Shawn Haviland arrives at his first minor league spring training. He gets selected and inspected:

The drug testers came to the A's complex on Wednesday. For the first time ever I was randomly selected. I'll say one thing about this whole experience, it is unbelievably hard to use the bathroom when someone is watching you with your pants around your ankles and your shirt lifted up to your neck.

He also gives the lowdown on the dreaded conditioning test.

Kevin Millwood pitched poorly yesterday, but the Rangers find a silver lining:

Millwood made progress on both the health and endurance fronts, a departure from his previous spring trainings with the Rangers in which muscle tweaks sometimes outnumbered innings pitched. In each of his last two camps, Millwood, the Rangers opening day starter, has pitched less than 10 innings in "A" games. His performance during the season has suffered because of it.

This spring he's piled up eight innings in three starts and with five more outings left, he should approach 30 innings for the spring. By the end of camp, he could have a 100-pitch outing, on par for a regular-season game.

"If we stay on the program we're on, we'll absolutely be ready to go," pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "It wasn't his day, but he went out there and executed and kept extending himself. That's the most important thing."

One thing to keep in mind as you watch the scores and stats is that players aren't always trying to get every batter out. Sometimes, they're just trying to work on a pitch, or in this case simply extend themselves. Watch how Millwood's last two starts go to get a better gauge on how he might perform in the regular season.

Pitchers and hitters are following a script:

In their first two appearances, starters had strict orders: Throw a first-pitch fastball away. If it was a strike, the next two pitches were inside fastballs. The idea is to emphasize the importance of fastball command and owning the inner-half of the plate.

The caveat? If the first pitch wasn't a strike, the pitcher could junk the plan. If I were a fifth-starter candidate, my first pitch would have probably been in the dirt. It's one thing to follow a plan, but it's hard to get your gray matter beaten in with a roster spot hanging in the balance.

On Monday, Angels hitters quickly identified the Rockies' strategy, having faced them two days earlier. They would take the first pitch strike, then "turn and burn" on the next heater thrown inside. It showed that even fringe big-leaguers such as Jeff Mathis and Brandon Wood can smoke a fastball if they know it's coming and where it's going to be. By contrast, when Angels starter John Lackey got two strikes early in the count, he buzzed a pair of Colorado batters.

Rockies hitters, too, have been forced to be patient, though the training wheels appear off. First, they couldn't swing at the first strike, then, starting Monday, they could, but not if the guy in front of them did. As Hurdle said correctly, "The best way to score runs in spring training is to jump on pitchers early in the count, but we have set up a different template."

I like this idea, especially for the hitters. Get them into the habit of studying the pitcher. We'll see if it pays off during the regular season.

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Anderson Hernandez played a season and a half in 2008, so he took some time at the start of spring training to rest his legs.

This looks like a game that would be fun to watch, Yankees vs. Team USA.

Joe McDonald notes that the Red Sox camp is pretty quiet, with only the starting shortstop job and a couple of backup positions up for grabs.

Actually, the veteran scribes on the beat say it hasn't been like this in many years.

There's no Manny. No Curt. No Nomar.

No problems.

Of course, that makes the Red Sox a big boring. As long as I can remember there were larger than life personalities on this team, for good or bad. David Ortiz still has that, and to a certain extent Dustin Pedroia. It would be nice to see a foil there, however.

So far the competition for the Yankees centerfield job favors Brett Gardner. Of course, 10 at bats is pretty meaningless, but Melky Cabrera is facing the task of proving he belongs to stay in the majors. Any poor streak he suffers just reinforces his critics.

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Mark DeRosa hit the first home run I've seen this year, a three-run shot against the Giants. I was reading a criticism of Nate Silver's Alex Rodriguez home run projection (hat tip RAB) and heard the bat hit the ball. It's amazing how you can tell a well hit ball by the sound off the bat. It's nice to hear that again.

As for Rodriguez, I've pointed out on this site that young home run hitter tend to flame out. If you look at the age 30 leaders, only Griffey (2nd) and Aaron (9th) made it over 600, and Ken did while flaming out. Alex finished his age 32 season in 2008, and he's over 100 homers ahead of both Aaron and Ruth. If A-Rod doesn't hit a home run for two years, he'll still be the all-time leader through age 34. Bonds is the only 600 home run hitter not in the top seven.

The Favorite Toy gives Alex a 49% chance of breaking the record. That's very good odds at his age. Three more good years and he'll be 100 away from the record (two great years puts him in the same position). Even with major injuries, Griffey hit 173 home runs over eight years. I would guess that Alex could hit 100 over five or six years if and when he gets that close.

The exhibition season gets underway today. The MLB Network shows the Giants and Indians at 3 PM EST.

Jim Storer just called me to say he heard on WFAN that Joe Girardi called off today's practice, and the players and coaching staff are going out for lunch and a pool tournament. Peter Abraham confirms:

With games starting Wednesday, Girardi decided to give his team a break and build some chemistry at the same time.

Spring training is too long, so teams probably need a break like this.

I'm wondering if Joe is still doing the tough workouts? Last year, he really pushed the players with running and such. Is he pushing as hard this year?

The new spring training facility in Tampa Bay features multiple person hot and cold tubs.

The tubs can usually hold "at least six," Howell said. "If Percy's in there, we've got four then. You didn't hear that from me, though."

Exclusive video:

I've heard through the grapevine that pitchers and catchers report today.

Take the impact of spring training with a grain of salt when you hear politicians claim how much business it brings to an area:

Porter questions whether a six-week training camp can generate enough revenue to justify public expenditures that large.

He cites estimates that the New York Yankees' spring training operation, which moved from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, generates $100 million annually for the local economy. If that's true, he says, Tampa's economy should have grown by $100 million when the Yankees arrived, and Fort Lauderdale would have taken a similar-sized hit.

"Did we grow and did Fort Lauderdale shrink? The answer is no," he said. "There's no change in taxable sales in the communities that lost or gained a team. ... There's no change in the hotel occupancy. Why in the world aren't these things generating the kind of impact that the governor's office says they do?"

Tourists spend plenty of money, but Porter points out a lot of the cash goes to the teams - who take their profits with them when they leave town at the end of March.

Another reason to leave building stadiums to the teams.

