Kind of all over the place

What the heck do you blog about in the middle of January?! The cold, gray skies that have made Walla Walla feel like Seattle in April? The fact that our friend the downtown parking monitor has seemed to target members of our front office (kidding of course...sort of)? Actually, we are really very busy - a lot is actually going on, but it is kind of all over the place - schedule finalized (finally!!!!), player signings, new F&B menu, MLB spring training opening soon (yes!) - this is a bit of a sampling of everything we are working on right now...

1. Schedule is done - finally!!! We had a bit of a challenge this year in getting our non-league games scheduled. Non-League games, while not affecting our WCL standings, are important - we use these games to prepare for league play, evaluate the roster in ways that we might not be able to during league play, and get a chance to see competition in other leagues. For the first time in our history, we are playing a team from California, as the San Francisco Seals are traveling up from the Bay Area. In addition to the home schedule being finalized, this allows us to get our promo schedule locked and loaded. Our goal this year: every night a party at the park. Win or lose, we are going to have fun. Did you realize that on June 8, we will be hosting our 100th game in team history? It seems like just yesterday that we were opening the doors for game #1.
2. Player Signings - the roster is almost done. What else can I say? A few more players to announce and a few 10-day guys. Did you know - we were able to re-sign our top run creators from last year's team (more on that in a post closer to spring)? That is a good thing. Looking forward to getting started. Can May come tomorrow?
3. New F&B Menu - I was bored with last year's menu. No fun. No creativity. Blah. So - stripped it down and we are re-building. Since we aren't 100% done, I won't announce it here, but I am very excited to do - in a few weeks. It will be great  - and tasty - and fun. No blah. Remember - a party at the park every night!
4. MLB Spring Training - this is the best news of the day and it has nothing to do with the Sweets (specifically), but it has everything to do with us (emotionally). Spring Training means baseball starts - weather is better, sunshine can start poking around again (seriously - it can...Walla Walla has seemed to forget that this is where people in Seattle come to escape Seattle weather, not experience it). It seems as soon as pitchers and catchers report, then people become happy again. The end of winter isn't tied to a hedgehog in Pennsylvania - it is tied to baseballs and leather and sun block in Arizona. People walk into our offices and want to talk about the upcoming season, and that makes our jobs more fun.

 An interesting note to finish off a cold month (I got this from an article in the most recent ESPN The Magazine about Philip Humbert's perfect game this past season at Safeco Field) - did you know that in 2012, there were 1,101 games in Major League Baseball with 10 or more strikeouts by one team, while there were 701 such games in the '20s, '30s and '40s combined? Pitching wins titles, remember that kids...