Rise and Shine: Alden González reports from early spring training camps of Dodgers, Padres as they prepare for Seoul Series
The ESPN MLB reporter has been embedded in Arizona as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani prepares for his debut in Dodger blue
ESPN MLB reporter Alden González has been in Glendale, Ariz., covering Shohei Ohtani and the superstar’s new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Diego Padres for nearly a week.
González has covered each groundbreaking moment of Ohtani’s MLB career, which now will include the former Los Angeles Angel’s debut with a new team. After six remarkable seasons as an Angel since arriving from Japan, the two-way talent signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December.
As the Dodgers and Padres prepare together to launch the 2024 MLB regular season in the Seoul Series in Seoul, South Korea next month, so does González. He will be providing in-depth analysis on SportsCenter and ESPN.com throughout spring training.
González shared a glimpse at the opportunity to showcase the talents of these players on a global stage, along with the excitement for the upcoming MLB season.
How different will covering spring training be for you this year with a regular-season game on March 20?
I’ve covered baseball for a long time, and this is the earliest I’ve ever been at spring training. It has honestly felt bizarre to be in Glendale with the Dodgers for about a week while knowing there are no other teams in the entire state of Arizona [for spring training yet]. I see it as a benefit, however; I have been able to dedicate more time to the Dodgers and Padres (the Padres reported a few days after the Dodgers but still a few days before everybody else), which frees me up to bounce around to other teams later in the spring.
What is the excitement like for the players, coaches and front-office members to participate in the Seoul Series on ESPN on March 20 and 21?
Baseball players can typically become so lulled into a routine that they often gravitate toward major events that break up the monotony. I noticed it last year during the World Baseball Classic, and though it’s early, I’ve gotten a similar sense leading up to the games in South Korea, a country many baseball people have never even visited.
It’ll create a bit of a funky schedule – the Dodgers and Padres have to prep for games that count on the other side of the globe, then come back for more exhibition games and later resume their regular season – but I think players will embrace it. It’s similar to the way the Dodgers are trying to embrace the attention that has come with signing Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto [the Dodgers $325M offseason pitching acquisition], arguably Japan’s two biggest sports stars, in one offseason.
“We’re gonna have to revel in the ‘big, bad Dodgers’ moniker.”
On the coalescence that prompted a staggering winter in Los Angeles …https://t.co/Llmzt4f2Ev
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 7, 2024
As one of their pitchers, Walker Buehler, said: “I think it’s great for us as a team, great for a lot of the guys on our team that are going to get more attention for what they do and for our team as well. You can kind of go back to the World Baseball Classic and the coverage and the energy and the vibe that that gets. I think it’s good for the game to be covered in this way.”
Spencer T. Jackson and Alden González produced the video above
EDITOR’S NOTE: ESPN recently announced an 11-game 2024 MLB spring training game schedule. It opens on ESPN with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2023 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani visiting Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres at Camelback-Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 22. The Dodgers will then host the Padres the following day at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. at 3 p.m on Friday, Feb. 23. ESPN also will televise Ohtani’s Dodgers regular-season debut as part of the Seoul Series on Wednesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 21, at 6 a.m. ET both days.