Fukudome led the spring in walks while batting .270. You'd think the Cubs manager would be excited by that:

"He has had a very respectable spring," manager Lou Piniella said. "You have to get acclimated to baseball in this country. The pitching's different, the umpiring's probably different, the fields are bigger. In Japan they play on skin infields.

"He's going to be fine. Let's not put too [many] expectations on him initially. Let him build into this thing."

Fukudome is a top of the order hitter who can actually get on base. Nothing the Cubs need.

I'm watching the Red Sox/Dodgers game from the Los Angeles Coliseum. The camera angles are lousy. The centerfield camera appears to be in right-center, giving a very different view of the pitcher/batter matchup, and making it difficult to tell balls and strikes. The Dodgers are playing the leftfielder in deep center, and the centerfielder behind second base. They figure if a ball goes over the shortstop's head it will hit the 60 foot screen.

There's no foul territory, including behind the plate. I don't think anyone will be able to advance on a wild pitch that goes straight back.

Update: Lowell actually pops out in foul territory!

Jarrod Saltalamacchia starts the season at Oklahoma. It seems the Rangers want him to play every day to develop more as a catcher. I say let his bat do the talking.

Voros McCracken sums up the reaction to the Reds sending down Jay Bruce.

Corey Patterson garnered 3100 at bats in his major league career with an OBA below .300. We know what Corey can do and it's not good. Bruce might turn out to be a bust, but his minor league record indicates there's a good chance he'll be great, and I'd say there's an extremely high probability he'll be better than Corey Patterson. If he posts a .750 OPS he'll be better than Patterson! I wonder if this is the super two move, designed to delay Bruce's free agency by one year. Otherwise, the Reds could lose him after his age 26 season, before they reaped the peak of his career.

Jason McAdams is live blogging the Yankees vs. Virginia Tech.

The Dodgertown era is over. I must admit I'm surprised the Dodgers stayed there as long as they did. I know for a while that the facility attracted Brooklyn Dodgers fans, but most of those were probably gone after 30 years.

I wonder how much Florida is worried about competition from Arizona, however. If Cincinnati also makes the move, the two states will be close to evenly splitting Major Leauge teams. I can see Houston and Minnesota moving there in the future, which would give Arizona the edge.

Baseball Time in Arlington discusses the dilemma the Rangers face at catcher:

Another strong campaign from Teagarden in 2008, combined with a lack of opportunity (or results, as the unfortunate by-product of inconsistent playing time) for Saltalamacchia at the big league level, could quite feasibly knock the latter down a peg on the organizational catching depth chart, and perhaps even trigger trade talks to ship Jarrod out of town forever.

And boy, would that be disappointing to see. For as much as I like what Teagarden brings to the table, Saltalamacchia's gorgeous, fluid swing and seemingly limitless offensive potential as a catcher have fully captured my imagination. Make no mistake about it, I want to see Jarrod establish himself as the catcher of the future here in Texas.

And when playoff baseball finally makes its glorious, long-awaited return to the Temple, I want to see Jarrod behind the plate, snapping cool, collected throws back to his pitcher, taking control of the game through not just his game-changing bat, but also his refined glovework, throwing arm and battery communication skills.

Watching a player like Gerald Laird - a decent stopgap, but hardly somebody that figures into the Rangers' long-term plans - potentially even dent Saltalamacchia's chances of becoming what I think he can become in Texas is, by far, the most distressing development to come out of Surprise this spring as far as I'm concerned.

Neither Laird nor Saltalamacchia is hitting for a high average this spring, but both are making their hits count. Laird hit three home runs so far with his seven hits, while Jarrod hit for the cycle with his four hits. What's clear is that at age 28, Laird isn't going to be a great hitter. However, because he is at a performance peak age, the Rangers could get a very good year out of him. Saltalamacchia, at 23, still has time to develop, but I'd rather see him in the majors than the minors at this point. It seems to me the right solution is a catching platoon, with Laird playing against lefties and Jarrod against righties. That should give the youngster between 120 and 130 games behind the plate, which is plenty for any catcher.

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Chris de Luca notes the White Sox are running a quiet camp this spring:

Something always penetrates the tranquility of Sox camp. It's as much a spring training tradition as someone complaining about Arizona's high sky. This year, nothing.

"Yeah, it has been a pretty smooth camp," captain Paul Konerko said. "From a player's standpoint, since I've been a White Sox, this has definitely been the best-run camp."

Nothing but baseball. No contract squabbles or old scores to settle. Even after manager Ozzie Guillen, on the eve of camp, promised to revert to his old way -- meaning loud and obnoxious -- the place is downright boring. You half expect spa music to be piped in over the sound system.

Is this any way to run a Sox camp?

"Most of the time with the camps, they are crazy because of something I say or it's a contract thing," Guillen said. "Now we tried to do it this way, to create that feeling in the clubhouse with the players and the media, to avoid controversy. Because when that kind of stuff happens, you are creating something you shouldn't be creating.

Wow. Maturity from Ozzie Guillen. I guess a lousy season will do that to you.

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Denard Span is taking his way to the top; of the lineup, that is:

Span walked four times in five plate appearances, living up to his own credo as a leadoff hitter: Just get on base.

"I'll take this day every day if I could," Span said after the Twins' 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees at Hammond Stadium. "Four walks? I'll take 0 for 1 every day."

Span is competing with Carlos Gomez and Jason Pridie in the most-watched battle of the Twins' training camp. He's off to a slow start at the plate, hitting .214, but Gomez is at .190 and Pridie .238, so Span hopes his ability to help the offense even without base hits draws a favorable contrast to the less-patient Gomez.

"I don't think they're looking for anybody to go up there and hit 20 home runs. They need somebody to score 100 runs and stay on base and put pressure on the defense and the pitcher," said Span, the Twins' 2002 first-round draft pick. "I just want to get on base."

Span posted a .348 OBA in his minor league career, nothing to write home about. With no pop, maybe he figured out the best way to make the majors is to be an OBA machine.

He would also be the first major leaguer with the first name Denard.

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Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are competing for the job of Dodgers rightfielder:

In the top of the fifth inning of the team's second intrasquad game, Matt Kemp stepped into the batter's box against James McDonald and swatted a ball far over the center-field wall. It landed at the top of a grass embankment fronting the Dodgers' executive offices and rolled back down to the fence.

