Should We Care About Spring Training?

How much should we care about Spring Training? I've never been to Spring Training (at least since I was a college player), although my son went to Arizona for Spring Training this year and had a great time.

I can think of plenty that I'd like to see at Fort Myers...


  • The word is that Victor Martinez is working hard on his footwork and shifting, the precurson to effective throwing. The Varitek-Martinez combination was beyond futile at catching runners last season.
  • Casey Kelly. Let's hope for a man-child to help lead us to the Promised Land.
  • David Ortiz. May he find the Fountain of Youth.
  • The double-play combination of Pedroia and Scutaro...not to dismiss Jed Lowrie, but he seems star-crossed by illness and injury, and the looming Jose Iglesias.
  • The youngsters...like Jason Place and Lars Anderson. Prospects or suspects.
  • Everyone raves at the defense of AB (Adrian Beltre). Chicks dig the long ball...does the ball jump off his bat?
  • The outfield defense of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew should be spectacular. 
  • Does Jonathan Papelbon seriously plan to bring back his full arsenal of pitches? A one-pitch closer hardly ever works, unless you have the Rivera cutter.
MLB.com with a predictions forum. 

I went to school with EV but obviously lack even a shred of his mathematical insight. This probably has the relevance of the Pirsigian view of quality in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. 

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