Spring Training Online

Spring Training Online's Kevin Reichard will be in Phoenix and Las Vegas this weekend to sign copies of The Complete Guide to Spring Training, Second Edition. Join him at the following bookstores:

Saturday, Feb. 7, 1-4 p.m.: Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S McClintock Dr., Tempe.

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2-4 p.m.: Barnes & Noble at Crossroads Commons Summerlin, 8915 W. Charleston, Las Vegas.

Monday, Feb. 9, 7-9 p.m.: Borders at the Biltmore Fashion Mall, 2402 E. Camelback Road, Suite 200, Phoenix.

Schedules for Spring Training 2009 continue to be released, as the New York Yankees have released a minor-league schedule.

This season sees some changes on the minor-league schedule front. Because the minor-league regular season begins later than normal (another one of those quirks of the calendar; last year they started early), minor-league scrimmages won't begin until the 20th or so. Most minor leaguers are expected to report around March 7, which is the same as in previous years.

For the hardcore baseball fan, there's really never too much baseball in the spring, and there are a number of great college programs in Arizona and Florida. They also play many games at night, which makes for some wonderful day/night doubleheaders for the true baseball fan. Consider a trip to see a college game during your spring-training trip.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will return to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico to play an exhibition game against Mexico's World Baseball Classic team at 1:05 p.m. on March 6 at Hector Espino Stadium.

The D-backs' contest against Mexico's WBC team on March 6 will be the second game of a two-game exhibition series between the two clubs during the spring, as Arizona will host Team Mexico at Tucson Electric Park at 5:05 p.m. on March 4 in Tucson. The games will serve as a tune-up for Mexico's WBC team prior to the start of the international baseball tournament that begins on March 8 in Mexico City. Team Mexico will be managed by former Major League player Vinny Castilla, who slugged 320 homers during a 16-year big league career and also was a member on Mexico's WBC team in 2006.

A 60-foot, 6-inch-high sculpture designed to be the focal point of the Cleveland Indians' new spring-training facility in Goodyear, Az. was installed Friday.

The sculpture from Donald Lipski will be the first thing to greet fans as they enter the ballpark.