In the bottom of the inning, Andre Ethier slammed a pitch from Cory Wade even farther, off the second-floor balcony of those offices beyond right-center field.

With that, the two players who are expected to fight each other all season for playing time in right field landed their first punches. But, as Ethier so eloquently put it afterward, "I could care less. It's practice."

Meanwhile, Juan Pierre appears to be ensconced in left. He's the one who should be fighting for a job.

Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan had a friendly battle in batting practice.

Phil Hughes posts a picture of the fake window in the Yankees clubhouse.

I like the LoHud Yankees Blog quote of the day from Jeter:

"I missed (Joe Torre) when we were running. We haven't run that much in the past."

As Peter points out, last season's hamstring injuries were attributed to the team not running enough.

It's a rite of spring, Manny Ramirez is late for camp. What's unusual is that Manny said he'll be on time this year. Of course, these report dates are meaningless. The actual report date is written in the CBA, making mandatory report dates optional. Nobody actually gets in trouble until Feb. 26.

Update: Manny does show!

He arrived in a white Cadillac Escalade, stayed for about a half hour, and then left.

That must have been some workout! :-)

Peter Abraham provides a summary of Alex Rodriguez's press conference, and then provides the full unedited audio.

Right now, Peter is the best journalist/blogger in the business. He constantly keeps us informed and uses multiple ways of presenting a story. We get his filtered views and the unfiltered news. Let's hope more beat writers catch on to his methods.

Steve Buckley says what everyone knows:

If Ellsbury can handle the pressure of the World Series as though it's the Little League back home in Madras, Ore., he's not likely to get unglued by what the big leagues have to offer in April.

But the Red Sox, perhaps to their credit, have to play the respect-for-the-game game. In the interest of decorum, and in fairness to Crisp, they are treating their center field job as though it's Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Crisp's value at this point is almost all defensive. He gives the Red Sox the flexibility to improve the defense late in games by removing Manny. It even makes Manny's requests for days off easier to manage. Given that Manny isn't exactly young anymore, the Red Sox may ask him to take days off to help him get through the season without wearing down.

Players get to talk in the Giants clubhouse now:

Just before Tuesday's first full-squad workout of 2008, the Giants held what longtime observers described as one of the most unusual welcome-to-camp meetings in years.

Customarily, the manager shares a few thoughts on the first morning the entire team is together, and Bruce Bochy offered what one player called a rousing speech. Then, several players, including new center fielder Aaron Rowand, stood and spoke.

That might not be unusual elsewhere, but according to insiders, that rarely happened when Barry Bonds was here because people were reluctant to step on his toes. (Bonds was known sometimes to pooh-pooh teammates' comments during the meetings.)

This is the second Barry was a jerk story I've seen this spring. I suspect it won't be the last.

John Haper points out this spring's Yankees camp is going to be tougher for the players:

That was part of the reasoning for choosing Girardi over Don Mattingly as the new manager. After all the years of Joe Torre's calming influence, Cashman and the Yankee brass wanted someone who would be a little tougher on players.

And although Girardi has downplayed it, his first camp has included considerably more running for the pitchers and catchers than Torre's camps, and the same is expected today for the first full-squad workout.

The article also speaks to Damon's motivation:

"I'm ready to go out and prove to everyone that I'm still a pretty good player," he said. "I've been pretty consistent over my career, but when you talk about the good players in the league now my name hardly comes up, and I don't think that's right.

Good for Johnny, he's staying competitive.

Update: In a related story, Joe Girardi shows he knows the best defensive alignment for his offense:

"He told me, 'I need you at first base,' " Giambi said yesterday at Legends Field on the eve of the first full squad spring training workout. "It was nice to hear."

If Giambi, who missed nine weeks last season with a foot problem, can stay healthy and produce while playing first base, Girardi will have solved the headache of how to get Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Giambi in the lineup together. Other than finding who can help in the bullpen, the Damon-Matsui-Giambi triangle puzzle is the Yankees' biggest question in camp.

Jason at first gives the Yankees their best possible lineup, and allows Damon, Matsui and Giambi to play every day.

Don't challenge Tony Pena. Pena was hitting balls to the group of catchers to simulate wild pitches:

Jorge Posada, who has a great relationship with Pena, jumped in and challenged him to try and get one past him. Pena hit a sharp one-hopper that Posada caught with his bare hand and threw back at Pena.

Pena caught the ball and crushed a line drive at Posada, who wisely jumped out of the way.

As the drill broke up, I told Pena he was crazy.

"You just figuring that out now?" he said.

Someone should tell Tony Jorge has a long term contract.

Spring Training is upon us and Spring Training '08 is there to keep you up to date on all 30 teams. Brian Ward put the site together and recruited bloggers to cover every organization. He's looking for fan contributions as well. Stop by and say hi.

Lookout Landing isn't excited about pitchers and catchers reporting. I agree I'd rather have games, but at least we'll start seeing more news about baseball.

The Minnesota Twins decided to take three catchers north. That used to be pretty common, when teams carried nine pitchers and catchers would often be pulled for pinch hitters. This probably has more to do with Mauer's stress reaction.

Tyler Kepner points out that the Yankees are likely to go with the younger, cheaper player at the three positions up for grabs. Of course, when two of those younger players are 29, I'm not sure how much of an organizational shift that is. Still, at least the Yankees are moving in the right direction:

The additions of Henn, Nieves and Phelps represent a subtle organizational shift. Villone, Pratt and Phillips all fit the classic Torre profile because of their experience. But General Manager Brian Cashman wants to make the team younger and cheaper, and Torre is on board with that.

Update: Katie Gold takes up this theme at Sports Business Radio and Vince Gennaro talks about the cost savings of developing talent at The Hardball Times. One place where I'll disagree with Katie:

It's a "build-or-buy" world, and franchises are learning that it's no longer profitable nor sustainable to "buy" wins. Teams must "build" championships by devoting increased resources to player evaluation, talent development and player retention. It may be a slow, unpleasant and sometimes dull process, but you've to play through pain in order to achieve success. And if the Yankees can do it, anyone can.

Actually, it's quite possible to buy success. Ask the 1997 Florida Marlins. This kind of success tends to be short term, it can also prime the fan base, bringing in more revenue and making it easier to build that minor league talent. And let's face it, the buy strategy worked pretty well for New York, especially because they started with home grown talent and bought players to support that.

