Pitchers and Catchers

(MLB)

As soon as Patrick Mahomes took a knee in the Super Bowl, baseball fans began to look forward to this moment.

Today is the day pitchers and catchers for several teams (including the Yankees) report to spring training camp. Some teams have reported yesterday.

Now, it's a bit of a misnomer. It's a bit of a tease. Baseball is back, but it isn't. It all depends on your opinion, I suppose.

It's a happy sign to the see players coming into camp. It's happy to read new Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole whizzing fastballs in Tampa. The actual first pitchers and catchers workout is tomorrow, but the excitement is...sort of...there.

Incidentally, as I'm now a tangential part of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, it is my duty and honor to say they report to Port Charlotte tomorrow.

Games -- albeit spring training games -- are roughly ten days away.

On one hand, it's a glorious day. It's 41 degrees here in New York but in Florida and Arizona, they're starting to limber up and get ready for baseball. It's 81 and mostly cloudy in Tampa

On the other hand, the first real pitch of 2020 isn't until March 26 (and that's early). So there are still 43 days to go.

The Renegades, of course, are further out. Not that I'm going out of my mind or anything.

But, it's a start, right?

So we'll enjoy seeing images of the workouts. Then the games mostly featuring players we might not get to see in the big leagues.

It will tantalize us for sure.

For me, there's the extra enjoyment of watching, knowing that each day brings me closer to June 18 in Aberdeen, MD. That will be followed by June 24 in Wappingers Falls.

So, instead of being a Debbie Downer, today is a happy sign. It's an indication that spring is coming. It's a heads-up that we can turn our eyes back towards the field and away from cheating, gambling, the Hall of Fame, the minor league "issues," and so on.

Baseball is sort of back, and it is beautiful.