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Spring forward: Pitchers and catchers ready to go






By John Schlegel / MLB.com

02/17/10 12:00 AM EST

To connect with more than a century of history, to actually feel the flip of the calendar, to know exactly what time it is in your own life, three simple but distinct clues are about emerge, starting officially Thursday:


The smell of the grass.

The pop of the glove.

The crack of the bat.

With those sensory delights, baseball begins anew, and awakens us all to a new year with baseball in Florida and Arizona. And, just like every year, isn't it about time?

From Sarasota to Surprise and Clearwater to Maryvale, the smells, the sights, the sounds -- they'll all be budding out in baseball's sunshine states with hundreds of baseballs, gloves and bats, all operated by the most talented professionals in the universe.

Indeed, many ballplayers have already gathered in Florida and Arizona, beginning their workouts -- and the spring ritual for all fans to share -- a bit earlier than the official first workouts that will take place Thursday.

Among them, members of the last teams standing last fall are hitting the ground running this spring, with ace CC Sabathia working out in pinstripes Tuesday to start off his second spring with the Yankees in Tampa, and Cole Hamels welcoming Roy Halladay to Phillies camp in Clearwater.

The Yankees, coming off their 27th World Series title, and Sabathia, coming off his first, don't sound like they're preparing to take the foot off the accelerator.


"You want to win again," Sabathia said. "It makes you want to get back to that feeling again, and get back to that stature."

That quest begins Thursday, but it begins for everyone. Also in Florida, the Orioles will make their move to Sarasota a reality, joining the Phillies and Yankees in initial workouts for pitchers and catchers, along with the Pirates in Bradenton and the Cardinals in Jupiter. In Arizona, the Royals will hit the fields for the first time in 2010 in Surprise, as will the Angels in Tempe, the Mariners in Peoria, the Giants in Scottsdale and the Rockies in Tucson, and they all will welcome the Reds to Goodyear.

That's only the beginning of baseball's renewal, of course. Come Friday, another handful of teams -- the Padres and Rangers in Arizona, and the Tigers and Rays in Florida -- will hit the fields. The remainder of the Major Leagues' 30 teams will make it to their respective camps and begin 2010 in earnest over the next several days, first with pitchers and catchers taking the fields and position players a few days afterward.

Then, starting March 2 with the Mets hosting the Braves in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the games begin -- and MLB.TV subscribers will be able to watch more than 150 of them, live from Florida and Arizona on laptops and mobile products, along with the full schedule of 2,430 regular-season games.

See, you don't have to be there to smell and hear and view the sensory delights of Spring Training.

Then again, if you've been a baseball fan long enough, you can take it all in by closing your eyes and imagining what's already been done, time and time again, year after year, but never before like 2010. It might be snowing outside where you are, but it's spring in your baseball heart.

At every camp, the emerald fields will be pristine, the ballplayers jogging early in the morning, running through drills -- all on a blanket of not frozen tundra or piles of snow but beautiful, green grass, sending off the unmistakable scents of spring. It's a scent so strong and so poignant that it can be smelled in places like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, right through this crushing winter's wind.

Ahhhhhhh.

At every camp, early in the morning as workouts begin, two lines will form in the outfield grass and the greatest players on earth will go through the same routine performed on every Little League field: playing catch, echoing in the morning sun with a glorious symphony of ball meeting glove.

Pop!

At every camp, batting cages will be buzzing with early-arriving hitters and pitchers running through their own rotations of bunting and batting practice, with more and more of that work moving outside as the days go along, position players descend on the camps early next week and time heads toward the exhibition season.

Crack!


And at every camp, one quality will be shared by everyone: sunny optimism.

The Yankees and Phillies have no more right to that than anyone, from the teams charging the gates of the defending league champions to the Pirates, who are coming off a 99-loss season but have every reason to think 2010 will be much better.

"These are very exciting times for us right now," Pirates manager John Russell said. "These guys are going into Spring Training ready to play."

Their fellow NL Central foes, the Reds, are hitting the reset button all the way around, moving to Arizona and bringing with them a team that includes the most intriguing signing of the offseason -- 21-year-old Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman -- and a veteran-laced roster that has them believing in a Cincinnati surge.

Every team has it now. Every team is in it now.

Perhaps new Nationals starter Jason Marquis, joining a rotation expected to include 2009 No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, exudes the optimism of spring as well as anyone could. Following Washington's 103-loss season a year ago, a .500 season isn't going to cut it for him.

"I don't know why we can't shoot for the stars," Marquis said. "Why do you want to limit yourself to 81 wins? Why do I want to limit myself to 15 wins? If I'm taking the ball 34 times, I should win 34 times. We are going to step on the field 162 times -- we should win 162 times."

Other new faces will find their places in the coming days, including the ace-go-round of John Lackey joining the Red Sox, Halladay moving to the Phillies and Cliff Lee landing in Seattle. Jason Bay will be wearing his Mets uniform soon enough, and Curtis Granderson will join Javier Vazquez in Yankees pinstripes. The Mariners will trot out Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley and Lee to join a club that was on the upswing in '09 and by all accounts had a turbocharged offseason that could make them legitimate postseason contenders.

Wherever it all ends, it all starts with those first moments of camp Thursday, those first official steps on the field, those first lineups of catch, those first swings in the cage.

A new chapter in history is about to be written. The calendar is really, truly flipped now. It's that time of life for every baseball fan.

