The trucks have made a U-turn, the big league ballpark grills are warming up and most of the 750 Major Leaguers can stash the sunscreen for a few weeks.
Spring Training is in the books, and as we turn the page from the prologue to the regular season, it is natural to wonder about the reliability of what we have seen the past six weeks.
Well, if we are to trust preseason performances as heralding what's in store:
? Ryan Howard will lead the Major Leagues in home runs and RBIs.
? Josh Hamilton will lead the American League in RBIs.
? The Angels will win more games than any other team.
? The Phillies will repeat as World Series champions.
So much for the purported insignificance of Spring Training results.
Howard, who topped the game with 48 homers and 146 RBIs last season, remained on that track by leading everyone this spring with 10 dingers.
Hamilton, Texas' folk hero, led with 26 exhibition RBIs after topping the AL with 130 in 2008.
However, a track record isn't necessary for such blue-chip production. Micah Hoffpauir, a Cubs first baseman/outfielder with 73 Major League at-bats to his credit, tied Hamilton's RBIs while leading all players with 92 at-bats.
The Angels, the game's lone 100-game winners last season, topped the spring standings with their 24-8 record.
And the Phillies ... well, they went 12-18 last spring, and they left Florida this time around with the exact same Grapefruit League record, so perhaps there's something to be said for precedent.
We found new faith in exhibition results a year ago, when not only did the Rays go 18-8, but they called out both the Red Sox and the Yankees by engaging them in melees. Those experiences signaled a change in attitude that would carry Tampa Bay into the World Series.
Not that all Spring Training deeds can be trusted.
For instance, we aren't likely to see the first .400 hitter in 68 years, even though 31 players with 30-plus at-bats topped that figure in exhibition play.
Hitters were so hot in Florida and Arizona (Whatever happened to pitchers being ahead of hitters?) that the Mariners released Chris Shelton after he batted .460 (23-for-50) with three home runs.
On the other side, no fewer than 171 pitchers posted ERAs of 0.00. While many of them were camp curiosities who logged only a few innings, San Diego's Jake Peavy's perfect ERA was built on 14 innings. The Tigers' Juan Rincon was right behind the San Diego ace, with 13 1/3 spotless innings.
The spotless pitchers definitely did not include 2008 sensation Cliff Lee, the Indians lefty who was nearly a unanimous pick for the American League Cy Young Award after going 22-3 with an ERA of 2.54.
This spring, Lee went 0-3 with an ERA of 12.46 and an opponents' average of .435. He was twice as bad as last spring (1-1, 5.28, .342) so when the bell rings, perhaps he will be twice as good.
As a guide to whether Spring Training statistics either launch players to great seasons or expose them as frauds, here are some other individual leaders:
Hitting
? Hits: Pablo Sandoval, Giants, 34
? Average (minimum 30 at-bats): Matthew Brown, Angels, .489 (22-for-45)
?: Extra-base hits: Corey Hart, Brewers, 16 (nine doubles, seven homers)
?: Slugging percentage: Ryan Rohlinger, Giants, .808 (two doubles and four home runs among his total of seven hits)
? OPS (minimum 30 at-bats): Mark Teahen, Royals, 1.498
Pitching
(Minimum 10 innings pitched)
? Innings pitched: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, 33
? Strikeouts: Dan Haren, Diamondbacks, 34 (in 30 2/3 innings)
? Fewest walks: Peavy, 0 (in 14 innings)
? Lowest opponents' average: Kiko Calero, Marlins, .100 (in 10 innings)
Spring Training is in the books, and as we turn the page from the prologue to the regular season, it is natural to wonder about the reliability of what we have seen the past six weeks.
Well, if we are to trust preseason performances as heralding what's in store:
? Ryan Howard will lead the Major Leagues in home runs and RBIs.
? Josh Hamilton will lead the American League in RBIs.
? The Angels will win more games than any other team.
? The Phillies will repeat as World Series champions.
So much for the purported insignificance of Spring Training results.
Howard, who topped the game with 48 homers and 146 RBIs last season, remained on that track by leading everyone this spring with 10 dingers.
Hamilton, Texas' folk hero, led with 26 exhibition RBIs after topping the AL with 130 in 2008.
However, a track record isn't necessary for such blue-chip production. Micah Hoffpauir, a Cubs first baseman/outfielder with 73 Major League at-bats to his credit, tied Hamilton's RBIs while leading all players with 92 at-bats.
The Angels, the game's lone 100-game winners last season, topped the spring standings with their 24-8 record.
And the Phillies ... well, they went 12-18 last spring, and they left Florida this time around with the exact same Grapefruit League record, so perhaps there's something to be said for precedent.
We found new faith in exhibition results a year ago, when not only did the Rays go 18-8, but they called out both the Red Sox and the Yankees by engaging them in melees. Those experiences signaled a change in attitude that would carry Tampa Bay into the World Series.
Not that all Spring Training deeds can be trusted.
For instance, we aren't likely to see the first .400 hitter in 68 years, even though 31 players with 30-plus at-bats topped that figure in exhibition play.
Hitters were so hot in Florida and Arizona (Whatever happened to pitchers being ahead of hitters?) that the Mariners released Chris Shelton after he batted .460 (23-for-50) with three home runs.
On the other side, no fewer than 171 pitchers posted ERAs of 0.00. While many of them were camp curiosities who logged only a few innings, San Diego's Jake Peavy's perfect ERA was built on 14 innings. The Tigers' Juan Rincon was right behind the San Diego ace, with 13 1/3 spotless innings.
The spotless pitchers definitely did not include 2008 sensation Cliff Lee, the Indians lefty who was nearly a unanimous pick for the American League Cy Young Award after going 22-3 with an ERA of 2.54.
This spring, Lee went 0-3 with an ERA of 12.46 and an opponents' average of .435. He was twice as bad as last spring (1-1, 5.28, .342) so when the bell rings, perhaps he will be twice as good.
As a guide to whether Spring Training statistics either launch players to great seasons or expose them as frauds, here are some other individual leaders:
Hitting
? Hits: Pablo Sandoval, Giants, 34
? Average (minimum 30 at-bats): Matthew Brown, Angels, .489 (22-for-45)
?: Extra-base hits: Corey Hart, Brewers, 16 (nine doubles, seven homers)
?: Slugging percentage: Ryan Rohlinger, Giants, .808 (two doubles and four home runs among his total of seven hits)
? OPS (minimum 30 at-bats): Mark Teahen, Royals, 1.498
Pitching
(Minimum 10 innings pitched)
? Innings pitched: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, 33
? Strikeouts: Dan Haren, Diamondbacks, 34 (in 30 2/3 innings)
? Fewest walks: Peavy, 0 (in 14 innings)
? Lowest opponents' average: Kiko Calero, Marlins, .100 (in 10 innings)
