Spring Training Has Finally Arrived

Finally, just when you think you cannot deal with winter any longer, pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, and at last, you begin to think warm thoughts once again. Just watching ballplayers perform the simple tasks of jogging and playing catch on sun-drenched fields in Florida and Arizona gets fans in northern cities (myself included) all excited about the prospects of warmer weather on the horizon, and with that, the prospect that this year will finally be their team's year. Everybody starts over again, every team is in first place, and every team believes that this will be the year that things come together. If Opening Day is the baseball fan's equivalent to New Year's Day, then the day that pitchers and catchers report might as well be New Year's Eve, for the anticipation of what is to come is easily on par with the last day of the calendar year.

While every team has reason for optimism, there are some teams that are really licking their chops about the potential the 2010 season may hold for them. In the American League, the Yankees return as the obvious favorites to not only win the pennant, but to win it all again. However, the road to a repeat will not be easy for them, as they have to contend with the always-challenging Boston Red Sox, and the young upstarts in Tampa Bay, whose balanced lineup is ready to make up for last year's mediocre finish. In the American League Central, it will come down to Minnesota and Chicago once again, and fans of both teams will be wondering what will end up prevailing: Minnesota's explosive offense, or Chicago's dynamic pitching staff? Meanwhile, in Detroit, fans are anxiously awaiting to see if the departures of Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson and Placido Polanco will have any significant effect on the team, especially in a division where Chicago and Minnesota have already made themselves even stronger entering the new year.

In the American League West, Angel fans are likely very optimistic about this season; however, the fact that their team has fallen closer to the pack in the West has to be cause for concern among the Los Angeles faithful. Meanwhile, a clearly improved Seattle team has to be very excited about their chances for their first playoff bid in nine years with the additions of third baseman Chone Figgins and starting pitcher Cliff Lee. Down in Texas, the Rangers are eager to prove that last year was not a fluke, and they will look to do that by riding the coattails of star outfielder Josh Hamilton, and by hoping that starting pitcher Scott Feldman can repeat his outstanding performance from 2009. A's fans have reason for optimism as well, as they are crossing their fingers and hoping that their young rotation can live up to the expectations bestowed upon them by many people in 2010.

At the same time, fans of teams in the Senior Circuit have reasons for optimism, too. Philly fans have to be the most excited of them all, as they are pumped about the chance of being the first National League team since World War II to win three consecutive pennants, and with the addition of Roy Halladay to their rotation, their chances should be great. Despite this, the Marlins and the Braves will not let the Phillies go quietly, as both teams will pose a formidable challenge to the two-time defending National League Champions heading into this season. Braves fans have to also be excited about the chance of watching top prospect Jason Heyward making the opening day roster and making an impact on not just the team, but the NL East race as well. In New York, the Mets and their fans can only hope that things will be looking up in 2010, as the last three seasons have brought them nothing but sorrow and disappointment. The addition of left fielder Jason Bay during the offseason had to certainly brighten their spirits. Even Washington fans have something to be hopeful for this year, as they will be anticipating the arrival of number one draft pick Stephen Strasburg to the major leagues. What will be even more intriguing with Washington during the 2010 season will be who they decide on choosing as their number one draft pick when that time comes around in June.

In the always-interesting National League Central, the Cardinals look to be the favorites, especially with the Redbirds retaining Matt Holliday for the next seven years. The duo of Holliday and Pujols should be a lethal one, as well as the one-two punch of Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter in the starting rotation. The talent level of just those four players alone has Cardinals fans believing that they have a great shot at dethroning the mighty Phillies atop the National League. Meanwhile in Chicago, Cub fans are becoming more impatient with each passing year, as they have been told "wait til' next year" every year since winning their last championship in 1908 (that's no typo, people). Fans in Milwaukee and Cincinnati are hoping that their decent, yet flawed teams can catch lightning in a bottle and make noise in the division, and fans in Pittsburgh are simply hoping that an 18th consecutive losing season can be averted with the great young talent of Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge leading the way. Bucs fans are also in great anticipation of the arrival of one of their own highly touted prospects, as third baseman Pedro Alvarez should make his major-league debut sometime in 2010.

The National League West is also brimming with optimism, as the Dodgers and their fans are hoping for a NL West three-peat in 2010. Doing so will not be easy, as they will have to contend with a scrappy Colorado team that nearly won the division last year, the pitching-rich San Francisco Giants, and the darkhorse Arizona Diamondbacks, who will see the return of a healthy Brandon Webb to a rotation that will be featuring Dan Haren and the recently-acquired Edwin Jackson. Fans of the Diamondbacks are also hoping for encore performances of their two best hitters, Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds, who made up the bulk of Arizona's offense last year. As far as Padres fans' hopes for 2010...well...um...at least San Diego has nice weather and great beaches, don't they? And quite possibly one of the best parks in the majors.

