It’s 10:54 a.m. in Chicago as I type this and it’s sunny and 61 degrees in north suburban Chicago so it has to be 72 degrees in Phoenix (after all it’s only 9:54) and will reach 78-82 later in the day. I don’t have to check weather.com or any other app because that’s how it plays on the third Sunday in February.

Were it not for a column in today’s sports section, I probably wouldn’t feel the need to share my thoughts about the first week of spring training. The gist of the story was how impractical it is to read too much into spring training. He offered all of the explanations for why players succeed and/or fail during Cactus League play. I have to admit the weather and the timing kicked in and here I am.

I began this blog 13 years ago, almost to the date when because of a major health scare I learned I wouldn’t be going to spring training but had thoughts to share. And weren’t we all blessed that I did. While I agree with the reporter’s sentiments in principle, I still have reasons to attend ST. How we view March games in Arizona and Florida have changed in the past decade. Ultimately, access to the players has diminished and not just because more people are coming. The netting has impacted how much players and fans interact all in the name of protecting fans. I know several teams offer VIP fan experiences to those able to pay the freight.

Pretty much without exception, everything I’ve read and heard from various camps is that everyone looks great and every new player is making a favorable impression on their new teammates. Gee, news flash!

Back in the day I would pick out a few players new to the league that I wanted to see whether I was a huge fan (Torii Hunter) or not, (Hideki Matsui). Coincidentally both made their Arizona debuts with the Tempe Angels. After a messy divorce from the Twins, I wanted to see how the Angel faithful would respond to the charismatic gold-glove outfielder. As a career Yankee, I hadn’t seen much of Hideki in person. He was the first major defector from the Yankees. None of the core players from the Yankees mini-dynasty ever left NY.

Were I headed to Arizona next month I would have kept an eye on Chicago newcomers, Alex Bregman and Munetaka Murakami of the Cubs and Sox respectively. Bregman has played his entire career in the other league and even though teams are forced to play each team every year, I haven’t seen him play in person that often. I’ve only read the stories about the Japanese import. Even with diminished access, it’s still easier to get a sense of how big a player is.

I’ve rarely read about teams that don’t give it 110% in their ST workouts and drills, yet I’ve seen the differences among teams. I don’t think anyone believes that ST performance either individually or as team corelates to regular season performance, but that doesn’t stop any of us from drawing conclusions.

While today’s temperatures in Arizona have no bearing on the temperatures in the Midwest in April, I know for a fact that the first two games I attend in two months will not be as pleasant as the 50 and sunny it is today in Chicago.