Baseball, Politics and Spring Training

It’s March, and that means baseball season is about to begin. I have been in Tampa Florida all this past week where 13 major-league baseball teams make their home for spring training before the season begins. That is the focus of my column this week. Take a look at how I compare baseball and politics. There are a lot of similarities, and some big differences. You can read this week’s column now posted by Clicking Here, or by hitting “Jim’s New Column” on the box at left.

One of the highlights of my annual trip is to spend mornings at the International Performance Institute just out of Tampa in Bradenton, Florida.  Top athletes from all over the world come here to get themselves in top shape. The guy who started it all is legendary coach Nick Bollettieri.  He is regularly sought out by many of the world’s top athletes for Nick to tune up their game. It’s a real treat this week for me to “tune up a bit” and see these top athletes in action. Nick is pictured below with yours truly, and some of the other Louisiana guys who join me for spring training.

While working out at the Bollettieri Institute, I had the chance to visit with the world’s top woman’s tennis player, Maria Sharapova.  She has quite a website with photos of this lovely No 1.  You can check her many activities by Clicking Here.

It was off each afternoon to see a number of major league teams play, including the Yankees, the Pittsburg Pirates, the Minnesota Twins, and the Cincinnati Reds to name a few. Below are shots of the days activities.