it has begun

Oh how I've missed your spring training posts! I'm glad you and someone else have mentioned the traffic in Surprise - I'll need to plan for that. In 17 days I'll be there!

Woo Hoo! I'm getting excited now. Also, thanks for the tip about the traffic. I'll be there the same time rachel. :D can't wait for some baseball, specially ours! Good luck CJ!

C.J.

Welcome to spring training (2008) in beautiful Arizona -- let the bells ring and the banners fly, Yahoo!

Things could be worse, you could be stuck in Florida with crappy weather (rain, rain, and more rain), alligatgors and surrounded by flipping swamps!

I'll take Arizona over Florida, any day of the week brother. Also, you may consider taking "plumbing" 101 online, if you are really serious about fixing the clubhouse shower problem.

Enjoy the sunshine and please don't forget to take a taxis for those late nights! I look forward to more reports about spring training...

mr pine tar-

I did experience spring training in florida- I agree, but the basic premise is that I'm not fond of spring training! haha. by late nights, I assume you're referring to my xbox360...that is the extent of my nightlife

C.J.

As a college student with nothing to do in between classes but read every blog on texasrangers.com, thank you for the Spring Training update.

I hope everything goes well in the desert. Try not to make Eddie Guardado look to bad haha. And tell Ian congratulations on his contract! Im heading to OKC for your guys game against the White Sox, cant wait!

C.J. I usually am on TR's blog but since they finally made it official, you guys should dig out the old PR spot Wetteland did about closing up the Ballpark. Except can the bicycle and use the GT3 on the ramps from the upper deck...

Hey C.J.,
I hope you BLOG a bit more. We miss your daily writing in So.Cal. Remember that the Jetta that you are driving ,needs to be returned in good condition! Meaning no drifting guy ! Okay ?

So glad to see you blogging again! Best wishes during Spring Training. I'm looking forward to the many, many months ahead!!

http://diamondgirl.mlblogs.com

C.J.
It is great to have you back up and blogging in spring training. Make sure you and the guys stay healthy. The Pit can't wait to get there ourselves for a little fun, sun, and baseball. We have our plans made out to visit on the 19th. OH, and don't worry about the Jetta, that's why you take out the extra insurance.

Thanks for the update, CJ! Glad to hear things are going well. Can't wait to see yall in action!
http://sarahsdiamondthoughts.mlblogs.com

Hey, CJ random question:

Let's say I want a blue glove similar to yours... do they make those, or do you guys have to have them custom made? I know you weren't the only guy with a blue glove in the bullpen last year - Willie Eyre had one, and I seem to recall seeing Frankie Francisco with one at some point - any idea how I could come by one?

hey cj, im from az and i know what you are talking about with the bell road traffic. that is one aspect of the greater phoenix area i do not miss. think of it this way, with spring comes warmth, with warmth comes all the beautiful women wearing.... well i think you know what i am saying. enjoy your wonderful stay in az and we will see you here in tx soon. don't hurt yourself playing too much xbox 360.

I don't think Cat's stach counts as a beard, but its definintely a different look for him. Take care of that arm buddy, I look forward to cruising down to Arlington watch that heater!

BGL,

We already miss you over at LSB and wish you all the best. You are getting a raw deal over this, and all true fans know it. Today is the first time in my life that I can say I am ashamed to be a Rangers fan. An organization that reacts like this to a non issue is one that is out of touch with today's world. We all know you want nothing more than to win and have nothing but respect for your teammates. The last time I checked MLB was a thriving business because of one group, the fans. By reaching out and making a connection with us, you have shown what makes professional baseball special. Good luck with the season, and hopefully we will hear from you soon!

fLAKY LITTLE PANTYWAISTS LIKE C.J. WILSON ARE THE EXACT REASON I MOVED MY CHILDREN FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS 27 YEARS AGO. THANKS FOR THE REINFORCEMENT.

That might be the most ignorant thing I have ever read

Hey CJ, keep bringing your unique brand of Truth and Justice to the interweb. We're annointing your our "ML Blogger of the Week" over at our Jays site: http://thesouthpawbaseball.blogspot.com/

Stay loose, brother.

JW

No mention of the desert? Interesting... One must find cactus and rattlesnake to possess fear as closer...Daniel Son.

I once made a hat out of a cactus. You could rub some cactus juice on the baseball and patent the cactus ball; it should have a sting. Stay away from the cactus with pink flower; causes hitters to hallucinate and see beach balls.

I love caps lock. thank you cactus joe! please give me life advice at your convenience as you can see my email is at the top of the page.

craig- I've eaten nopales tacos plenty of times, really good stuff. when I was in Ixtapa for vacation a few years back they really spoiled me on it. In Dallas, you can get cactus quesadillas (sans rattler) at BJ's uptown pub on Mckinney. Tell Bill I sent you.

Mitch, I'm glad you understand that I am a fan of the game as well, and although my opinions are nothing more than my opinions, I'm glad you and the LSB community valued the connection. I really enjoy meeting people from my myspace page and LSB. I feel obligated as a player to sign when I can, and provide a more colorful dimension to the game. When I was a little kid, Albert Belle refused to sign an autograph for me at Angel Stadium. Granted it's not a unique experience and autographs still get rejected, but I sign all my fanmail myself in a long session during the offseason. I get some genuine, caring letters from all over the world, and like to read all of them. The world is a big place but I'd really regret looking back and thinking I disappointed people by not opening the door just a crack.

That being said- there are some trolls on there, and as seen above, on here too.

Some people object to me having a blog, a page, or posting on those forums, and decided that it was best to have AJM delete my footprint from there. Here and myspace are my personal things, and in the past and future all my public charity fundraising events (totalling over $40k with mostly me promoting them solo online) can get a chance to succeed based on my subscribers and readers.

johnny- aka JW- thanks for the support bro! I'm not going anywhere. I'm not universally supported, but that's never been the point. I do this for baseball fans, and this is 2008- players can stand on a soapbox and make a difference, we are entertainers afterall- and can take a lot of good examples from powerful people that care all over the world.

one pitch at a time.

C.J.

Your blog is excellent. Thank you for posting it. I love the Rangers and I wish you tons of good fortune this season. You come across as someone who really enjoys all that life has to offer and that's pretty special. It's so refreshing to read about someone so positive. Take care and keep on smiling :)