It goes without saying that many teams and their fans are anticipating the arrival of Spring Training, when everybody has a shot at winning it all. It is when things start anew, when bad seasons are put into the past with the hope that things will turn out for the better in the new year, and when teams that did finish well in the previous year can maintain their groove into the next. While it is always interesting to ponder who will come out on top in the new season, it is even more fun going along for the ride and watching the year unfold. It is time for baseball. Play ball!

Goodbye, Big Hurt

The greatest player in White Sox history has finally decided to call it a career.

And what a magnificent one it was, for the man known as "The Big Hurt," for during the majority of the 1990s, he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. He was known during his prime as an exceptional hitter, one who could hit for average just as easily as he could hit for power. Later in his career, when he made the switch to DH for good and when his batting average capabilities started to slip, he was still feared for his power, and because of his sheer size.

Ah yes, his size. That massive, immense, monolithic, six-foot-five, 260-plus pound frame that easily placed fear into the hearts of some of the most unflappable pitchers in MLB. That frame, combined with the impeccable bat control that he displayed in his prime was what made him legendary. It is no wonder why Sox announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson christened him with the nickname that he'll carry with him for the rest of his life, "The Big Hurt."

Thomas would finish his illustrious 19-year career with 521 home runs (tied for 18th all-time), 1,704 career RBIs (22nd all-time), two MVP awards (along with being robbed of a third by Jason Giambi in 2000), and one World Championship in 2005 which unfortunately, his contributions toward that were marginal due to injury. It is also fitting that he is tied with Ted Williams for 18th on the all-time home run list because it was Williams who many people were comparing Thomas to during his prime (a right-handed version of him, of course).

As a result of this announcement, the White Sox have announced that they will be retiring Thomas' number 35 in what will be called "Frank Thomas Day" at U.S. Cellular Field on August 29. Once that day arrives, Thomas will share a place on the wall at U.S. Cellular Field along with other Sox greats such as Luke Appling, Billy Pierce, Ted Lyons, and his former teammate, Carlton Fisk. Hopefully, six years from now, he'll be able to have a place reserved in the walls of baseball's most hallowed grounds, the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the memories, big fella. See you in Cooperstown.

The Venezuelan Connection: Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel

In this surprising piece of news that came out yesterday, the White Sox announced that they were going to un-retire Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio's number 11- with his blessing- so that fellow countryman Omar Vizquel can have the honor of wearing his idol's number for one season. This has, of course, stirred up a lot of debate within not only the White Sox community, but the baseball community as well. The biggest debate that has come out of this is the question of whether or not the honor of having a number retired is diminished when someone else is allowed to don the number- even with the player's blessing. Another question that is being raised with this announcement is whether or not this will create a domino effect; if Vizquel is allowed to don his idol's number for one year, will other players with their number retired give the same kind of blessing to younger players wishing to emulate their idols?

While I understand the critics' point of view in this situation, I do not think that there will be a domino effect created by this. Contrary to what some people may think, a player is not going to let their number be un-retired just for the sake of letting a younger player wear it. Take for example, Barry Bonds. He donned number 24 during his years in Pittsburgh, but when he arrived in San Francisco in 1993, he had to give it up because the "Say Hey Kid"- Willie Mays- already had number 24 retired. Bonds would take number 25 instead. The kicker of it all is that Mays is Bonds' godfather, and despite the connection to each other, he still would not give up his number to Bonds, who grew up idolizing Willie. This was not the only time this has occurred, either. Despite growing up largely within the confines of the Reds' clubhouse during the Big Red Machine era, Ken Griffey, Jr. still had to part ways with number 24 upon arriving in Cincinnati in 2000, because the great Tony Perez already had that number retired by the club, and neither the Reds, nor Perez, had any thoughts about un-retiring it.

However, the Vizquel/Aparicio situation is considerably different. Both men are from Venezuela, and they are both part of the country's brilliant legacy at the shortstop position. Vizquel is part of a shortstop lineage from that country that includes Chico Carrasquel, Aparicio, Dave Concepcion, and Ozzie Guillen, and he is also adding his name to the White Sox's lineage of Venezuelan shortstops, that includes all of the aforementioned players except Concepcion. Plus, Vizquel will likely be a sure-fire Hall of Famer once his career is all wrapped up (which will probably be after this season anyway), which also gave Aparicio more incentive to allow this to happen.

Simply put, Aparicio was not going to just let his number be un-retired for anybody to wear. However, considering that Vizquel is a titan in his home country along with Aparicio, this situation could not be any more perfect. Not only is national pride being put on display, but an homage to baseball history is now on display as well. Now, with this occurring, younger generations can now have the opportunity to learn about one of the game's all-time greatest shortstops, while watching another legend work his craft on the field at the same position.

**A little side note: Aparicio's number will be re-retired once Vizquel leaves, in case you were curious.