The Dugout is all about character growth. From day one we've watched Kyle Farnsworth evolve from a fan-kicking sociopath into the literal onion of psychological human study he has become. We've watched Jim Thome grow from a rosy-cheeked manchild with pee on his hat into a rosy-cheeked manchild with socks on his hat. Dmitri Young has eaten Fruit by the Foot and then forgotten what Fruit by the Foot is. Seasons change, time goes on, and life ebbs and flows.
This year, the Chicago Cubs will be different, at least in the multiverse of The Dugout. Dusty Baker is in Cincinnati. Mark Prior is in San Diego. And unless Kerry Wood walks too close to an unsupervised swimming pool or something the Cubs should be a young, talented, heavy-hitting force to be reckoned with.
After the jump: The Cubbies - positive and ready for action in a world where nothing could possibly go wrong.
You mess with the fat old bull you get the fat old horns!
Today the Dugout continues its Spring Training tradition and its center-of-the-Earth-like journey through the NL Central with the Houston Astros, a team so into media coverage that you'd almost forget they play baseball.
I like to think that Clemens is just a fan of Larry David and is doing this as an artistic homage to getting in trouble at work, quitting dramatically, and then just showing up the next day like nothing happened. Either that or he is just SO GUILTY that his body can't handle it and his guilt is seeping out of him and turning him into a giant Tetsuo monster. Either way, "hey guys, the Astros."
The Yankees kicked off their Spring Training "season" with an intrasquad game today, and while it brings the YC great joy to know that actual playing is going on down in Tampa Bay, the practice game wasn't exactly a display of flawless baseball. In fact, it was downright sloppy. After all was said and done, seven errors had been committed, eight walks were given up, and only one player had an extra base hit. The Geese ended up beating the Gators 6-2 (you can check out which Yanks played for which squad here).
The weather down in Tampa wasn't particularly conducive to comfortable play -- a healthy dose of wind whipped through the air throughout the game and the field was wet to boot -- and it was just a practice game, but it's doubtful that the boys came out of the game feeling too proud of themselves.
Wilson ran afoul of the Redbirds skipper when La Russa read comments in which Wilson played down the significance of Grapefruit League numbers. La Russa, who is deflated by exhibition losses, suggested Wilson take a more urgent approach during what the player called an "honest dialogue."
"There are innings available. There are at-bats available," La Russa asserted. "Do you want 100 at-bats or do you want 400? This club is serious about winning. It's not 'whatever happens, happens.' "
If Wilson really called the conversation an "honest dialogue," I hope his end of the conversation entailed breaking out a calculator and pointing out that the difference between hitting .219 and hitting .300 in 32 at-bats is less than three freaking hits!
I find it amazing that people so frequently place such importance on such a small sample-size of statistics, whether it's 50 at-bats in spring training or (in Alex Rodriguez's case) 14 at-bats in the postseason. Over time, a guy's talent will show. In Preston Wilson's case, that'll likely result in him hitting about .260 this year, no matter how serious or how lightly he takes these spring games.
Catcher Javy Lopez's brief tenure with the Rockies ended this morning when he was released by the club. The three-time all-star with Atlanta came into spring training hoping to compete for a starting job, but the rapid development of rookie catcher Chris Iannetta meant there was no room for the 36-year-old Lopez.
So what's next for the catcher who's fallen so far?
"The only place I would play backup would be in Atlanta, because that's my home," he said. "I don't want to play as a DH (designated hitter), I'm not a DH player. I don't think I'll go anywhere else as a backup. If I am not an everyday catcher, I'd rather not play this year and retire."
Dude, the DH was invented for guys like you, why fight it?
If spring training actually counted, then the chase to break Hank Aaron's record would be down to 21. Unfortunately for Barry Bonds it doesn't. HOWEVA, that still hasn't stopped Barry from impressing thus far in Cactus League play. The 42 year old slugger launched his first dinger of the spring in the 4th inning against Esteban Loaiza in Friday's 5-3 loss to the A's. It's safe to say that Captain Cranium (who managed the division foe Padres the past twelve seasons) is happy Bonds is no longer his problem.
"He's so good. It doesn't take him long to find his stroke," Giantsmanager Bruce Bochy said. "It's a pretty simple stroke. He just needs a few at-bats. That's how good he is. ... I've seen it enough on the other side, it's good to have it on my side."
Bonds may just be using the spring to get in shape for the season, but he's proving that he's already on the right track. Looks like Bud Selig better start getting serious about planning the ceremony for when Barry Bonds breaks the record.
313 games, 1405 plate appearances, 1564 total chances, two month of games in Spring Training, 19 straight days of games in four different cities to end the '06 season, and Rafael Furcal hasn't had enough. Call me crazy? Nay, call Rafael Furcal insane. The Dodgers shortstop and projected leadoff man says too much time off has led to his recent arm problems. Evidently when he was with the Braves, he used to play winter ball for Santo Domingo's Escogido and would report to spring training in shape. But since signing with the Dodgers in '05 he says
"I think I'm taking too much rest...I'm out of the action. [Before] I was ready coming into spring training because the season finishes over there in February."
Incredible. Isn't this the exact reason why several teams bitched about their stars playing in the World Baseball Classic last year? Weren't they all too afraid of injuries from too much baseball? Hmm, shoulder injury + more throwing = healthy Rafael. Classic solution.
For the record, the LA Times says Furcal might be ready to return to the lineup, probably as a DH by the weekend.
From the something I hadn't ever really thought about category, mostly because I'm usually thinking about going to the beach, comes this news from the Tucson Citizen:
Arizona's 53rd Cactus League season, which started this week, is expected to attract more than 1 million fans and boost the Arizona economy by more than $200 million, the president of the Cactus League Association says.
The association has commissioned an economic study this spring to update a 2003 report that estimated spring training's impact at $202 million statewide, including $110 million in spending by out-of-state fans. Tucson is expected to see $30 million of that total, according to the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Initial sales at some Arizona ballparks are up this year as much as 5 percent.
Wow. Out-of-state fans are set to spend $110 million this spring training in Arizona? That's a lot of cash. It would take over 1,000 strip clubs for Pacman Jones to even reach that level. Which, is a LOT of strip clubs.
The Dugout is all about character growth. From day one we've watched Kyle Farnsworth evolve from a fan-kicking sociopath into the literal onion of psychological human study he has become. We've watched Jim Thome grow from a rosy-cheeked manchild with pee on his hat into a rosy-cheeked manchild with socks on his hat. Dmitri Young has eaten Fruit by the Foot and then forgotten what Fruit by the Foot is. Seasons change, time goes on, and life ebbs and flows.
You mess with the fat old bull you get the fat old horns!
Things you will not see in the Spring Training Dugout for the Seattle Mariners include:
The Yankees kicked off their 
First we had Brad Penny -- 
Preston Wilson has hit just 
It wasn't long ago that 
If spring training actually counted, then the chase to break Hank Aaron's record would be down to 21. Unfortunately for Barry Bonds it doesn't. HOWEVA, that still hasn't stopped Barry from impressing thus far in Cactus League play. The 42 year old slugger 
313 games, 1405 plate appearances, 1564 total chances, two month of games in Spring Training, 19 straight days of games in four different cities to end the '06 season, and Rafael Furcal hasn't had enough. Call me crazy? Nay, call Rafael Furcal insane. The Dodgers shortstop and projected leadoff man says 
From the something I hadn't ever really thought about category, mostly because I'm usually thinking about 
