Padres exhibitions on TV

Friar John encourages all Padres fans to make a visit to Peoria. And not for the seemingly endless selection of chain restaurants in the area.

No, FJ wants fans to know that spring training is the best place to get close to the players and to interact. When there's an intersquad game, you can sit in bleachers right next to the dugout and hear the coaches coach and the team chatter. You can view BP from about six feet away from the cage (albeit through a chain-link fence). And if you're an autograph hound, you're in heaven.

That said, FJ understands that Peoria is a longer trip from San Diego than Yuma was, so the old day trip is probably out. Fortunately, technology has helped fill the spring gaps for baseball fans jonesing for Padres baseball.

The MLB Network will air 61 games this spring (45 of them live). The Padres will appear five times, starting Friday against the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear, Ariz. That telecast will be delayed to 2 p.m. PST.

Here are the Padres appearances on MLB Network:

Friday: Padres at Cleveland Indians, 2 p.m. (delayed)
March 7: Oakland Athletics at Padres, noon (live)
March 20: Padres at Chicago Cubs, 2 p.m. (delayed)
March 30: Padres at Cleveland Indians, 4 p.m. (live)
March 31: Milwaukee Brewers at Padres, 7 p.m. (live)

Channel 4 San Diego also has four telecasts scheduled:

March 7: Oakland Athletics at Padres, noon
March 11: World Baseball Classic team to be determined at Padres, 7 p.m.
March 14: Cleveland Indians at Padres, 1 p.m.
March 31: Milwaukee Brewers at Padres, 7 p.m.

MLB Network is picking up local telecasts on its spring airings. Not sure what that means in terms of cable blackouts for the duplicate games. Regardless, it's nice to see Padres baseball even if it's not the up-close-and-personal experience of Peoria.

FJ