Spring Starts: Pitchers and Catchers Set to Report
Stoeten, on the latest Birds All Day podcast, mentioned that he is pretty much ready for spring training because of the opportunity for new story lines. I'm in that place, too. There are only so many think pieces about the meaning of Mark Shapiro, cost/benefit analysis pieces about extending Bautista and Encarnacion and profiles of the back up catchers' backup that I can take.
I don't want to read anymore and I definitely don't want to write anymore. Let's get it going already.
@joeybats19, @kpillar11 & @cc20rake getting some swings in at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium! ⚾️🌴☀️
A photo posted by Toronto Blue Jays (@bluejays) on Feb 17, 2016 at 8:57am PST
These aren't even pitchers or catchers. This is how hyped they are.
Gibby is all smiles! ⚾️☀️🌴
A photo posted by Toronto Blue Jays (@bluejays) on Feb 19, 2016 at 1:02pm PST
Always.
@mstrooo6 takes Dunedin. ⚾️☀️🌴
A photo posted by Toronto Blue Jays (@bluejays) on Feb 19, 2016 at 11:03am PST
Canadian Press photographer
is now on Twitter. I recommend a follow.
#bluejays#mlb#SpringTraining Jays Troy Tulowitzki works out at the Jays Dunedin ballpark pic.twitter.com/KU0Y1ybQTU — Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 20, 2016
#BlueJays pitcher Aaron Sanchez catches at #SpringTrainingpic.twitter.com/oTxn1dPa1s — Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 20, 2016
#BlueJays John Gibbons never stops smiling as he checks out the action after arriving at #SpringTrainingpic.twitter.com/KWMD789FCo — Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 20, 2016
#BlueJays Dalton Pompey gathers balls after batting cage session pic.twitter.com/KeePdzeO26 — Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 20, 2016
#BlueJays Ryan Goins takes flight during workout session in Dunedin pic.twitter.com/qGivNt3cSB — Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) February 20, 2016
Which is basically the baseball version of this:
The Jays are the last to officially report, and don't officially work out until tomorrow. So some teams already have more footage of work outs.
The Pirates, for instance, are already active. Here is a video Pirates' catchers receiving pitches.
Cervelli: "Why does everybody throw so hard now?"
Stewart: "That's his changeup."
L-R: Taillon, Scahill, Glasnow. pic.twitter.com/HcNY4SHWBw — Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) February 21, 2016
That sound, by the way, is the sound of baseball to me. People talk about the crack of the bat being the sound that represents baseball, but to me it's the snap on leather.
The first time I ever thought about baseball as a kid was from hearing that sound. I thought strikes were called based on how loud the sound was. This is what the bullpen sounds like.
Also, for an experiment, everyone should get into that crouch- feet flat, like a squat, but lifting your bum so you aren't leaning back. Hold for awhile and maybe even get up out of it a dozen times.
And try not to cry.
I put a call out for questions. I got three questions. That's not a lot of questions, but here we go.
Jonathan Y. via Facebook:
Who is in the bullpen, assuming there are seven relievers?
Jesse Chavez
Brett Cecil
Aaron Loup
Roberto Osuna
Ryan Tepera
Drew Storen
Bo Shultz or Pat Venditte.
Laura H via Facebook
Which player in the MLB do you think is most worthy of appearing in ESPN's body issue magazine? Ruth I want your opinion too.
One of my favourite things in this series is when they throw a curve in there to subvert expectations. 2014's version had Prince Fielder, well known for being both large and in charge. Behold:
The man does not have six pack abs. You cannot see Apollo's Belt. But the look on his face is "Yeah, I've got some chunk, but I own it. This body has made me rich as shit. And I'm an glorious."
So anyone that isn't traditionally ripped, but is still wonderfully fantastic at playing baseball works for me. Not that I'm going to complain if they throw a ripped one in there.
Ruth K, via Facebook, has another suggestion, which is also completely valid:
Reminding us all that our catcher is a stone fox.
On the topic of insane bodies once featured in
ESPN the Body Issue
, Jose Bautista talked about his in
over the weekend, one of the first in what will be a long line of "best shape of my life" articles that are a staple of spring training stories. Bautista says he feels better at 35 than he did at 30.
I wonder where he read about the perpetual stretching.
Doing a little research on catching, I found an old feature on
Russell Martin in The New York Times.
It featured this picture:
What a peanut.
André D. via Facebook
Last year was Hooked on a Feeling... What's the 2016 anthem?
People always say Drake is Toronto hip hop, that he just feels like Toronto. I have another candidate.
Jay Z once told Kardi that he reminded him a lot of
and I agree. It's the dancehall tinge to it that they have in common. The West Indian vibe of Kardi is what makes him sound like Toronto to me.
They used to use this song after home wins, I think in 2013 or 2014. They replaced it with
Happy
by Pharell Williams. Bring it back.
Or, alternatively, this one: