Here’s what’s going on in Arizona and Florida: batting practice, fielding practice, some bullpens, and, of course, stretching and calisthenics. There’s the leg stretching, the tall-stepping, the sit and reach, some push-ups, and some light running.
It’s not baseball, really, and not everybody is there yet, just pitchers, catchers and some guys who just couldn’t wait to get back at it.
And yet, we are all so excited about the fact that pitchers and catchers are there. They haven’t started playing.
Why?
Well, for one thing, there is just something good about knowing that, somewhere, the sun is shining. And that, soon, summer will come, the snow will be gone, and we will be hearing the crack of bat and ball, all while tasting hot dogs and nachos and all of that jazz. Except probably not jazz. It’ll be a ballpark, so it’s most likely rap, hard rock and hip-hop, with maybe some country here and there.
Details aren’t important… what’s important is that baseball season is coming!
GET HYPE!
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LINKS!
Whatever happened to the people in the Moneyball draft?
ESPN the Magazine‘s long read on Alex Rodriguez, by J.R. Moehringer.
A slice of life from Cincinnati spring training… who they play catch with.
Wade Townsend flopped as a ballplayer…. now he’s a poker player.
SELF-PROMOTION OF THE WEEK: The “30 Teams, 30 Posts” train keeps rolling along, and you can see all of them here.
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Finally, let’s do a belated salute to the Oscars. Oscars like Oscar Gamble and his afro, or Negro League great Oscar Charleston, or All-Stars like Oscar Grimes and Oscar Judd! Or the late Oscar Taveras! Or, the greatest-named ballplayer I never knew until today: John Oscar Dickshot.
No, seriously, that’s a real name. And, with that, I have to end it, because there’s no way I can continue after typing that.
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As always, you can see more of my work over at Baseball Continuum.
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