9 Days Until Pitchers and Catchers

Now that football has officially come to a close (be honest, you don't really consider the Pro Bowl - football, do you?) it is time to turn our attentions to baseball.

Baseball has a grueling and often times demanding schedule. It takes a lot of discipline to make it through the 162 game schedule, and if you are one of the lucky 8 teams to make the playoffs, then the season is only just the beginning.

But the journey begins, every spring - when the pitchers and catcher report to training camp. This year, that day happens to be Valentine's Day - February 14th. If you make the World Series, your season can easily consume the year. As of February 14th, the baseball world will begin focusing, well, on baseball - and it will consume us for eight and a half months until the very last pitch of the World Series.

Of course, this blog isn't about baseball, but the Tampa Bay Rays. What a ride it was last year, and I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the pitchers and catchers to report.

Sure, a lot has taken place this off season - from the acquisitions of Matt Joyce, Pat Burrell, and Gabe Kapler (all three outfielders, though Burrell is expected to fill the void at designated hitter) to the losses of Eric Hinske, Jonny Gomes, Trever Miller, Cliff Floyd, and, of course, Rocco Baldelli. These changes can be viewed both positively and negatively, but in all honesty, only time will tell if the off season maneuvering will pay off or not, and I do not wish to argue the merits of these changes in this post.

Because let's face it, this post is about optimism and speculation. This post is about a new beginning. This post is about a continued rise. This post is about baseball's return.

I, for one, hope Scott Kazmir can return to the dominate force he was early in the 2008 season (after returning from injury). I hope he can find his location on his slider. I hope he can keep his pitch count down. And I hope he can pitch well into the 7th inning more often than not.

I hope James Shields can continue on the consistent pace he has shown over the past two season - where he has pitched identical innings (215) with nearly identical ERA's (3.85 in 2007 and 3.56 in 2008). I hope the fire he showed during the playoffs can make a reappearance every 5th day for him throughout the grind of the regular season.

I hope Matt Garza can continue to improve. I hope he can remain consistent as he shoulders increasing amounts of innings (3.69 ERA in 2007 in 83 IP and a 3.70 ERA in 2008 in 184 IP). I hope he too can focus through the season as he mastered his game plan throughout last years' playoffs.

I hope Andy Sonnanstine can continue to have the unbelievable control that he possesses (37 walks in 193 innings). I hope he can find a way to be more consistent. I hope his curve ball can continue to be perfectly wicked in movement and location.

I hope David Price can become what everyone wants him to be. I hope he can improve and improve quickly and dramatically. I hope the grind of the season does not wear on his young arm. I hope he can prove just as unhittable this season as he did in the playoffs.

As for the bullpen - I hope, and I don't know if they can, but I hope they can be as dominate as they proved to be last season. I hope they can strand just as many runners on base and in scoring position. I hope J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour can continue their brilliance of pitching out of tight situations. I hope the Rays can find a closer (I do not feel Percival has much left in his tank to be effective for the entire 162 game season). I hope, if that role falls onto Dan Wheeler he will gain a burning fire that is needed to be an efficient closer in the game of baseball. I hope Chad Bradford can continue in the consistent fashion he has always known.

Mostly, I hope that Joe Maddon handles the pitching staff with care - in that Howell, Bradford, Wheeler, and Balfour aren't put into the horrendous situations they found themselves last season. I hope Maddon can recognize when his pitchers are becoming fatigued, and when it is time to take the baseball from them, before they get into trouble and have to rely heavily on the bullpen - the bullpen that was so masterful last year - and would be hard pressed for a perfect, repeat performance as such.

And for the catchers - I don't fully understand arbitration, but I hope the hearing goes well with Dioner Navarro - and I hope his future with the Rays will be long and prosperous.

Nine more days - and the season begins. Full of so much promise. Full of so much potential. Full of so much hope.

I'm ready, are you?