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Gather up the snacks, put away the beer cans and forget about your fantasy football teams, because football is over with. Meanwhile, hockey is on the brink of extinction and basketball has another month before it gets interesting. So that leaves us with repeats of the World Series of Poker! But take heart, spring training is here. That’s right, kids, your favorite pitchers and catchers are now appearing in the sunny South. And I’m not talking about another Titan Media film, either.
No, I don’t get money for touting ESPN. Yes, I am going through withdrawal. The only baseball coverage we’ve seen so far has been about Jose Canseco and his adventures in bathroom stalls with Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire. So I’ve got to focus on something positive. Every year around this time I start to fantasize about what could happen with my favorite team. Anything is seemingly possible during spring training. A rookie could come out of nowhere and hit like Albert Pujols or pitch like Johan Santana. A free agent pickup could be the final piece of the puzzle to put the team over the top. The Colorado Rockies could finish over .500.
Speaking of high hopes, my own New York Mets improved their chances of not finishing last in their division with two free agent pickups. By signing Pedro Martinez, they not only landed an ace but also gave the Mets a new attitude that they’ve needed for years. Martinez is the kind of pitcher that your position players like. You plunk my guy, you better expect Pedro to go headhunting after yours. And with switching from the American League to the National League in spacious Shea Stadium, expect Cy Young talk. Martinez puts Tom Glavine into the more comfortable No.2 slot with Kris Benson, Steve Trachsel and Victor Zambrano backing them up; it makes the Mets rotation one of the soundest and deepest in the National League. The newly potent offense should help out that pitching staff as well. When they stroked Carlos Beltran a $119-million check, they added a perennial All-Star with MVP potential. Who knows, this team may play some meaningful games in October. Delusions of grandeur, some would say, but I prefer to see it as something to look forward to. So what’s to expect from this year, realistically. With steroids no longer coming gift-wrapped inside player’s cereal bowls, you can expect the beginning of another dead-ball era. For the last three years, baseball has seen a huge power surge. Even though no one has hit 50 or more home runs since 2002, when A-Rod and Jim Thome slammed 57 and 52 respectively, baseball has seen homers-per-game increase from 1.043 in 2002 to 1.123 in 2004. Expect that number to drop along with pitcher’s ERAs around the league. This would sit fine with me, I’m a sucker for an old-fashioned pitching duel. Baseball is about to return to its roots and I couldn’t be happier about it. Players will still be hulking brutes, not that I object, but you won’t have that lingering question in the back of your mind when a player hits 73 home runs one year after never hitting more than 50 for 15 years. Baseball needs the sport to be clean so fans can stop questioning the integrity of the game. Set your calendars and TiVos for March 2. It’ll be worth it to see David Wright play, trust me. Until then, you’ve got your choice between NASCAR and old NFL Films reruns. As for me, I’ll settle in for some celebrity poker. It helps pass the time. Pictures by Brent Mullins / Outsports.com Feb. 15, 2005 |
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