It actually was my first trip ever out to Arizona for preseason baseball and I can't believe I had never done it before. We even got written about last year. This year's trip was just as fun. Join me for some pictures.

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Yeah, that's right. Yoda joined.

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The first game on Friday the 18th was against the Angels at their complex in Tempe. It was a nice facility but a bit of a drive from Peoria. The Angels beat us 7-6. Also, surprisingly, the Angels fans were kinda douchey. I didn't expect that out of them. Below is a pic of Kyle Blanks' first Cactus League AB of the spring. Our seats were crazy good.

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After some grubbing at one of the finer establishments in all of Surprise, AZ (Buffalo Wild Wings) and a good night's sleep, it was time to head to the famed Peoria Sports Complex for a Saturday match-up against the Cubs. For such a thoroughly important exhibition game that didn't count for anything at all, it was necessary to bring out the big gun.

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That's a tribal tattoo sleeve I bought at Albertson's. Laugh all you want. We won that game 14-4 thanks to a homer by Maybin and a grand slam by Headley. The tattoo sleeve is the new lucky charm. Here it is in action in the outfield berm. Sexy, right?

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It was a great trip and I didn't even scratch the surface. There's plenty more that I didn't touch on: the overall positivity, camaraderie, and friendliness of everyone (save for those Angels fans), the ability to see both major and minor league games, getting a ball autographed by your favorite player with ease, and the lost art of parking lot tailgating at a baseball game.

I'm already looking forward to doing it again in 2012. Who's with me?

This FanPost was written by a member of the Gaslamp Ball community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gaslamp Ball staff or SB Nation.