Carlos Silva takes the fifth spot in the Twins rotation over Matt Garza:

Garza, the team's first-round draft pick in 2005, appeared upset upon arriving in a golf cart at the minor league complex with his equipment. He declined to comment.

"We've been thinking about it over and over again, trying to decide what's best for this young man and our ballclub," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He needs to be able to locate his pitches a little bit more.

"You have to be able to locate all of your pitches, besides your fastball. You can survive in spring training into six or seven innings with your fastball. You can't do that in the big leagues. He'll mature out there after a couple of weeks."

I suspect a bad outing or two by Sliva is all that's needed to return Garza to the majors.

Poor starts by other contenders for the Diamondbacks fifth rotation slot put Micah Owings in contention for the role.

In the most intriguing possible scenario, the dark-horse candidate, rookie Micah Owings, could swoop in and claim the job with a strong outing Thursday.

That's a game to keep your eye on tomorrow. The Yankees wanted Owings in the Johnson trade, but the Diamondbacks would not part with the young pitcher.

Daisuke Matsuzaka no-hit the Reds for five innings today. I fast forwarded the game on Tivo, but Rick Sutcliffe seemed to think that Dice-K didn't have good command today. It seemed the movement on his pitches was enough to fool the Reds even without pefect location.

Update: He walked five and struck out six. You could call that effectively wild.

The Rockies set their infield yesterday, sending Clint Barmes to AAA and installing Troy Tulowitzki as the starter. Barmes never posted great minor league numbers and was even less impressive as a major leaguer, ending whatever shot he had at a career with an accidental fall. Tulowitzki is only 22, and his minor league OBA and slugging percentage are good for a shortstop. This looks like a major upgrade for the Rockies.

Around the Majors points out Justin Verlander's up and down spring, and there's some good comments on how Justin's increased innings pitched in 2006 might mean he's in for a rough time in 2007. But in the Detroit Free Press article that starts the discussion, something even more interesting appears:

Neifi Perez did his stubborn best to save Justin Verlander from defeat Tuesday.

Batting with two out in the ninth, Perez fouled a parade of two-strike pitches, then singled, keeping a rally going that ultimately put the potential tying run at second.

The threat ended there, and Verlander and the Tigers lost to Pittsburgh, 3-1. Earlier in the game, Perez had drawn his ninth walk of the exhibition season -- one more than he drew all of last year in the regular season.

Based on those walks and that ninth-inning at-bat Tuesday, the Tigers could see a different, more effective Perez this season.

Old habits are tough to break, but the Tigers coaches are trying:

In his 10 seasons, Perez has never drawn a lot of walks. Lloyd McClendon, the Tigers' hitting coach, has been talking to Perez in spring training about laying off pitches out of the strike zone.

"The credit goes to Neifi," McClendon said. "He's very patient at the plate. He has a good idea what he's trying to accomplish.

"One thing I've tried to stress to him about hitting in spring training is to be a bit more patient, see pitches, get your rhythm. Get yourself ready for the season."

Of course, the fact that Perez isn't being handed a job any more might provide him with some motivation to improve his offense.

Jason McAdams live blogged both Pettitte's and Papelbon's pitching performances. He liked what he saw in each case.

Those of you hoping Homer Bailey would make the Reds out of spring training are going to be disappointed as he was assigned to Cincinnati's minor league camp today.

The press box at Chain of Lakes Park had an unexpected guest recently.

Royals Authority likes what he's seeing from Joakim Soria and wonders if the Royals will think outside the box enough to make him a starter.

ESPN broadcasted the Tigers-Yankees game in HD, and it ended in dramatic fashion as Bronson Sardinha hit a two-out, two-run homer to give New York the 6-5 victory. He's played six seasons in the Yankees minor league system (he's 24 this season), and he's an outfielder with an okay OBA and little power. But he hit a shot off Heredia,and in a nice gesture, the team acted like they just won an important in season game. The entire bench came out to greet Bronson at the plate and did the whole group hug thing. Bronson's stats make him look like a career minor leaguer, so he'll remember this one.

You can tell it's early in the exhibition season. There's been two triple plays in two days!

Boxscores are back!

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Ducksnorts posts some interesting quotes from Mike Cameron on how he prepares for the season during spring training, leading to a comparison of rehearsing vs. performing.

If you win, they will come.

Via 6-4-2, a report with pictures of the Angels opening spring training. It was a good day for Casey Kotchman:

Second, one of the two position players that showed up, #35, Casey Kotchman (Reggie Willits was the other). Casey hit four balls out of the park - and i came home with all four of them. Cha! (Napoli hit one too that i picked up for 5 total). His swing looked as sweet as ever. Nobody else came close to hammering the ball like he did, not that there was much competition there today. I thought Nap would go yard a bunch, but he didn't - Mathis hit as good as he did.

Florida Spring Training, 3rd Edition: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League (Florida Spring Training: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League) by Alan Byrd provides all the information a traveler to Florida needs to navigate spring training baseball. Alan attended games at each stadium and gives you a real feel for what the ballpark is like. He lists the pros and cons, the beautiful and the ugly. For each park, a general introduction is followed by specifics on everything from, food to shade to how to exit the parking lot quickly. He tells you where it's easy to get autographs, where to stay in the area, and where to get food or drink before and after the game.

A perfect example of the value of the book is in the section on getting autographs at Chain of Lakes Park, the home of the Indians. After explaining the difficulties of meeting Indians players caused by the layout of the stands, he gives you detailed instructions for meeting Bob Feller and obtaining an autographed picture. The book makes his learned experiences yours. It's the perfect guide if you're headed to the Grapefruit League this year.

The Arizona Republic lists the fun stories to watch this spring training.

It seems appropriate that a team from Ohio would train in a town called Goodyear.

Teepee Talk lists the final players to make the opening day roster for the Cleveland Indians.

Most surprisingly, Danny Graves won the final bullpen spot, beating out Jason Davis and Steve Karsay. The article mentions Graves has regained his fastball and command of his sinker thanks to a "mechanical adjustment." That's fine, and I pray - pray - he does not repeat his 2005 season. After all, the last thing this team needs is a reincarnation of Jose Jimenez.

It's never good to give up a home run every four innings and a walk every other inning.

