The California Winter League officially kicked off Jan. 19 with the opening day of “Spring Training” for players and coaches. It was the first of three training days which gives coaches the chance to put players through various drills based on their positions and evaluate them accordingly before making team selections on Jan. 21.
The players started the day off with some light stretching and calisthenics before running a timed 60-yard dash and then breaking into position groups to participate in drills and, eventually, batting practice.
Some players handled the desert heat better than others, while some players needed to shake off the rust of not playing for an extended period of time. According to CWL Assistant General Manager Ben Bernstein, the first day of training was an effective gauge in measuring the available talent.
“It was pretty easy to tell which guys were fresh and who needed work,” Bernstein said. “From a coaching perspective, I think there are a lot of guys here who can learn from our instructors, and quite frankly that’s what they came here to do.”
The players have another day of training (Jan. 20) and one day of team workouts (Jan. 21) before the first round of games on Jan. 22.
CHECK OUT JUSTIN LICHTENSTAEDTER’S VIDEO FROM THE FIRST DAY HERE.
