What’s up everyone? Brennan Leitao here coming to you guys this time from Juno Beach, FL. Spring training 2017 is in the books and full season in underway! It feels too good to be back, doesn’t it?
Spring training is essentially one giant competition. We come down here to compete and put ourselves in the best position to make it to the next level, all in preparation to play in the big leagues.
Seeing my boys walk into camp having packed on 10 pounds of muscle or having dropped some weight fired me up. The first week of camp was awesome. Aside from seeing guys transform this offseason, I loved hearing the stories guys brought back to share. Some guys travelled over the world, some lived in new cities to have access to better training, some followed their wife or girlfriend’s careers and moved away for the offseason, and a few even got married!
If I had to describe Spring Training 2017 in one word it would be emotional. As great as it was to see all the guys again and as much as it sounds like a reunion, it was actually a tough month. Following that first week and initial excitement of being back with the boys came a lot of emotional mornings hearing that friends/teammates had been released. It all happened so fast and it felt like nobody was safe in that minor-league clubhouse. There were some tough goodbyes in March.
Now that camp has broken and everyone’s settled in with their teams, it’s been a lot less chaotic. Our first series was a blast and getting to know some new teammates and a new coaching staff has been a lot of fun. With a new year comes new opportunity and I’m fired up to get it going.
Good luck to all my fellow grinders and dream chasers out there! Don’t forget to pack your noise canceling headphones and a deck of cards. Go kill it this season!
If you missed my earlier post on how to travel the world on a budget during the offseason, check it out here.
-Brennan
