There comes a time in every sport; whether it be in high school, college, or the pro's, where the preseason has just gone on long enough. The practice, conditioning, hard-work, and more importantly, the meaninglessness of the games is becoming too much to bare.
Right now in Arizona and Florida, it has become that time for Major League baseball players.
The last 10 days of spring training must be brutal. Like an eight year old kid counting down the days until Christmas or a freshman in college counting down the days until their first Thanksgiving break. Don't get me wrong; players need spring training to refine their craft and get ready for the mental grind of a 162 game schedule played in about 182 days. The thought of that just makes me want to lay on a beach in Hawaii.
The last 10 days of spring training are meaningless. Everybody is ready to roll, and the pitchers have been stretched out as far as they're going to be when it's the end of March/early April. The hitters have caught up to the pitchers, and everyone is tired of taking infield practice at 9am. The monotony of the spring training routine is wearing down everybody---including the fans. The fans have been giving their take on who to take for fantasy for much too long. It's time we see for real who is going to be a bust, a sleeper, a hot pick-up, and a winner. The prognostications for the nationally publicized magazines are in.
It's time to get this thing going, and that's exactly what we're going to do starting on Sunday night with the Red Sox and Yankees on ESPN baseball with two of this generations best broadcasters Jon Miller and Hall of Fame second basemen Joe Morgan.
The Orioles open on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Keep following the blog for updates. The real thing starts on Sunday night!
Actually it starts next Friday with the O's home opener! But enough on spring training. Play Ball!
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