Topps Transcendent Party 2019 - Mike Trout - Part 1

 It wasn't easy getting to Phoenix / Scottsdale on a late February Friday morning.  I was on call the evening before and, in combination with some family medical problems, spent my time in the hospital until about 2AM.  Luckily, traffic was on our side, and we were able to get our stuff packed up and make it on the plane.  You'd think that flying from Oregon to Arizona in late February would be a pleasant weather change...  Unfortunately, it was about the same temperature in Arizona that was in Oregon.  And it was really rainy.  I really disdain the rental car outpost that Sky Harbor airport maintains, but it is pretty painless with one of the free "preferred" programs.    After getting the car, we made our way over to the JW Marriott Camelback Resort.  It was really beautiful.  We're not exactly fancy people, and I had no idea how to park the car and check in or what to do with our bags.  ProTip: The valet parks it for you in front of the hotel.

The resort had a ton of really cool wildlife on it.  We saw about 10 long eared rabbits and a whole bunch of pheasant running around.  There was great cactus life as well, and many of the older cacti apparently served as de facto birds nests.  Even though it was drizzly and cold, it was still incredibly beautiful.

The Arizona sunset was also really pretty.  Although those menacing rain clouds were unmistakable on the horizon, the beautiful sky did poke out from time to time.  This was on the walk down from our bungalow to the conference room around 1745PM.

And this was the reason that we found some time to make it to Arizona.  Not just for Spring Training baseball (a huge bonus in of itself) but to meet the best active player in baseball, Mike Trout.  I think the word transcendent is often overused, but in this case, it seems particularly appropriate to describe a player and individual.