The cold temperatures do a nice job of breaking a man’s
spirit. However, even frigid conditions can’t temper the excitement over the
dawning of a new baseball season, which for Boston Red Sox fans will kick off
on February 15th when pitchers and catchers report to camp in Fort Myers,
Florida. From there, it will all roll downhill until the regular season
officially starts when the team visits the Baltimore Orioles on March 31st.
Spring training is a time to get to know the team. Sure, the
roster is returning a lot of familiar faces but the attitude and feel of the squad
changes from year to year. Heck, some seasons it even changes from week to
week.
Personally, I like spring training. The games are glorified
practices, and wins and losses really (or lack thereof) and what they can potentially
bring, and in the worst cases, what they might take away from the team.
With less than a month remaining until spring training kicks
off, here is what I am looking forward to most about the Red Sox’s camp:
-The kids. Boston recently placed nine players on MLB.com’s
2014 top-100 prospect list. Having
nearly 10 percent of the top prospects in baseball in the organization is an embarrassment
of riches, and there are a lot of talented youngsters who didn’t even make the
rankings. A good chunk of Boston’s future will be on full display this spring,
although only a few will actually break camp with the team.
-The 2013 team had some of the best camaraderie seen in the
majors in recent memory. Although key members of that unit, including Jacoby
Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew (for now) won’t be there, it
will be interesting to see if they can continue the brotherly love. Win, lose
or draw, the games are always more fun to watch if the players come across as
enjoying themselves and playing together.
-In 2013, the ongoing team gimmick was the magnificent
beards grown by a large portion of the roster. It appears that will largely
be a thing of the past, as outfielder Jonny Gomes has already indicated
the facial hair was so last year.
What will be planned for 2014? Perhaps nothing, but if another
trend emerges, my vote would be for big belt buckles—assuming those pass MLB
regulations muster. Fans should stay tuned on the edge of their seats because
if there is something new, it will likely be fodder for popular t-shirt designs
later in the season.
- Every spring training, an “It” player becomes the talk of
camp. Last season, it was outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who seemingly hit
around .850 and walked on water.
Although he went on to hit just .189 in 37 games in Boston
during the regular season, his otherworldly performance before the games
mattered, developed his reputation and solidified his stock as one of Boston’s
most prized prospects.
With all the kids getting kudos on current prospect lists,
any number of candidates might be this year’s Bradley. Seeing who pulls ahead
around early March will be fun to say the least.
-The signing
of outfielder Grady Sizemore may not have made big waves outside of Boston but his
arrival is now being eagerly anticipated by the Fenway Faithful. Time and
injuries have ravaged the 31-year-old but he is supposedly as healthy as he has
been in years. He last played in 2011 and has since had major knee surgeries,
and it remains to be seen what he has left in the tank.
It was only about five years ago he was considered one of
the best players in the majors; a true five-tool player on the cusp of
superstar status. Then things unraveled quickly.
Of course, the odds are stacked against Boston’s newest
hero, but until he absolutely proves otherwise, there’s no reason to count him
out before he even takes the field for the first time in a Red Sox uniform.
Although his comeback may go off the tracks at any time, as long as he has a
bat and a glove, and is still able to stand upright, there is always a chance
he could go all Roy Hobbs.
You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrew
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