Jared Sandler will spend a solid month in Spring Training with the Rangers. The 105.3 The FAN radio personality has responsibilities for the team’s pre- and postgame shows as well as performing some play-by-play duties and anchoring other coverage. There are certainly spring training games to call, but when I saw him, Sandler was watching the team work out. It turns out there’s a lot he does in February and March other than just being on the air – tasks that help ensure he’ll be prepared for the season. In this video interview, Sandler explains how his long days now pay off later.
A side note: It was somewhat surreal for me to return to the Rangers’ complex in Surprise. I worked for the Rangers for a number of years but had not been back to the team’s spring home since I left in 2013. I saw some new construction. They now pipe in music during on-field workouts now (you’ll hear some of it kick in during the interview). Surprise Stadium had some new concession offerings (I ate an Italian sandwich). And an unusual cold snap meant we didn’t get as big a break from the winter as we had hoped. It was mostly the same, though, with fans watching players hit and throw on green fields as the die-hard supporters (and some professional signature-seekers) solicit autographs and selfies. Non-roster invitees hope to make an impression and a manager’s optimism can’t be tempered by regular-season results. The experience drove home, as it always does, that baseball season is almost here.
