I don’t really want to be a shill for the team, but having gone to spring training in Arizona myself a couple times, I know that now, with just 2 months left until spring training games start, is the time to start planning. So, consider this information about buying tickets to be more like a public service announcement and less like advertising that I didn’t get paid for. Not that I wouldn’t accept it if they offered now. Cash is fine.

The first spring training game is in just over two months on February 22. The Reds will be taking on their roommates in Goodyear, the Cleveland Indians. That will give all our recent Cleveland acquisitions a chance to show off their new, stylish Los Rojos jerseys to all their friends. You can go see the complete schedule on the Reds.com official site. You can go see the Los Rojos jerseys on John Fay’s blog on Cincinnati.com.

Of course, spring training continues for, like, a month after that. Assuming that you’re not able to just take off for the desert for the whole 5 weeks (which is too bad, because I think 5 weeks is about how long it would take to adjust to the absolute lack of moisture; it’s like that scene at the beginning of Rango, I swear) you’ll have to make the age-old decision of when to head out west. Go early and see rougher baseball with a larger cast of potentials? Or wait until later in March when the field is narrower and you’re seeing the desperate young players laying it all out on the line for that last roster spot?

It looks like the Reds have set up some spring training travel packages, regardless of when you want to go. The first one uses the Homewood Suites in Avondale, which is good, though I personally recommend the Hilton Garden Inn next door. At least, when we stayed there we were hanging with minor leaguers in the pool.