Spring Training 2011: What games are on your radar?

MARCH 4^TH 2011: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AT LA DODGERS

It’s a matchup between your LA Dodgers and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.  For Dodger fans, there is probably a lot of revenge involved for this game.  The keys for the game should center on the first four innings.   The starters don’t play many innings in the first few Spring Training games.  You’ll want to see how the starters react in the limited time that they’ll have.  If the Dodgers can keep the Giants at bay then you might have a good sense on how they’ll play against their division rivals in the regular season.  (Again keep in mind this is Spring Training, so nothing is as it appears.)

MARCH 30^TH 2011: SEATTLE MARINERS AT LA DODGERS (IN LA)

Despite this game being the last one on the Spring Training schedule, it’s being held in Los Angeles.  Fans that live in LA and go to many regular season games and go and support their Dodgers for the final Spring Training game.  One thing to look for in this game is the backup players.  They’ll probably play the entire game compared to the starting players just taking the day off.  Dodger fans should look to see how they will react despite it being the final Spring Training game.  If they are playing hard throughout this game, then you can tell that the Dodgers are more than ready for the start of the 2011 season.

These are the key Spring Training matchups for the 2011 season.  The Dodgers have a long road ahead of them if they want to reclaim their World Series glory.  However with a new manager and a bunch of hard working players, the future is as bright as the sky. (Bright blue that is!)