Spring Training Tickets!

Spring Training starts for Astros pitchers and catchers in 11 days, but for me the fun is still 26 days away. I spent much of January worrying about getting good tickets (especially competing with New Yorkers for that Yankees game) before the presale password miraculously showed up in my email. But not to worry - I got seats for most of the 5 games in my old favorite spot: Section 103.

The first year that I went to Spring Training, I went online the first day of ticket sales, and clicked on "Best Available," and what came up was Section 103 behind third base. Looking at the stadium map, it wasn't very obvious to me that there was anything too good about Section 103. But when I got to the stadium for the first game, I saw the charm of these seats - they are right next to the bench and cooler that makes up the Astros' bullpen.

Sitting in section 103 - especially in the front rows - you get a great closeup view of the players. Before the game, they will be just a few feet away, stretching and sprinting, getting a drink from the cooler on the bench, greeting friends from the opposing team. The starting pitcher will be warming up on the bullpen mound, with the pitching coach watching behind him.

Little kids run up to the low wall separating fans from players, waving baseballs, begging for autographs - and sometimes they get lucky.

During the game, the relievers will be sitting right in front of you, close enough that you can eavesdrop on their conversations. They sometimes make funny comments about the other players. My first year at Spring Training, Brad Lidge sat down right in front of me; I was so excited, I called my son Josh in New York to tell him.

From Section 103, with a decent telephoto lens, you can get terrific pictures of right-handed pitchers and lefty batters. In past years, I've had a great view of Mansolino doing his third-base dance, but he'll be gone this year, along with most everyone else on the old team. I guess the Biggio youngsters, with their Number 7 jerseys, will be gone with their retired dad this year too.

Last year, somehow, I managed to get the honor of buying Spring Training tickets two whole days before general sales began. When I clicked on Best Available, the seats that came up were right behind home plate. They were amazing seats, undoubtedly. Drayton McLane was sitting just a few feet away. Once I figured out how to manually focus my camera (the autofocus was confused by the netting), I got terrific pictures of pitchers and batters. But I kind of missed sitting down by the bullpen, eavesdropping on the relievers. I wasn't sorry at all when Section 103 came up as the Best Available this year.