Matt Budgell - Here Comes Spring Training

Super bowl Sunday has officially come and gone (My club's city beat my hometown team much to my agony) and now it's time for all the eyes in the sports world to refocus on America's true pastime; the 2012 MLB season.

With spring training just a few weeks away it's the final stages of preparations for guys like myself. back to throwing bullpens, lacing up spikes, and getting after it for another grinding season filled with ups and downs, good days and bad days, and above all else; a season with 162 games to decide who's going to be Baseball's #1 this year.

For myself, it's 2 months of hard training and preparation until I report to extended spring training which is where all of us short-season players will be getting our preseason work in with the organization. Then it's full speed ahead for 5 months, trying to get one step closer to Citi Field and a World Series Title for the New York Mets.

With those goals in mind, sometimes it's hard to take a step back and still live life one day at a time. After all and contrary to popular belief, baseball players do have lives off the field. That is after weights, conditioning, throwing programs, and any of our other jobs are taken care of. That's what we do, that's who we are.

With that, I say so long NFL. Congratulations to the NY Giants, and welcome Baseball season.

Budge