Spring is here

The first sure sign of spring: it's not the daffodils, it's the baseball players. Spring training has officially begun! In the first full slate of games today it was mostly rookies getting a turn at bat - the veterans will get their time in later, especially after the rosters are cut down - so not a lot of star power to report. My Cincinnati Reds lost their Grapefruit League opener 8-5 to the Detroit Tigers. But hey, spring training isn't about the win-loss record. (Which of course is what you say if you have a losing record in spring training.)

All-star catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez did play - and homer - for the Tigers, and then hopped a taxi over to Port St. Lucie where the Puerto Rican team is preparing for their first game in the World Baseball Classic. I'm excited about this event; it's the closest thing to a World Cup in baseball there is, and the teams aren't just made up of MLB All-stars. There are a lot of players from other national leagues, and it will be fun to learn more about them and see them play.

Play ball!