Four of the Greatest Words in the English Language

Pitchers and Catchers Report.

If you love baseball like I do, you’re living for this day (which is February 16th for Cincinnati). The latest from the Reds:

CINCINNATI – Two-game ticket packages for Cincinnati Reds 2008 spring training games will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 19 at their spring training complex, on-line at reds.com and by phone at (877) 647-7337. Tickets for all individual games will go on sale at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, January 26. The Reds’ spring training site will be in Sarasota,
Florida for the 11th season.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to the City of Sarasota Sports Complex on February 16, and position players are due in on February 19. An intra-squad scrimmage tentatively is scheduled for February 26 at Ed Smith Stadium.

This spring there will be seven Premium games at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium, including afternoon exhibitions against the Cleveland Indians (March 4), New York Yankees (March 6, March 14), Atlanta Braves (March 8 ) and Detroit Tigers (March 17) in addition to the Reds’ home night games against the Philadelphia Phillies (March 13) and Toronto Blue Jays (March 24).

I’ve been to Spring Training games. It’s like an unsatisfyingly, slimming meal of dry chicken. You’ll take it, you’ll eat it, you might even enjoy a moment of it or two, but when it’s all said and done you’re going to be left unfulfilled and just wanting the real thing.
Still, I can’t wait to look into those spring box scores and see:
AB R H RBI
Dunn, lf 3 1 1 3