Spring is still weeks away, but when it comes to baseball, spring has sprung.
It’s time for Major League Baseball spring training.
The pitchers and catchers for the San Diego Padres report this week to the spring training site over in Peoria Arizona. The rest of the team reports on Monday.
For Padre fans, the start of the season can’t come soon enough because last season ended very badly and has hurt all winter long.
The Padres had the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers right where they wanted them in their divisional playoff round. The Padres were on an offensive roll and the Dodgers were sputtering despite their great season record.
But then the Padres suddenly couldn’t score a run and L-A went on to win the World Series and the Padres went home.
And some of the players who helped them do well last year have left for other teams. And the one pitcher the Padres really wanted and worked very hard to get, a Japan baseball league phenom decided of course to sign with the their rivals to the north.
But one thing about the spring and baseball. It springs eternal and there’s always next year, and now for the Padres, next year is now here.
(Photo Getty Images)