Yet, south of here, in warmer climes, the baseball season is coming out of hibernation. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training today. Here are the things to watch in the upcoming baseball season.
- Barry Bonds. The steroid king needs only 22 homers to breaks Hank Aaron's home run record of 755. Let the campaigning for an asterisk next to his name begin in earnest.
- The Cubbies, a team that will be the focus of a JAL-SAA Tour event in August, has heavily invested in the offseason, getting a new manager (Lou Pinella) and snatching Alfonso Soriano from the Nationals. Will it be enough to stop the World Series drought (no title since 1908)?
- Pitchers, pitchers, pitchers. Everybody needs them and the NL West went out and got some good ones, including the Diamondbacks, who brought Randy Johnson home from New York. One wonders what the rest of the league will do for someone to start on opening day.
- Over in the AL, the Boston Red Sox managed to win the price war for the best thing in Japanese baseball, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, he of the "gyroball."
Locally, the Nationals are lining up behind rookie manager Manny Acta. Problem is, the line's a little short and VERY untested. The team, which finished last in its two seasons here in DC, can only get better, right? Problem is, the guys on the squad, most of them weren't here for those other two seasons, so they don't know that. Of the players that will report to Nationals camp, only three, that's THREE, were with the Nationals all of last year (For those keeping track, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, and Ryan Zimmerman).
For the Orioles, they have their own woes. Chris Benson, who was to be the Orioles opening day starter is likely lost for the season with an injury. They went out and grabbed the Mets Steve Trachsel and need to pull together a rotation behind Erik Bedard and others. It's a must as the bullpen has nothing but tumbleweeds in it right now.
It should be, at the very least, interesting. I think I'll go rent Major League.
2 comments:
I, too, was sent home early Tuesday and the office is closed today — making it a perfect time to conduct my annual ritual of watching Major League and, as an actual Indians fan, saying a little prayer for the upcoming season. Okay, maybe a big prayer.
OK - my loss. But today, I was without power from 5:00 AM to right about now (8PM). It really felt like the 19th century. I was looking for a train timetable to decide when I could get down to watch some spring ball. I hear that kid Shoeless Joe Jackson is worth the nickel for a ticket...
Post a Comment