5 Reasons To Get Excited For Spring Training
By Ryan Mayer
Pitchers and catchers report today for 13 of the MLB teams, with 5 teams reporting yesterday to their various spring training locations. That means baseball season is starting up, as hard as that may be to believe with the weather that is currently sweeping through the country. Spring Training brings a new season upon us and with that, let's take a look at five reasons for you to get excited about your favorite team returning to the diamond.
5) Spring Training news will give us a small break from the NFL: Look I love football as much as the next guy, but at this point, I'm tired of the NFL. The annual 'Underwear Olympics' gets under way this weekend which means we will over analyze the same 30-45 guys for the next 4 months until the draft. Know what else you could do? Scour the spring training roster of your favorite team for some young prospects that could make an impact. Or what about that veteran your team brought back on a one-year deal? Take a break from "DeflateGate" and focus on what's going on behind home plate. (Look a rhyme!)
4) Promising reports of Veterans returning to form: You know the phrase hope springs eternal this time of year and we'll get to how that applies to teams in a second but first, every year at spring training there are thousands of words written about veteran pitchers or hitters that will make a comeback this season. (Tigers fans everywhere are currently scouring the net for such articles concerning one Justin Verlander.) These reports are reason alone for you to look at your team and say "Well if Player X can return to form then maybe we've got a shot..."
3) Your favorite basketball/hockey team stinks: Yep this one is aimed at you Knicks/Lakers fans. (I would include Sixers fans but they're just apathetic towards that franchise at this point.) Since your favorite team is currently disgracing themselves on the hardwood or on the ice, you can now focus all your energies on the next sport in the hopper: Baseball. So get excited! No more watching Cole Aldrich flounder around under the basket, instead you can watch A-Rod...no CC...no Chase Headley. Yeah we'll go with him!
2) Your team could win it all: Remember that point about veterans giving hope they could be their formerly great selves again? The same goes for teams! Your team is 0-0 again! They are in 1st place! Anything is possible! You can dream of a World Series, at least until the first pitch is thrown. Mets fans, the following clip is not a commentary on the upcoming season. It's just hilarious.
1) Promise of warmer weather: This is the main reason to get excited for baseball! In the midst of a ridiculously cold winter pretty much everywhere in the country, we can look forward now to sitting at the ballpark with a hot dog and beverage of choice in hand. With baseball comes spring! You hear that Mother Nature? Spring's coming! I think? Please?
Join me in dreaming of warmer weather today folks, pitchers and catchers have reported. Spring and summer are right around the corner!
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