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Josh Barfield (son of Jesse) is the new second baseman for the Padres, and Ducksnorts couldn't be happier:

Middle infielder with gaps power and maturity beyond his years? In the words of Galahad, “He says they’ve already got one.”

In the words of yours truly, now we’ve got two.

I'm not has high on Greene as that Padres fan, but San Diego middle infield looks set for a number of years.

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6-4-2 Notes an article on the Dodgers possibly moving their spring training to Arizona. It's been nearly 50 years since the Dodgers left Brooklyn. For a long time, I'm sure having spring training in Florida was a way to connect with their old New York fan base. It was difficult for those supporters to see a game in LA, but they could still go to Florida each spring to catch the team. I'm not sure how much of a fan base is left in Brooklyn, but I'm sure it's dwindled quite a bit over the decades.

However, another reason to stay in Florida is that the NL West competition doesn't get a chance to see the Dodgers all spring. Some pitchers (Mussina, Schilling) don't like to see their division opponents during spring training. The Dodgers never get the chance.

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Nomar Garciaparra is having a disappointing spring. He's hitting .244 with 11 hits and 1 double. If you've seen Nomar play, can you comment on how he looks at the plate? Is he swinging well and just not getting hits, or does he look like someone who's missed a ton of games the last two seasons and needs time to get his stroke back?

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This is the kind of article we should see in spring training. Roger Mooney details the changes Devil Rays pitchers made based on suggestions by new pitching coach Mike Butcher. Here's an example:

McClung used to have four check points in his delivery, the last being to stick out his left arm and pick up the target with his glove. But in his hurry to regain his form after returning from elbow surgery in 2003, McClung forgot about using his glove as a sight.

While throwing off the practice mound a few days into camp, Butcher asked McClung, "You ever get out there with your glove?"

"And that's when it hit me. Get out there with the glove. I used to do that," McClung said. "I started doing it in the bullpen, and I had immediate results. I'm not going to say it's a magic fix, that I won't walk so many guys, but I feel like I can put the ball where I wanted to."

If he can get McClung and Kazmir to reduce their walks, they're likely to be very strong pitchers in 2006. There's a ton of upside potential on this club, and it will be intereting to see if Maddon and his new staff can help bring it out.

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The Cubs staff just finished pitching its ninth inning of the game against the Athletics. They did not allow a hit, but the score is tied at 0. Chicago needs a run here to make the combined no-no hold up.

Update: Strong leads off the ninth with a double for the Cubs.

Update: A bunt and an intentional walk put runners at 1st and 3rd with one out.

Update: Another intentional walk loads the bases.

Update: For some reason, WGN isn't fonting the minor league players batting for the Cubs this inning. I believe Brandon Taylor is up with the bases loaded.

Update: Taylor grounds to third, forcing the runner at home.

Update: Rojas grounds into a force play to end the inning. The Cubs will try to keep the no-hitter going in extra innings.

Update: With two out in the 10th, the Athletics get their first hit of the game, a single to center.

Update: Cubs win in the bottom of the 10th. Brandon Sing hit the ball over the leftfielder's head to drive in the winning run from first. It was an impressive hit since the bat broke and the ball still reached the outfield wall.

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David Bush made the Brewers rotation as their fourth starter.

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Two young Padres beat out veterans for starting jobs this spring. Josh Barfield is going to be the new starting second baseman, and Dewon Brazelton made the rotation as the fifth starter:

"He's pounding the strike zone," Towers says of Brazelton, who has 136 strikeouts but 142 walks in his 253 major league innings. "He's not Dewon Brazelton the $4 million bonus baby anymore. He's just a half-million-dollar player."

Brazelton, 25, has a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings in camp with 14 strikeouts and four walks. That puts him in the fifth spot in the rotation at the expense of 13-year veteran Woody Williams. Lefty Shawn Estes and 6-foot-10 Chris Young, acquired from the Texas Rangers with outfielder Terrmel Sledge and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, round out the rotation.

Brazelton will be worth a lot more than that if he can maintain continue to strike batters out anywhere near that rate.

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With the demotion of Anthony Reyes, it appears that Sidney Ponson won the fifth starter slot for the St. Louis Cardinals.

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A rule of thumb I use is that if a player gets 2000 plate appearances before he's 24 (seasonal age), he's likely to be a very good player and the odds of him being a Hall of Famer go way up. I've never explored the opposite; is a player who comes up in his late 20's likely to burn out sooner?

Junior Spivey is providing some anecdotal evidence. He didn't make the majors until he was 26, had a fine year at 27, and it's been down hill ever since. His strikeouts are going up. He struck out 21% of the time in 2004, 32% of the time in 2005 and 38% of the time this spring. The signs are not encouraging for the Cardinals.

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Chris Roberson survived a cut yesterday. He's one of three players competing for the 25th place on the Phillies roster.

The Phillies had just reassigned eight players to their minor-league camp.

That left Roberson and infielder Chris Coste, who are competing for the team's final bench job with Tomas Perez, on the far side of the clubhouse at Bright House Networks Field, surrounded mostly by empty lockers.

"It was like the reaper coming around a second ago," Roberson said.

But he survived. He hopes to survive the last cut, too.

His 2006 age is 27. The last two years he's hit very well in the minor leagues. At this point, Roberson is better off as a part-time player in the majors than an everyday player in AAA. He's at the peak of his skills, so the Phillies should get the most out of him they can. He's coming up too late to ever be a major star. And I'm sure Chris would rather ride the bench in the show than the bus in AAA.

Correction: I changed it to "part time player in the majors," which was my original intention.

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Homer Bailey starts the season in the minor leagues. We'll need to wait to see if he sets the pitching Homer homer record.

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Cardinals Diaspora picked Ian Kinsler late in a number of his fantasy drafts.

Kinsler’s on fire…fire I tell you, fire! So far this spring he’s gone .300/.462/.800, with thrrrrree home runs. Sure small sample size, spring training, and all that jazz, but I can’t help snickering with glee as visions of Chase Utley dance in my head. Allow me the moment.

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With the end of the first two rounds of the World Cup, it's interesting to note that only one team composed mostly of major league players made it to the semifinals, the Dominican Republic. It seemed for a few teams hitters (US, Mexico, Venezuela) that their timing was off. Even the Dominicans struggle to score runs in two of their three second round games.

