MLB Spring Training 2008 Cleveland Indians Vs. New York Mets

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend spring training in sunny Winter Haven, Florida. The MLB exhibition game on Friday, March 7, featured my favorite team, the Cleveland Indians as they faced the New York Mets. The added bonus was that my favorite player, David Wright plays for the Mets. However, I was extremely disappointed to get there and discover that David Wright was not even present for the game. Instead, this was a game where the Mets chose to put their reserves and rookies to the test. Cleveland only used its rookies or reserves in three spots: Right Field, Center Field and Second Base during the game. I also saw a total of 12 pitchers used during the course of the game, with the Indians using 5 total and the Mets using a total of 7 pitchers.

It definitely showed that the two teams were using players other than their stars from last year. On one play, Cleveland's experimental center fielder missed a diving catch attempt, something Grady Sizemore would have easily made. The game was a back and forth scoring affair until the Indians gave it up towards the final innings. Travis Hafner had the best overall game for the Indians as he doubled twice and had three total RBI's. However, New York had two home runs during the game by Olmedo Saenz and Robinson Cancel, providing the difference in score. The end result was a New York Mets win, by a score of 8 to 6.

As an avid Indians fan, I was disappointed that the team decided to start pitcher Cliff Lee. He was unable to pitch effectively through just one inning. My best guess after seeing his spring training performance, is he will probably end up getting the 5th spot on their pitching rotation. But if he doesn't improve, they'll probably try to trade him or release him from the team. On the other hand, I also got the opportunity to see Cleveland's brand new off-season acquisition, reliever Masa Kobayashi. It was cool to see his stuff, considering I have never seen him pitch before. I'm sure it'll give the Indians more of an edge because nobody has faced him in the MLB before.

Overall, it was a nice warm and sunny day in Winter Haven, Florida, for a March baseball game. The game was also televised on ESPN and there were over 5,000 other fans in attendance. I was very close to the action with great seats on the first base line. Having a similar set of seats at Progressive Field in Cleveland would be great! I was also lucky enough to get an autograph from Indians third baseman Case Blake, but unfortunately no photo-op.

The Mets have been picked as an early favorite in the National League, with the Indians looking to build upon last year's success. This upcoming Major League Baseball season could definitely be a successful for one for both teams, once they have their final rosters established and their stars in the lineups.