When writer and broadcaster Dan Valenti covered spring training on freelance assignments primarily centered on the Boston Red Sox during the 1980s, he fortunately took his camera with him. These photos, published here for the first time, depict spring training during a time that will never come again. In the 1980s, particularly early- to mid-decade, players' salaries had not exploded into megamillion-dollar contracts, fans still had essentially unregulated access to the action, and the focus was on baseball.

Many of the great stars of Red Sox history are pictured in these pages. You'll witness Ted Williams, Jerry Remy, Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens, Johnny Pesky, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Rick Burleson, Wade Boggs, and a host of other Sox players. Alongside the photos, Valenti's thoughtful text explores both his personal experiences behind the scenes and the greater philosophical implications of the spring training ritual.

Dan Valenti, who hosts a daily radio talk show, is the author of numerous books, including many on baseball. He also works as a newspaper columnist and is a college adjunct professor of English. He lives with his wife Paula and family in western Massachusetts.