For a while I've thought that spring training was too long. But maybe these batters do need some time to get their batting eyes in order. A week of exhibition games with their regular season teams might do them a world of good. Playing the tournament at the end of spring training, rather than the beginning may mean we see the North American major leaguers at their best, rather than in training mode.

Maybe MLB can delay the start of the season a week in WBC years, and schedule double headers during the season to make up for the lost time.

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Reynel Pinto was sent down by the Marlins yesterday. The spotted one is a high strikeout, low home run pitcher who should do well in Dolphin Stadium. At least he's going to a place with a cool name. :-)

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Kenji Johjima threw out Chone Figgins yesterday. Figgins was the first good base stealer to make an attempt against the new catcher:

Not that it made a major difference in the game, which the Angels won 6-3. But it may be, in miniature, like Ichiro Suzuki's play in April 2001 when he threw out Oakland's Terrence Long at third base from right field.

Runners around the American League got the word that it was unwise to test Ichiro's arm. It's probable that word of Johjima's victory over Figgins will make the circuit, too.

On the other side of the coin, Adrian Beltre's great World Baseball Classic performance may be overshadowed by an injury:

In the past two games, Beltre has been removed early. The Mariners got a call from the Dominicans coaching staff Sunday night informing them Beltre is suffering from a pulled right hip flexor.

The fact Beltre is able to play is an indication the injury may not be serious. Mariners trainer Rick Griffin is being updated on Beltre's condition.

A healthy and productive Beltre is a key to a successful Mariners season.

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The Cub Reporter details all the walks the Cubs drew yesterday. The Cubs drew 419 base on balls in 2005, last in the National League.

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Here's the latest on the shape of the Indians roster. Right now, Marte is slated to begin the season in AAA.

"The talent is obviously there, but we want him to get comfortable so that he doesn't think that he has to have a day like that all the time to impress," Shapiro said. Marte also has dazzled in the field. Against the Nationals, he made a barehanded pickup of a slow roller and zipped the ball to first to get an out.

"I'm know I'm ready to play in the majors now, but I understand that Cleveland has a good third baseman," Marte said.

Veteran third baseman Aaron Boone is signed through this season with a mutual option for 2007. Marte's development obviously will affect Boone's future with the club.

"I hope Andy has a year in Buffalo where in six weeks everybody is asking, 'What about Marte?"' Shapiro said. "At the same time, hopefully Aaron has a good year and continues to make it a difficult decision for me."

Boone just turned 33 yesterday and is coming off a season in which his averages were .243/.299/.378. I'm guessing Marte won't be in Buffalo very long.

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With the departure of Pokey Reese, Fishstripes looks at the candidates for new Marlins' shortstop.

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The Athletics aren't panicking yet, while the Marlins are trying to play down their success.

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Pokey Reese missed a Marlins game without explanation:

General manager Larry Beinfest said Reese gave no indication that he was taking time off, and for two days the team had no idea where he was.

"We tried to track him down starting yesterday," Beinfest said Friday. "He was playing well. He looked healthy. We were happy with him, and he appeared to be happy."

Worries were allayed Friday evening by Reese's agent, Mike Nicotera.

"We have been informed through his agent that he is safe," said team spokesman Matt Roebuck, who added that the club had been told nothing further.

At least the others asked first.

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Justin Upton looks good at the start of spring training:

Justin Upton cast aside the butterflies on Friday and did just what he did the day before - delivered a run-scoring, extra-base hit.

Upton, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, lined a full-count pitch off the wall in left field for a two-run double in the fifth inning of the Diamondbacks' 13-6 win over the White Sox.

The Diamondbacks are talking about bringing him along slowly:

"Our plan his first year is to challenge him, but we also want it to be a year of stability," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "Next year, we'll be more apt to be aggressive and push him at higher levels. But he's still only 18 years old."

Upton will start the year at South Bend (Ind.), the Diamondbacks' low Class A affiliate, and Byrnes said that unless Upton clearly dominates the Midwest League, he'll likely remain there throughout the season.

If Upton dominates at the low level, however, I hope the Diamondbacks move him to something more challenging. If he can play major league ball at 19 or 20, it's a sign he'll be one of the greats.

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Boxscores.

Update: I see the Florida nobodies beat the Orioles. However, if Dontrelle Willis started, why did the Marlins bother using a DH?

Update: I see that Tampa Bay beat Toronto 9-5, but Toronto won the game on earned runs 5-4. With the trade of Hudson for Glaus, Toronto's defense bears watching this season.

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Eric Gagne left the Dodgers' camp for personal reasons:

"He told us he'll be back by Sunday," Little said before the Dodgers opened their exhibition schedule against the Atlanta Braves. "He'll throw on the side Monday and pitch in a game Wednesday. He feels great."

So Manny was late due to personal reasons. Zack Greinke is home due to personal reasons. Vlad Guerrero left camp for personal reasons, but at least we knew it was the death of three relatives. What's going on? Why all the secrecy? What's so important that you're missing work after four months off?

Here's a rumor about Greinke.

A peek into the mind of Zack Greinke: We hear he began playing golf much more regularly in the past year and suddenly began telling friends he was considering playing golf professionally.

And we’re guessing he was absolutely serious.

Now, no one is suggesting that he left the Royals camp to chase after the PGA Tour. No one is that flaky. But it might give you an idea on how Zack views his athletic abilities.

Dana Rogers donated $50 to Baseball Musings and dedicates this post to the Houston Astros.

Phil Garner talks about prospects making a good impression in spring training.

That type of can-do attitude is important to Garner, who believes a positive attitude can help a player in the future when it comes to in-season call-ups or potential trades.

"For guys that need to make an impression, all games are important, although we're not going to trash you on the first week or two weeks," Garner said. "What you can see is hustle, attitude ... sometimes the ability to make an adjustment will show up.

"Sometimes it's hard for players to realize that your spring leaves an impression, and if you have a rotten spring it's not necessarily a bad impression, but if you have a rotten spring and you've moped around and haven't worked hard and let it beat you down, that's not a good impression."

It's probably the difference between getting a second look and staying in the minors if you're on the bubble.

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The Giants can use Barry Bonds as a DH in their spring training home games. There is one catch, however:

There's a caveat: The visiting team can veto a home NL team's request to use a DH. It could elect to let its pitchers hit while allowing the home NL team to employ a DH. Or it can join in the fun and also use a DH.

