The equipment truck left amid much fanfare from America's Most Beloved Ballpark, Fenway Park, last week with one of baseball's most loved people, Johnny Pesky, starting the engine beginning the parade. The truck will travel to Fort Myers, FL, where the Boston Red Sox will begin a new spring training ritual.

This is probably one of the best times to see the players up close and obtain pictures and autographs that will last a lifetime. The days are almost always perfect, the ball park is small and intimate and I really think it puts you into a place where time stands still for a while.

Pitchers and catchers report this Thursday and the rest of the players next week. The practice fields are located about two miles from City of Palms Park and the Red Sox provide a revolving bus service so people can come down and watch the players on the myriad of fields they are dispersed on.

The player are so close you can almost touch them, unlike Fenway where they seem so far away, even if you are sitting behind the dugout. New players seem to be more available for autographs after practice as the all have to trek by onlookers to go from the fields to the clubhouse and will often stop for a picture and autograph.

I hope to provide some really good footage this year and last years photo can be viewed on my Facebook page if you search my name: Kevin Cloutier.