Spring training 2021: No more picnic-table talks

We sat on a picnic table.

That was back in 2016, in the early days of spring training.

I had set up a one-on-one interview with manager Robin Ventura, and we talked in the warm, open air behind the White Sox's clubhouse at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.

The setting was undoubtedly relaxed, but the topic of conversation was not. In addition to opening up about his tenuous job status, Ventura went big picture.

If the Sox didn't win in '16, he warned, big changes were coming.

Ventura was right.

The White Sox went 78-84 for the season, which was further marred by some embarrassing off-field behavior from key players like Chris Sale, Adam LaRoche, Adam Eaton and Todd Frazier.

Ventura was fired at the end of the season, Sale and Eaton were traded on consecutive days in early December and the Sox's rebuild was on.

That's just one example of making the most of the relatively stress-free conditions at camp to delve deep into important topics.

I've been going to Florida and Arizona to cover spring training for the Daily Herald since 1994. Each and every trip has been a haven for getting to know players and accumulating knowledge.

The streak ended this year, and COVID-19 is to blame.

Vaccination numbers are going up and infection rates are coming down, but it's still not safe enough for baseball media to go back to talking to players in the clubhouse and managers on picnic tables.

Hopefully, that changes at some point during the upcoming season. Realistically, I don't expect to be back in the White Sox or Cubs clubhouse until spring of 2022.

We'll see how that plays out, and continue gleaning information off Zoom interviews until the coronavirus finally loosens its numbing grip.

It's a tough situation, but there's been a lot of that going around the past year.

Baseball was the first major sport to return from COVID-19 in 2020, bringing back a needed sense of normalcy last summer.

MLB is back again this year, and hoping to play a full 162-game season.

At some point, limited numbers of fans should be back in the seats at Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Field.

Positive signs, no doubt about it.

The Sox and Cubs both have top-shelf media relations departments, and they've done excellent work making players and staff available via Zoom these past 12 months.

It's not an ideal situation, especially during spring training when there's more access and time to talk, but at least we're finally heading in the right direction.