The smell of the grass.

The pop of the glove.

The crack of the bat.

Ahhhhhhh.

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Chien-Ming Wang, Nats agree



The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with former New York Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, according to media reports.

MLB.com and MASNsports.com, the Web site for Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts Nationals games, both reported the agreement, citing sources.

The Nationals are scheduled to hold a news conference Friday at their spring training home in Viera, Fla., according to the reports.

Nationals president Stan Kasten declined comment, according to MLB.com

Wang went 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games for the Yankees last summer before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. He could make his first rehabilitation start sometime in May.

Wang, 29, won 19 games for the New York Yankees in consecutive seasons (2006 and 2007) before suffering injuries the past two seasons. He is 55-26 for his career, with a 4.16 ERA.

In 2006-07, Wang went a combined 38-13 with a 3.67 ERA for the Yankees.

Report done by ESPN.com news services
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Fanatsy Report: Second Base



By Matt Chaprales / MLB.com

02/08/10 8:00 AM EST

Scarcity at the keystone has historically been a hot topic on draft day.

Owners sometimes feel compelled to make a move for a second baseman simply because the list of quality performers always seems to be dwindling.

It's a different case this year, though, as last season's emergence of stars such as Aaron Hill and Ben Zobrist paved the way for what's become a pretty deep crop of talent.

Tier 1: Chase Utley

Utley is second to none at second. Between the total package of production he offers and the relative scarcity at his position, the 31-year-old vet is a bona fide first-rounder in all drafts.

Tier 2: Ian Kinsler

Kinsler has shown the ability to be Utleyesque in his production, though he lacks the established track record of the Phillies All-Star. With a full slate of health, this budding superstar could deliver huge numbers in Texas.

Tier 3: Dustin Pedroia

Pedroia lacks the 30/30 ability of Kinsler and Utley, which is why he's relegated to Tier 3 at his position. Still, most owners would be happy with a second baseman who scores tons of runs, steals 20 bases and offers some pop to go with a .300 average.

Tier 4: Aaron Hill, Robinson Cano, Brian Roberts, Brandon Phillips

Of the four second sackers in this group, Hill is the only one who doesn't have at least four years of elite production on his resume. That said, he proved beyond a reasonable doubt in 2009 that he deserves to be recognized as an upper-echelon performer along with Cano, Roberts and Phillips. Any one of them is worth a decent chunk of change because of the lack of prime-time hackers at the position.

Tier 5: Dan Uggla, Ben Zobrist, Jose Lopez

While Uggla, Zobrist and Lopez don't quite match up to the Tier 3 guys, all three are rock-solid options to employ at second base because of their power strokes. Missing out on one of them means owners will have to make something of a calculated gamble later in drafts, as there is a dropoff in talent after this group.

Tier 6: Howard Kendrick, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rickie Weeks, Clint Barmes

Of this foursome, Cabrera is the most intriguing option because of his upside and eligibility at both middle-infield positions. There are risks associated with each of the other three: Kendrick endured some major struggles in 2009 before bouncing back, Weeks lost most of the '09 campaign to a wrist injury, and Barmes batted just .245 last year. Owners who can't acquire a player from Tiers 1-5 should probably focus their attention elsewhere throughout the middle rounds.

Tier 7: Ian Stewart, Placido Polanco, Casey McGehee, Felipe Lopez

There isn't a whole lot of difference between Tiers 6 and 7, save for speed. Owners who find themselves lacking some fire on the basepaths would be wise to make a play for one of the Tier 6 second basemen. For those who have already accounted for steals, a veteran like Polanco or Lopez can probably be had a reasonable price and should suffice.

Tier 8: Martin Prado, Orlando Hudson, Skip Schumaker, Akinori Iwamura, Kelly Johnson, Alberto Callaspo

Putting together a mixture of capable and versatile infielders is vital to the success of any team. That's why the players on this list -- while not flashy or prolific -- are all mainstays in standard mixed leagues. Prado headlines Tier 7 because of his eligibility at every infield position but shortstop.
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Damon looks headed to Detroit



Story from Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com


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Phillies Prosepect Trevor May is the future of the pitching rotation.



Trevor May a prospect in the Phillies minor league system is looking to be on a rocket ship to the pros. With really a slim chance of making it to the big leagues this season look for May to be in the show sometime next year


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Age could be a problem for Phillies Outfield



The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2010 season with hopes of getting back to the World Series for a third straight time. There are many key elements to a successful return to the Series for the Phillies. One of those keys will be the outfield position


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Sorry Angeles Pineiro not the answer



The Angels reached an agreement with free agent right-hander Joel Pineiro on a two-year deal worth $16 million


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Does Lincecum deserve 13 million in Arbitration



The Following artice was taken from MLB.com


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Lincecum and 127 other MLB PLayers file for arbitration



Tim Lincecum leads the list of 128 players to file for arbitration. The young Giants right-hander, who has won the last two NL Cy Young Awards, headed a talent-packed roster of filers that includes Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon, Seattle ace Felix Hernandez and Tigers righty Justin Verlander, plus the Rays core of B.J. Upton, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and J.P. Howell, Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton and breakout 2009 ace Scott Feldman, and Rockies closer Huston Street


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Ryan Church , Aubrey Huff are among 8 free agent signings today.



On a decent day for free agent signings eight players were picked up


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