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Pitchers and catchers have reported to baseball's spring training camps
littered across the states of Florida and Arizona,
exciting sports fans across the nation, who are prepared to begin
another exciting season of Major League Baseball, which almost
surely will keep them fully entertained through the spring and summer.
Every Day Should Be Saturday editor Spencer Hall got in on the fun, noting his
great fondness for the Atlanta Braves, stretching back to his childhood hero,
Oddibe McDowell.
Down in places like Bradenton, Port St. Lucie, Kissimmee and
Sarasota, baseball fans both young and old have gathered to
embrace this time-honored seasonal ritual.
No football? "No problem!" says Ryan Nanni, a
die-hard Tampa Bay Rays fan since the days slugger
Fred McGriff, the "Crime Dog" was taking a big ol' bite
out of pitchers in historic Tropicana Field.
Over in Arizona, the Indians are gearing up to
take another stab at breaking Cleveland's championship drought
behind the pitching of Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.
Action Cookbook, a lifelong Cleveland fan, thinks that the city's bad
luck in sports might finally be turning this year.
"LeBron's one thing, but just take a look at this amazing list of
world-renowned athletes! Why, there's Lonnie Chisenhall and
Erik Gonzalez! This sport is certainly the
robust, visceral entertainment I crave, and it doesn't
even matter that college football is still a full
six months away!"
Understandably, it can be harder to get excited for some
fans, who think that baseball could benefit from a
faster style of play, shorter games, enhanced offense or
even earlier weeknight start times.
"Ridiculous!",
I say, knowing that the sheer poetry of the sport of baseball will fill their
nights and days with joy until football does roll around. Truly, it is a
gentleman's game, and we're lucky to have it back.