Crawling Along

That's how it feels this stage of the off-season. When baseball season ends, football is there to cushion the blow. Now football is practically over( it's really been done for me since the Steelers were eliminated). Hockey has even reached the midway point to be interesting. Basketball? I can't stand it. That essentially leaves the sports horizon bleak until spring training. We're at the worst point of the year where baseball fans begin to lose sight and feel depressed. The big names have gone( with the exception of Damon). Now most teams are filling their needs with whatever lesser role players they need. The excitement of December is long gone as the dog days of January are underway. The weather is so cold in the northeast that you can't imagine any player getting out to practice and shake off the rust. The only way not to go mad is believe the season will start soon. I've already begun looking at bus trips to games, season schedules for games, and occasional trips to the sports store to see what new merchandise I can get my grubby hands on. The merchandise hasn't come in yet and the bus trips aren't listed yet, but I can prospectively start picking out trips (so far Camden in the summer). As I look, I'm renewed with a sense of hope.

I can smell the hot dogs at Camden, excited to go to CitiField for the first time, McFadden's bar before the Phillies game, and of course raucously cheering for the Red Sox. the thought just brings chills down my spine. Whose going to break out this season? Who will retire after this season? Who will be the 2010 Champs? These are the wueations racing through my mind right now. Far more important than almost any of yesterday's signings (Sorry, Thome, Garland, etc.) If there's thing that shamed me about baseball it was Ben Sheets new deal yesterday ($10M for damaged goods?!?). Thank god, it's only 26 days til spring training.

Rumors and Notes:

Cubs sign Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady.
Twins sign Jim Thome.
Dodgers re-sign Brad Ausmus and Ronnie Belliard.
Padres sign Jon Garland.
The cardinals sign Rich Hill
Angels signed Maicer Izturis to a three year contract worth $33M.
The Orioles have offered Will Ohman a minor league contract.

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