Cleveland Indians: Attending Spring Training is a Must at Least Once

Anyone able to travel to see the Cleveland Indians play in Goodyear, Arizona should take advantage of the unique opportunity.

While the NFL and NBA are currently dominating the professional sports spotlight, there are countless people who just want to watch a baseball game. This group includes many Cleveland Indians fans.

The Indians did so well in 2016 that the 2017 season can’t come soon enough. And while the regular season doesn’t start until April, the Indians will be in action at the end of February when Spring Training gets underway. And if you are able to make a trip out to Arizona, heading out west to see the Indians play is an amazing experience.

I was lucky enough to see the Indians play some preseason baseball out in Goodyear in 2013, when Nick Swisher was still a fan favorite and the Indians were beginning a new era under Terry Francona.

While getting to see some baseball before the regular season is just plain awesome, the exhibition games are a unique experience unparalleled in other professional sports.

Spring Training baseball gives fans a chance to see their favorite players in a more intimate setting than when attending a game at Progressive Field, or even any other MLB park. The small park in Goodyear allows fans to feel like they are a part of the game. Conversations among players can be heard from the stands, and souvenirs from players can be acquired almost every inning.

This is not a cheap trip, but fans of the Indians should make it a personal goal to make it out to Goodyear at least once. If anything, it serves as a nice yearly vacation at a time when the weather in Cleveland is filled with more snow than sunlight.

This year’s Spring Training will be the best in a long time, as it will feature the American League champions beginning their quest to get back to the World Series and win it all. The sight of Edwin Encarnacion, and hopefully Michael Brantley, will give fans a reason to smile in the Arizona sun, while the entire team should put on a great display in February and March.

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So if you’re into the indie lifestyle, be sure to head out to Arizona this Spring so you can truly say you saw the 2017 Indians before anyone else did.