A View Of Spring Training

The PCI Blog's intrepid reporter, JJ Geleaux, captured this photo yesterday afternoon at the Pittsburgh Pirates' Spring Training facility in Bradenton, FL.

And today the Pirates announced that Kevin Correia will be their Opening Day starter against the Cubs at Wrigley.

Things are all coming up Bucco!

The Day Spring Training Begins

Today is the day all the Padres players report to Spring Training. The pitchers and catchers reported last week, and most of the position players already checked in, but today's the day they all have to be there. The team gives them physicals today, and then tomorrow they start workouts.

I once told my boss that I hoped to be in a position one day where I could just take off the entire month of March, go to Arizona, and watch Spring Training games. He sighed and said, me too. I appreciated that response because he just as easily could have said, "You want March off? Fine, take it. And take the rest of the year off too, without pay."

Here are the storylines I'll be following in Peoria:

1. Will Cameron Maybin offend every member of the Padres front office with his tweets?

2. Will the Red Sox prospects - Rizzo, Kelly - look noticeably better than all the Padres prospects?

3. Will any pitcher stake a clear claim to the #5 spot in the rotation?

4. Will Kyle Blanks demonstrate that he has any semblance of a hitting stroke back?

5. Will Aaran Harang look like he can be a dependable innings eater throughout the season?

I'm sure more stories will develop but this is what I'll be looking at in the first week or so.

What a glorious time of year.

Looking Ahead To Peoria, AZ (aka Spring Training)

Spring Training approaches, folks, and in anticipation of that glorious time of the year, I recently posted a comment over at Ducksnorts asking Geoff Young, the renowned Padre blogger, what he plans to focus on when the Padres take the field in Arizona next month.

Geoff decided to use the comment as the basis for his post today at Ducksnorts.

It should come as no surprise that Geoff highlights several of the most intriguing issues facing the Padres as they prepare for the season. In addition to Geoff's points, I'd just add the following notes:

1. CY watch. While I am optimistic that the Padres as a whole can exceed expectations this season (85 wins and in the Wild Card conversation as late as mid-September if things break right), I am not overly optimistic as to Chris Young's chances to pitch an injury-free, ace-like season. He's just burned me too many times. I'll be rooting for him, but I'll also be keeping a wary eye open to any more shoulder and back problems that could further impede a return of the old CY.

2. Blanks and Headley. A key part of my optimistic projection for the Padres is that Blanks and Headley mash and, along with Adrian, form an actual, real live, scary heart-of-the-order for the Padres. I'm not sure that's possible - a Padres lineup that actually scares people - but if there is any chance of it happening then Blanks and Headley must perform like the #1 prospects they used to be.

3. Query the Padres bullpen? I have high hopes for these guys - Heath, Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson, Ed Mujica, Joe Thatcher - so high, in fact, that I think they have the potential to be the best in baseball. But other than Heath, there is not a long record of consistency and injury-free baseball from this group. In Arizona, I'll be watching for indications that these guys are for real, and that they won't regress or spend a lot of time this season twiddling their thumbs on the DL.

So that's that. Thanks to Geoff for using my question for the basis of a post, and let's get this season underway.

Peoria, AZ

One month until I head to Peoria, AZ for Spring Training.

Hurry, calendar! Hurry!