So if you're a team that going to be competing against the Giants this season, what do you do? Most probably will let it happen, simply because they may be in the same position in the future. But if helping the Giants in the spring hurts your chances of winning in the summer, why do it?

On another Bonds note:

Bonds again appeared to move well with and without the brace he wore on his right knee. He then calmly refused to answer questions after the workout. With his videographer, Tony Phills, filming away, Bonds explained that he wouldn't conduct interviews unless participating reporters signed a release allowing the production company of his proposed reality series on ESPN to use their images and voices.

Maybe the beat writers should look at this as a chance to audition for ESPN. First the Barry Show, then Basebal Tonight! :-)

The Indians starting lineup is pretty much set this year, so Let's Go Tribe looks at the battle for the backup slots.

Manny Ramirez will be late to spring training:

Manny Ramirez was given permission by the Boston Red Sox to report to spring training on March 1, six days after the team's first full-squad workout and one day after Major League Baseball's mandatory reporting date.

Ramirez asked the team through his agent to trade him during the offseason, but the Red Sox were unable to find a deal to their liking.

"Manny is in Florida completing an extensive training regimen and is prepared to have an exceptional season," said a joint statement from Ramirez and the team that was released by the Red Sox on Tuesday.

With Manny going off with the Dominican WBC team on March 3rd, it sounds like Ramirez is trying to minimize his time in camp. Reading between the lines, I bet he's not happy to still be in a Red Sox uniform.

There's a new web site, Cactus League, that's designed to help you plan a trip to Arizona for spring training. There's a trip planner that allows you to select dates and teams and see what games are scheduled for that time period.

Correction: Fixed a spelling error.

The Orioles spring home in Fort Lauderdale was severly damaged by hurricane Wilma. Rick Maese reports on the process of rebuilding:

"We took such a big hit," says Laura Williams, the team's Fort Lauderdale operations manager. "I don't think we've seen anything like this before."

It's true that the to-do list is still long, with damages estimated at $3 million to $5 million, but team officials here have already done so much. Wilma struck in the morning of Oct. 24. By mid-afternoon, Williams and Robert Dexter, the head groundskeeper, were at the stadium observing what was left.

Debris was scattered across all the fields. Walkways and concourses were turned into jungle areas, with fallen limbs and tree trunks scattered everywhere.

"Wilma was aptly named," Williams says. "It made everything look like Bedrock."

Making matters worse, there was no electricity or phone lines. For a couple of days, Williams worked outside under a hot sun, sitting in a chair next to a pay phone that was 100 yards from the stadium's front gate. She had a box of pertinent files and phone numbers as she dialed up contractor after contractor, knowing full well that spring training wasn't far away.

"Don't worry. By the time the team gets here, everything will look just the way fans remember it," Williams says. "Minus a few trees."

While the Angels appear to have options at third to replace their departed hot corner slugger, Jon Weisman isn't happy with the other LA team's choices to replace the north bound Beltre. He's also not happy with the changes to Choi.

Henson also passed along a third item, which is that the Dodgers have convinced Hee Seop Choi to try to hit home runs. In this Spring Training, I've read about two things that go directly against baseball lessons I've been taught for years: a player (Eric Gagne) purposely altering his mechanics as he comes back from an injury and a player trying to hit home runs instead of line drives (that will become home runs).

I don't think there's anything wrong with Choi that a full season in one place won't cure. He'll hit home runs. Just play him every day.

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The Brewers sent down three today, including the tragic poet of MTV, Corey Hart. More importantly, however; what does Prince Fielder have to do to make a major league roster? He had a fine spring and he's hit well everywhere in the minor leagues. If you have both Overbay and Fielder clogging up first base, wouldn't it be wise to trade one for something you need? Wouldn't you love to see Fielder punching holes through the roof of Tropicana Field. Or Fielder and Pickering making Kaufmann Stadium tilt when they sit in the dugout together? Prince should be pounding balls out of a major league stadium somewhere.

That, of course, is the problem with starting your career at the offensive end of the defensive spectrum. You can play first or DH, or stay at AAA.

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Bob Melvin has decided to go with his two younger catchers, Hill and Snyder. This leaves Kelly Stinnett with to decide if he wants to play at AAA or try to catch on with another club.

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A recent article pointed out that the Diamondbacks had a good problem at catcher; two youngsters who both could start. The reason it's a good situation became obvious Saturday when one of the two injured his thumb. Chris Snyder will be re-evaluated Monday. His injury may give Hill the inside track to win the starter's job.

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Does Nick Swisher have a problem?

Nick Swisher's frustrating spring continued on Thursday, when the rookie made his team-high fourth error and struck out twice more, putting his total at an ample 19.

That's almost double the next-highest number on the Oakland squad (Bobby Crosby has 10), and it's not a good sign for the outfielder -- Swisher usually walks at about the same clip he strikes out, and he's not doing so right now, with only 10 walks. He's not seeing the ball that well, and he's making a number of mechanical adjustments, tough work for someone heading into his first full major-league season.

The strikeout total is up to 20 after yesterday's game. However, his 10 walks lead the team and he has a .348 OBA. He's certainly not hitting for power with a .293 slugging percentage; anytime a player has a lower slugging percentage than OBA, you probably have some work to do. However, if he's drawn 10 walks in 58 AB, I have a feeling he's seeing the ball well enough. He's just not meeting the ball very well.

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Corey Hart has the most AB in the Brewers camp this spring, and is putting up a respectable .378 OBA with no power. I hope he makes the big league club this year so I see him wear his sunglasses at night.

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No Pepper made a trip to the Braves training facility at Disney World and reports his observations with pictures.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have a good problem this spring; two young catcher playing very well. Kelly Stinnett may end up being the odd man out.

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The Reds are starting to make decisions about the shape of their starting lineup.

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Looking through the spring training pitching leaders, a couple of lines stand out in the strikeout column (stats through Sunday, March 13th):

Spring 2005	Kent Mercker	Wilfredo Ledezma
Innings	4 2/3	3 1/3
Strikeouts	8	8
Hits	10	7
Hits/Ball In Play	5/8	7/9

Where ball in play = Hits + (IP*3 - K).

