Batting Practice

When the Cubs are playing away games in the afternoon, the ballpark is open early in the morning for fans to walk in and enjoy batting practice. Few people are there and it is easy to walk down to the front row and get a good closeup look at the batters at work. After the last group has hit, the players head to the clubhouse for a bit of lunch and walk out to board a bus to drive to the game. Fans line up at a sawhorse barricade and are able to get several autographs from various players and coaches as they leave.
Here we see manager Lou Piniella talking baseball with Senior Adviser & Hall-of-Famer Billy Williams on the field. The other photo shows Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg, working as a major league coach in spring training, signing autographs before jumping on the bus.
I took pictures, jumped in the rental car, and followed along. Pictures from the away game in the next post.