Going to Texas

Some people spend their vacations going to Europe. Some go to Hawaii. I'm going to Harlingen, Texas. Honest. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Here are the details: I'm going to spend a month working as the media relations director and play-by-play announcer in the inaugural season of the Texas WinterBaseball League. I'll broadcast 48 games in a 24-day stretch, which should provide the ultimate test of how much I enjoy baseball broadcasting, whether I'm any good at it, and whether other people think I'm any good at it.

I start Monday.

Harlingen is located in the southern tip of Texas, about six miles fromthe Mexico border. It's close to San Padre Island. For more information about the league -- or if you actually want to hear me -- check out http://www.texaswinterleague.com/index.html

The good news is that my newspaper was kind enough to grant me permission to do this -- I'm calling it an extended free-lance assignment -- without losing my job or my beat covering the Oakland Athletics. I'll still arrive in Arizona for spring training on the same day that I normally would arrive and cover the A's as usual.

I have absolutely no idea what I've just gotten myself into. All I know for certain is I'm packing for a 10-week trip in the next 36 hours. Life is an adventure, right?

Cheers, Happy New Year, and yeee hawww.