Feb 21, 2012; Fort Myers FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox spring training at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Like Opening Day and the start of exhibition games, Truck Day is a time of optimism in baseball. How could you not be optimistic after four months of nothing, seeing legitimate reports about your team everyday? The beginning of the baseball season is one of the happiest times of the year, and Truck Day gets us one step closer.

In just a week, we can forget about being the GM’s for our teams and return to being fans– which is much more gratifying anyway. In less than three weeks, we can watch the Red Sox play spring training games in their beautiful facility, JetBlue Park, a wonderful replica of Fenway Park. Truck Day is nothing alone, but it signals the beginning to the best time of the year.

It’s here.  It is finally here! The day that represents the unofficial start of Spring Training.  I’m talking about TRUCK DAY BABY!

Every Red Sox fan circles this day on their calendar and we sit quietly, eagerly anticipating it’s arrival.  Like a kid waiting for Christmas, Truck Day has become a tradition amongst Red Sox Nation.  The day the equipment truck leaves Fenway Park and ventures on a long trip to Fort Myers, the site of the Red Sox Spring Training.

Not only does it mean that spring training is a week away, but it signifies the start of a new beginning.  A new era is about to launch for the Boston Red Sox. Call it what you want, the Bobby V era, the Cherington era, the post September era, whatever you want.  Just know that this is a new beginning and things will be different this year.

Papelbon, Varitek, Scutaro, Reddick, and Lowrie are gone.  Ross, Sweeney, Melancon, Punto and Bailey are in.  It’s a new dynamic with an underdog role for this club and I welcome and embrace the changes.

Pitchers and catchers report in seven days, but today is Truck Day.  The unofficial, official start to the new 2012 year.  Let’s go Red Sox, let’s go.

It’s too bad that Truck Day wasn’t during the week.  I think it’s fair to say that this would become a Nation’s holiday.

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Less than 12 hours after I bashed Truck Day (check out my post here) and attempted to suggest ideas to improve the event, one of my ideas was fulfilled. There can only be two explanations for the painting on the Atlas Van Lines truck this afternoon. The first, and most likely, is that the Sox and Wally were looking for as much advertising as possible for Jet Blue and the ‘Jetsetting with Wally’ contest. The second, and my favorite explanation, is that the Sox management read my post late last night and decided to paint the truck overnight to add excitement to February 12th. Fat chance. (more…)

For the past several weeks, I have been fixated on February 12th as a big day for the Red Sox. I circled it on my calendar as a symbol that Spring Training is around the corner. My built-up excitement for the day quickly slipped away when I realized how unbelievably stupid and anti-climatic it is to watch a few equipment staff load several bags into a generic 18-wheeler and then drive away mid-day. This is an event to celebrate? (more…)

With less than 48 hours until the Atlas Van Lines 18-wheeler rolls away from Fenway Park on route to warmer weather, the east coast is getting pounded with another winter storm. It’s a good thing for Sox players that Spring Training is held in one of the few remaining places left without snow, Fort Myers, FL and a few players are taking advantage of that weather a few days earlier than required. (more…)