Position Players Report

I love that Spring Training is called "Camp". When I was a kid my parents sent me off to Bushy Hill each summer. It was always the same scene on the first day. Arrive with your folks, ditch them, drop off your stuff in your bunk, and go check out which counselors and campers had returned for another year.

Minus the annoying parents, Spring Training seems to have the same feel. Players arrive one-by-one, presumably with a bunch of gear, greet each other and their coaches, talk to the media, and sign some balls for fans. Camp!

I find it really fun to read about the players as they arrive at Spring Training. Maybe I am just overwhelmed with learning a whole team and sport all at once. The staggered, unorganized arrivals make for more simple reading perfect for incomplete understanding. For example, during spring training, Daisuke Matsuzaka arrives at Camp with a sore back and it just means he has a sore back. I imagine this would have implications that would require deeper understanding of team mechanics on game day.

Adrian Beltre arrived this morning. On the Extra Bases blog I read that he dropped his bag off at his locker and went around meeting his new teammates. David Ortiz showed up at camp with his big personality (and less big-than-last-year gut). He joked around with reporters saying if they thought he looked good they should see him naked. Mike Cameron was also reported to have arrived happy and "likeable" for Spring Training.

Mike Lowell was at Spring Training today. There is some question about whether he will stay with the Sox this season. Apparently the Texas Rangers need an infielder to replace Khalil Greene who is experiencing social anxiety issues (sure to be cured by a public announcement). Before Lowell had thumb surgery, the Sox were in trade talks with the Rangers.

Tune in again later this week- I'll fill you in on the Matsuzaka and Lowell issues and continue to compare baseball to my childhood.