Ah, March is finally here. No offense to February fans, but the month that brings us such excitement as President's Day and Groundhog's Day is a terrible 28 days of sports. The NBA and NHL slowly drudge through their dog days, the only football available is the Pro Bowl and UW athletes are in danger of drowning in the lakes that occupy University Avenue
But there is now hope on the horizon. March Madness, the best event in all of sports, is quickly approaching, and almost as importantly, spring training begins for Major League Baseball. And with the amount of storylines heading into this season, one can only be excited for ""America's Pasttime"" to commence (as well as anything involving the word ‘spring'). Here are a couple things I'm particularly pumped about:
As a Twins fan, I'm fairly optimistic about the upcoming season, but I can only hope their starting rotation can survive without Francisco Liriano.
Their lineup is loaded with an unrivaled 3-4-5 punch that includes the reigning batting champ, an improving cleanup hitter that had 109 RBIs last season and the reigning American League MVP. Rondell White had a great playoff series and is crushing the ball in Florida so far, while Minnesota stole Jeff Cirillo, an excellent contact hitter, from the Brewers. The Twins have a fantastic bullpen with one of the best closers in baseball, but can the starters get the game into the relievers' hands?
Well, Johan Santana will get his usual 20 wins or so, Carlos Silva is a good starter if he keeps his sinker down and Boof Bonser looked great in clutch situations last season. That's where things start to get murky.
You have to be rooting for potential No. 4 starter Ramon Ortiz to regain his previous form. Ortiz was once one of the hottest prospects in baseball, but he never really recovered after his father's death in 2003, as he is 26-36 with an ERA above five ever since. As for the fifth starter, I'm hoping either Matt Garza steps up or that Sidney Ponson is nowhere near as bad as everyone seems to think he is. Cross your fingers, Twins fans.
A seemingly unbreakable record is also at stake this season, as Barry Bonds is only 21 home runs from Hank Aaron's career record. Pitchers could easily avoid this milestone being broken if they merely pitch him low and outside, as his knees prevent him from getting to those pitches, but if he gets close to the record, the furor it causes will be extremely entertaining.
Will Bud Selig congratulate Bonds if he breaks the record? Will sports writers' heads explode at the thought of an asterisk in the record books? Will Witness Protection Program participant Steve Bartman catch home run No. 756 then give it to Moises Alou in an attempt to make amends? These are all intriguing questions.
A few offseason pitcher acquisitions should bring excitement to Texas and Boston. Newest Ranger Eric Gagne was the most dominant closer in baseball from 2002-'04, blowing only six of 158 save opportunities and getting the Cy Young in 2003 for his perfect 55-for-55 save performance. However, injuries caused him to miss most of the 2005 and 2006 seasons. When he's on his game, Gagne is one of the scariest pitchers in the majors, and one of the most fun to watch. If he returns to form, there actually might be a reason to watch Rangers games again.
The most anticipated major league debut will be in Boston, where Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, who the Red Sox paid more than $50 million just for the opportunity to sign, is starting his first games in the United States. More intriguing than his actual start, however, is the possibility that he could bring a new pitch called the gyroball to the majors. The pitch is rumored to be able to break three feet with an extremely odd spin on the ball that makes batters look silly. If Matsuzaka actually uses the pitch, I will be in front of my TV for his first start.
There are plenty more storylines, like if the Cubs spending a boatload of money will pay off or if A-Rod and Derek Jeter will resume their sleepover schedule, but those are the main ones for me. Either way, April 1 cannot come fast enough.
To discuss the greatness that are Joe Mauer's sideburns, e-mail Zach at zlkukkonen@dailycardinal.com
