A Great Day!

There is fear in the land.  The economy is in trouble, and our congress is both clueless and indifferent.

Rumor has it that Norman Shepherd is about to launch another salvo in the on-going battle over justification and faith and works.  Swell . . .

It is cold and raining outside--yes, it can be cold and rainy even in Orange County.

And yet somewhere near Tampa, a wonderful thing has happened!  Yankee pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training!

Here's C. C. Sabbathia working out for the first time in George M. Steinbrenner stadium.  A glorious sight for Yankee fans everywhere.  For a moment, all is right in the world--that is until A-Rod reports to camp and screws it up!  But not even the drama which surrounds A-Rod can ruin this moment.  April 1 will be here soon, and the games will begin again.

A retooled team, a new Yankee Stadium, and hopefully a twenty-seventh World Series victory!

It is a great day.  It always is when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Comments

[PB]

Over in Red Sox Nation we feel the same way about the start of spring training but are thankful not to have the drama you all are stuck with. We traded away our drama in midseason last year...

[Lloyd]

You folks can only dream about spring training. Here in the Phoenix area, we have about 16 teams ready to report.

The sports fans that live here are very blessed to be able to go to a number of spring training games. Our newest teams, are the Indians, and Dodgers. Next spring, the Reds will be coming here.

I think that you'll see many more teams leaving Florida in the coming years, because many of them have to travel hundreds of miles for a game. Here in Arizona, the teams travel ten to forty minutes for a game.

[bill]

Go Angels!

[Randy]

We get pretty pumped in St. Louis when it's about time for baseball to begin too.

[Bill Weber]

The fact that grown men are going to throw a little ball to each other, while getting paid millions of dollars, while I lose my job, just doesn't warm my heart like it does your, Kim! But, go Cubs!

[Mark Pierson]

As one who may soon lose his job ...GO YANKEE'S!!!!!!!!!!!

[DSY]

The Yankees represent all that is wrong with the world. And I mean that will all due respect.

DSY

[James Paul]

No doubt the Yanks have bought themselves a championship with all they have done over the winter.
Word of caution : Sabathia (one B not two, and he doesn't dot his C's-Yes, the perfect weirdo for New York) is notoriously awful for the first 2-3 months because (I think) of his weight. He usually doesnt start pitching well until the heat burns 10-15 pounds off him, generally around mid-June.... If the unsung X-Man Nady is healthy, he will be the most productive RBI man on the team, mark my words.
I predict a poor first 3 months for the Yanks until the players all gel, but then a strong run at the end. If they happen to do well the first 3 months though, look out! They'll run away with it.

As for my Pittsburgh Pirates...Well, We got the Steelers!

[Lloyd]

I only hope the Yanks do O.K. for the sake of pastor Kim. But, you'll see a low budget team win the world series. (Low budget, with a great farm system.)

The Yanks and Dodgers always used to do it with their great farm systems. (Although, I don't mean to put the Dodgers' tradition on a par with the Yanks, as the Dodgers have only won six world series, and the Yanks twenty six.)

I think that the Yanks would be far better off using their money in trying to purchase the best scouts, and building their team from within. (The old Yankee way of doing it!)

Oaklands' Billy Bean get's far more out of a 30 million dollar payroll, than Cashman does with his 300 million.

[John Yeazel]

There definitely is something magical about baseball- the idea that "grown men are paid millions to throw a little ball to each other" just doesn't cut it with me (sorry Bill). This misses the transcendence of baseball. There is nothing like the smell of a baseball stadium and the feel and sound of a hard ball smacking into a wood bat at 90 MPH. Great literature, great love and great poems have all been inspired by this great game. Yes, it is a good day and everything else does not seem to matter as much anymore. Even Cub fans hope starts rising again as they have suffered through another long and cold Chicago winter thinking about what could have been. We are ready for another year of longing only to be disappointed again in either August, September or heaven forbid October.

Lloyd, you are thinking too deeply about baseball matters- there must be something wrong with you.

[Knight]

As a longtime Indians fan all I can say is...

I just lost respect for you Dr. R.. :)

[Andrew]

Go Jays!

Ah, who am I kidding. Go Yanks.

[Roger Smith]

You are reformed in your Theology, now we must reform your Baseballogy. How, oh how do you cheer for the Yankees? That's like rooting for Nancy Pelosi to win re-election or for Bill Gates to win the Lottery. The Yankees truly are the EVIL Empire.

Go Braves...

[John Yeazel]

The drama is beginning to unfold already- my pre-season pick for the series- The Cubs vrs. Lou's old team the Rays with the Rays winning in 7. A great series but the Cubs will not win until the year that Christ returns.

[preston]

I predict the Cubs in "a" world series and up by five runs in the ninth inning to win it all and then....Jesus peels back the eastern sky and says "come home, children." That's what I call, "AH!millennialsim. - PG Atkinson (pgasongs.blogspot.com)

[Charles S]

Seattle and Washington in the World series

[Bill Weber]

The "transcendence of baseball," John? You have to be kidding, right?

[timinator]

Baseball? What about the Lakers who are playing at there best. Kobe MVP of All-Stars alone with Shaq. March Madness before we get to baseball. Besides players in baseball are like drama queens. A-Rod in the news every other week. Manny Signing not signing with the Dodgers Looking for more money than He is worth. Then there is the Evil Empire . Oh what the heck, those Yankees are ready for another season. Angels and Red Socks watch out this looks like a Yankee year.

Go Yankees!

[stephen sutton]

Drove by the field yesterday on the way to Busch Gardens. Sweet. When I was a teen, the Yankees spent their spring training in my home town, Ft. Lauderdale. This stadium is much nicer than that one.

[Chuck Adams]

As a Milwaukee Brewer fan (the team that spent beyond its means to rent CC Sabathia knowing that the Yankees or some other such bastion of evil would snatch him up during the off-season), I second Roger Smith's comments and maintain hope that one of the "little guys" will once again prevail over baseball's evil empire in the AL East.

But, yes, it is good that baseball season is nigh.