Pitchers and catchers for eight teams report to spring training today, marking the official start of the 2006 baseball season.
This is officially the third best sports day of the year. The other days on this list will be addressed when the calendar says they have arrived.
For now, we shall revel in the beauty of baseball returning to our sporting landscape. This is a glorious time, a time to lather up your glove with shaving cream and start stretching your rotator cuff in anticipation of watching and reading about baseball for the next nine months. Box scores, grand slams, near no-hitters, pitching probables, Baseball Tonight.
We are that much closer to exploding sliders, conniving changeups, hanging curveballs, home runs, diving stops, shoestring catches, managerial second-guessing.
It is irrelevant that nothing actually happens on this day. It is enough just to say that today is the day pitchers and catchers report.
All that occurs on this day is those who throw baseballs toward the plate and those who sit behind the plate to catch them show up at their team’s respective facilities in Florida or Arizona. They smile for some photographers, sign some autographs, talk with some reporters.
So why do we get excited about this? Simple. It’s the ceremonial end to winter, regardless of what that little groundhog says. He’s just lazy and wants to sleep in a few extra weeks.
Turn off that hot stove and fire up the radar gun. Make the strength and conditioning coach relevant for a few weeks. Let’s debate the fourth and fifth starters. We can even accept one “pitching wins championships” and one “every team has a chance today” cliché on this day.
Want to talk middle relief? Or maybe about the lefty set-up men? These discussions can begin in earnest now.
We need our pitchers to start loosening upon their shoulders and elbows. If our team is going to have a chance at winning the division or the wild card, or at least giving us a chance to enjoy the summer, we need to get cracking early. The world champion White Sox didn’t get any worse from last season.
Baseball fans can report for the season by sending me an email.
The Best Sports Days of the Year
1. Opening Day for baseball
2. The start of March Madness
3. Pitchers and catchers report
4. NFL Sunday Week 1
5. Selection Sunday
6. NFL Conference Championship Sunday
7. NFL Draft
8. Super Bowl Sunday
9. Sunday at The Masters
10. Kentucky Derby*
Honorable Mention
• FIrst televised baseball game for your team
• Bowl games on New Year's Day
