Hey. You. Yeah, you. You can come out from your root cellar now. Pitchers and catchers reported today.
You, with the gout. It feels a little better, doesn't it? Less swelling, right? Pitchers and catchers reported today.
Hey, you, the guy facing a life's prison term for being a Colombian coke mule. Lighten the hell up. Pitchers and catchers reported today.
Now that there are actual players in camp, the mandatory stories are sure to follow. Pitcher Q learned a new pitch over the offseason. Player X changed his offseason workout regiment, and is sure to be injury-free or thinner. Player Z is embroiled in a multi-tiered scandal that some believe puts the integrity of the entire game in question. And so on.
We'll eat all of these stories up, and beg for more, because the season is starting. Right now, there are baseball people running around a baseball field, doing baseball things. Pitchers and catchers reported today.
Quick notes:
- Felipe Alou said Jesse Foppert, if healthy, is guaranteed a spot on the staff. That's a pretty bold call this early, but the reports out of Puerto Rico must have been better than the stats indicated. It will be nice to watch Foppert complete his comeback, and improve on the career of Tom Seaver. Take your time, Jesse.
One minor, minor concern is that Foppert could be a little too effective out of the bullpen, and stick in the role. If he has success in any role at the major league level, it would be a pleasant surprise. Still, success in one role could lead to an "if it ain't broke..."-type mentality, and it would still be fun to see if Foppert has a shot to be a starter in the future.
- Big nod to Pants Man, who had to have spent hours crafting this diary. Or, as I prefer to imagine, maybe he just dropped it freestyle, laying it over a silky Neptunes beat. Whatever works, man. Check it out.
- From the outtakes:
Pitchers and Catchers Report:I couldn't make this one work, unfortunately. Not like that's stopped me before, but still....
Day One - Kirk Rueter still isn't throwing hard.
Day Two -The post-game spread featured olive loaf. After much discussion, we decided we don't know what that is.