Are these pitchers playing without a defense? Normally, high strikeout totals like those are indicative of good performances. But given the way they're being hit when not stiking out batters, one has to wonder what's going on. My guess is that they're striking out the minor leaguers they're facing, but the major leaguers are hammering them.

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Some great spring training photos from Third Base Line. (Hat tip: Batgirl.)

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The Washington Nationals are off to a good start as they win their first exhibition game, defeating the NY Mets 5-3. The highlights of the game were two hitless inning by Tony Armas Jr. and a two-run homer by Jose Guillen. A nice way to start the season. The fans must hope opening day goes as well.

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Batgirl continues her series of pictures from an insider at the Twins' camp. I love the shot of four pitchers throwing off the long mound.

Bronx Banter has a link rich roundup of Yankees news.

Ever wonder when all those baseball card pictures get taken? Marc Lancaster has the scoop.

Laura Vecsey thinks Sammy Sosa should downsize his image.

Forget the black stretch limo, which is what Sosa requested the Orioles send for him at Baltimore-Washington International Airport earlier this month, when he made his Baltimore debut.

For this round of the Sosa Career and Image-Reclamation Project, the beleaguered slugger needs a far more humble set of wheels.

We're talking a Yugo. Or maybe a Plymouth Horizon, preferably a "vintage" 1989 model, one with a spark-shooting muffler dragging along Oriole Way, raising a sandstorm outside Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

Imagine that entrance!

Ms. Vecsey is missing the point. The reason the media is turning out in droves today is to see Sammy come out of the limo. When you are bigger than life, you have to make a bigger than life entrance. Fans who buy tickets, fans who watch on TV this summer like to see larger than life players. That's the draw. That's what the Orioles wanted when they brought Sammy to town. They want attention.

Sure, it's nice to have humble players who just want to win one game at a time and do their best for the team. But it's also nice sometimes to have someone who makes a splash. The Orioles are in competition with two classic franchises and a new team down I-95. This year, they need the attention getter, and Sammy fits the bill perfectly.

Reds Spring Training reports on the breakdown of the two Reds workout groups. The morning group clearly represents the likely 25 man roster, while the afternoon group is the prospects. I wonder if any of the players in the afternoon group will make it to the opening day roster?

Batgirl has exclusive spring training photos.

Happy first day of Spring Training! Given that the temperature is going to be close to 50 today here in New England, it actually might be a nice day to go to a ball game. :-)

Despite the loss of Sammy Sosa by trade and Barry Bonds by injury, ticket sales are ahead of last year in the Cactus League.

Reservations at Scottsdale's famed Don & Charlie's restaurant are "unbelievable," said co-owner Don Carson, whose walls are decorated with an array of baseball memorabilia.

"We accept reservations up to 30 days in advance, and we're getting calls at midnight," Carson said.

With all the teams so close together, taking a vacation to spend a week in Arizona during spring training sounds like a baseball fan's dream.

Devil Rays vs. the Red Sox on ESPN now.

The Milwaukee Brewers are off to a 9-1 start this spring, the best record in the majors so far. I don't get to write too many positive things about the Crew, so I thought that I would mention that KC has a surprisingly good Spring Training last year, and a suprisingly good season followed. Maybe the Brewers can follow suit.

Roger Clemens, whose contract allows him to miss road trips where he's not scheduled to pitch, will make the trip to Mexico City and start for the Astros against the Marlins this weekend:

"We're going to take quite a few guys, and the Astros asked me to be a part of that. I said, 'Well, if I'm going, I'd rather pitch than go and just wave and shake hands and look for some Mexican food."

One player glad to stay home was Marlins closer Armando Benitez, one of the Mets' stunned pitchers last year.

"You can't breathe. I'm glad I don't have to be there."

The Dodgers and Mets combined for 57 runs in two games when they played at Estadio Foro Sol last year. Clemens better have his strikeout pitch working. :-)

The Angels and Mariners are facing off on ESPN at 2 PM EST.

Tom Bridge has been taking pictures of his spring training adventure in Arizona.

You can get tickets for today's Yankees-Red Sox game for under $500. :-)

Harold Reynolds was talking about how Ruben Sierra doesn't think he should be hitting 8th, and Sierra trys to prove his point with a 2-run HR off Millwood over the centerfield fence. Sierra is lucky the Yankees don't have a 2nd baseman, or he'd be batting ninth.

Update: A-Rod walks to load the bases. Millwood is having a tough third, and he's out of the game. Giambi up with the bases loaded.

Phillies-Yankees is starting on ESPN. Looks like Sean McDonough is doing the play-by-play, which means we'll get a Red Sox view of the game. :-) John Kruk and Harold Reynolds are doing color commentary.

Jeffrey Hammonds hits a grand slam HR in the 7th to turn the game into a blow out. It's 8-1 Giants.

Giants and Cubs starting on ESPN. Bonds and Sosa are both in the lineup, so we should hear a good dose of steroid news.

Update: It looks like both teams are starting their likely opening day lineups.

Update: Corey Patterson takes a high Rueter fastball over the 390 mark in right-center.

Jason Anderson, pitcher for the Mets, started the bottom of the third by walking opposing pitcher Jose Lima. He's now walked him twice in this inning. Dodgers lead the Mets 7-3, still batting in the third.

Mets-Dodgers are about to start on ESPN!

Update: Nomo pitching for the Dodgers today. I just love watching his delivery. The first pitch Nomo threw was for a strike, and it was given as a gift to Frank McCourt.

Update: Back-to-back doubles by Reyes and Floyd plate a run for the Mets. I'm sure NY fans hope to see a lot of that this year.

Update: Cameron goes deep in his first AB for the Mets, a 2 run shot.

I came across this article in the Tucson Citizen by Shelly Lewellen. This bit reminded me of something:

Pitchers and catchers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox don't officially report until later this week.
But many players have been in Tucson for a while.

More than 50 D'backs are here early, preparing for spring training.

The team has a year-round training center across from Tucson Electric Park.

"Many players from both the major and minor leagues have been here since January, rehabilitating injuries or just working on strength and conditioning," said Tucson operations manager Jack Donovan.

Spring training used to be just that, six weeks to get back into shape after taking the winter off. But players train year-round now. Spring training is now a very long, lucrative warm up for the season, not a part of the year that really decides much.