Boys of Spring

To Walter Iooss Jr., The Players’ Tribune Photographer At Large, spring training is a favorite time of year:  “Spring training means hope to me, and always a chance to get south from cold New York. The slow rhythms, the slow jogs, players standing around, the proximity of the fans and photographers to the relaxed players always made for special photographs. No other sport yields better pictures than baseball players doing nothing. I once did an essay called “the nothing essay” of players doing nothing but sitting, scratching, spitting, and chatting. It was perfect. The best parks were McKechnie Field in Bradenton and Dodgertown in Vero Beach. You could smell baseball history there, and the fans were literally on the field. So intimate and so friendly”.

Photographs By Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated/Getty Images