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The first full day of spring training is in the books
Sunday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes highlights from the first full day of spring training, the baseball version of the Oscars, and the best time to sign a free agent.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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For all baseball-related intents and purposes, winter is now finally over. Spring training is here, and it’s glorious — this week, in fact, it’s when it’s at its absolute best. This first week of games is when baseball feels fresh, and exciting, and beautiful on its own merits, when it doesn’t matter who’s playing or how badly so long as someone’s playing at all. Essentially, this week is when how we feel about spring training is enough to dwarf the reality of what spring training actually is.
In a week or so, most of us will see spring training more clearly — meaningless games between lineups of non-roster invitees, with highlights delivered by poorly shot beat reporter cell phone videos. Spring training quickly becomes little more than the sum of the games that must be endured to get to Opening Day. Right now, though, it doesn’t feel like that. Right now, the fact that it is here and the fact that it is baseball give us feeling enough.
The energy and excitement of these first few games is palpable: This weekend has already given us an inside-the-park home run for Maikel Franco and a walk-off win for the San Francisco Giants, both events that are relative rarities for spring training. This is when spring training feels good enough to give itself meaning — and that feeling is so, so good.
- With the offseason now officially over, Devan Fink of Beyond the Box Score talks to five agents about the best time for a hypothetical player to get himself a new deal.
- Bryce Harper kicked off his spring training with a moonshot in his first at-bat, part of an 8-6 Washington Nationals win over the New York Mets.
- The Kansas City Royals paid tribute to fallen teammate Yordano Ventura before starting their first game.
- The most improved New York Yankee of 2017 could be Aaron Hicks.
- Are the best interests of statheads becoming the same as those of MLB’s ruling class? Mike Bates ponders the question.
- Cameron Maybin’s trade to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim may not have made waves, but he has the potential to make a serious impact in the clubhouse just as much as on the field.
- Beyond the Box Score analyzes the stars and scrubs approach as it applies to relief pitching.
- Tony Gwynn Jr. will be part of the broadcast booth for San Diego Padres games this season.
- What better way to celebrate tonight’s Oscars than by looking over MLB.com’s baseball-themed edition?
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