All Things Bubba

Well, so far Punxatawney Phil is proving correct. More so than human meteorologists. This is something like the third or fourth time in the past few weeks that a snow event has turned out to be much worse than predicted. It was supposed to be only a inch or so. I wake up this morning, and it's at least five inches, maybe more.

Spring training is looking more and more appealing all the time. Forbes ran an article about "luxury spring training" travel a couple of days ago. Here's what it says about the Yankees:

It makes sense that the team with the highest payroll in professional sports should have some of the most posh VIP seats in the Grapefruit League. The Yankees' Legends Field in Tampa offers 12 air-conditioned luxury suites behind home plate. Featuring a full wet bar and 12 cushioned seats on the terrace, the suites cost $3,000 per game, which includes 20 tickets and private catering.

Maybe if I win the lottery one day...

And for Red Sox fans:

The reigning World Series Champions have been training in Fort Myers since the early '90s. Lucky for devoted fans, the team's home away from home, City of Palms Park, is just minutes from Fort Myers Beach. The 85-acre seaside Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa offers a Sox-affiliated spring training "Champions Package" that includes two night's accommodations for two, two game tickets, Homerun brewskis at Charley's Cabana Bar; Teddy Baseball breakfast buffet; Cracker Jack snacks and keepsake baseball caps in every room; and a Big Papi three-course steak dinner for two at Courtside Steakhouse. Starts at $640 per night.

No word on whether the hotel room also comes with a supply of Elevex...

For the Mariners, it says this:

Phoenix has a reputation for circus-like tailgate parties in March, when both Mariners and Padres fans flock to watch their teams share the four-field sports complex. In nearby Scottsdale, nine miles from the sports complex, the elegant Embassy Suites offers special spring training rates for five- and seven-night stays. Because two teams train here, that means twice the competition for rooms and tickets—the earlier you book, the better.

I like Embassy Suites, but I never really thought of it as particularly "elegant."

The article also has this map of Cactus League spring training sites. I didn't realize there were that many teams in the Phoenix area. Apparently, a lot of fans pick a hotel midway between Surprise and Peoria, so they can attend both the Rangers and the Mariners/Padres games.

I have pretty much decided to head out to Peoria on or about March 19. Still haven't made my reservations or picked a hotel yet, though.

The worst hotel I ever stayed in was across the street from LaGuardia Airport. It was really cheap for NY, which should have been a warning. But a lot of flight crews were staying there, so I thought it would be okay.

The first thing I noticed was the restaurant on the first floor. It had a big sign in the window that read, "The best hamburger on the block!" Um, on the block? That's not exactly aiming high, is it?

At least they weren't lying. After checking in, I went for a walk around the block, and found there were no other stores or restaurants. They were the only hamburgers on the block!

(OTOH, the hotel I once stayed in in Atlanta was lying when they claimed on their sign that they had the "best salad in Atlanta." I ordered a salad, and it was probably the worst I'd ever seen. A few leaves of brown, soggy iceberg, an unripe tomato wedge, and some shreds of carrot. With French dressing that had a distinct chemical flavor. That horrible salad is still a running joke whenever I see the friends I was traveling with that time. Somehow, the sheer audacity of serving something that awful while claiming it's the best in the city just boggles the mind.)

That hotel in Atlanta was pretty bad. People's room service trays sat in the hallway for days; in the southern summer heat, it soon smelled like a garbage dump. But the hotel across from LaGuardia was worse. As I walked to my room, I noticed the interior walls were being painted. Apparently to cover up a heavy mold infestation. The whole place smelled funny. At least there were no room service trays in the hallway. Probably because people were afraid to eat there, best hamburger on the block or no.

The worst was yet to come. When I pulled down the bed covers, I saw there were roaches between the sheets.

Today, I would probably have marched down to the front desk and demanded my money back, even if it meant spending the night in the airport. But I was young and clueless, and I didn't have a car or anywhere else to go, so I spent the night with the lights on, sitting in a chair and keeping a wary eye open for six-legged roommates. I left for the airport early, and it was so nice get there, where it was (relatively) clean.

Well, I figure no matter which hotel I pick in Arizona, it won't be worse than that one. (Nevada may be another story.)

The Reds play the Pirates today. Andy's in the starting lineup, batting seventh and playing 1B. Gameday link is here.