Aside from the freezing temperatures, the icy roads, the short daylight hours, and the intermittent snow, rain, and hail (seriously, Northwest winters are weird), I love February.  No, this is not about Valentine's Day, I can personally do without the day where we peddle extra Christmas cards and leftover Halloween candy. (note: it has since been renamed "The Red Holiday" in my circle.)

Spring Training is here, and we can finally talk baseball again!

Outside of writing, baseball is my favorite thing.  I was indoctrinated as a Yankee fan as a four-year-old, and I never looked back.  For me, Spring Training has always been the most definitive sign of summer approaching, more than any groundhog or April shower.  I suppose it's no coincidence pitchers and catchers traditionally report on February 15th; the nonsense holiday is over, time for the fun stuff.  Days will only get longer and better from here.  

And not a moment too soon; with the mess our government is in (and it seems to get worse by the day), and the recent, mind-boggling debates surrounding the school shooting in Parkland, FL, and quite frankly the absolute horror show that is the New York sports scene—six other teams, three other sports, no real hope—baseball is my saving grace, my personal escape from the seemingly endless insanity that everyday life has become.  The game is pure and straightforward, like spring blossoms and summer sun, with storylines as compelling as the next novel by George R.R. Martin.

This year, the Yankees have a target on their backs.  After an unexpected resurgence that left them one win away from a World Series berth, they beefed up an already potent lineup this winter by trading for Giancarlo Stanton, the 2017 NL MVP, and Major League home run leader.  The starting lineup now boasts last year's top two power hitters along with the league's best hitting catcher and that has turned them from the Rebel Alliance to the First Order.  To be honest, baseball is healthiest when the Yankees are winning and hated.  With a new manager in Aaron Boone, and new coaching staff, this year's Yankees are poised to make a ruckus in the American League East.

But are those new additions enough to vault them past last year's AL East top dog (and hated rival) Boston Red Sox?  They didn't rest on their laurels and picked up a top-tier slugger in J.D. Martinez.  What about the team that beat both the Yankees and the Red Sox in the playoffs last year?  The World Champion Houston Astros had the best starting rotation in the game last season, paced by Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, and Lance McCullers.  This year, the rich got richer and added former Pittsburgh Pirates Ace Gerrit Cole, and that makes them the odds-on favorite to repeat.

And what about the field?  Can the Mets and their new manager, Mickey Calloway, finally realize the promise of their vaunted starting rotation?  Can the retooled San Francisco Giants reclaim their early-decade dominance, or are the Dodgers still the best team in California?  Can Mike Trout and the Angels compete with the Astros?  And just how bad will the Mariners be?

There are so many storylines to follow in the 2018 baseball season that you can't help but watch.  As the season goes on, I'll share my thoughts on it right here.  Spring Training has finally arrived, and it's glorious!

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