SPRING FEVAH, A LIST, AND AN OWL

I've got a fevah! Okay, maybe it's not a fevah quite yet, but there is a stirring-- an itchy, tingly sensation in my lower, gut-feeling places, one that whispers up to my thinking and speaking parts: pssst, it's time for baseball. 

I'm sure Rick Santorum's sugardaddy would advise me to try aspirin for that itch, but I think it probably has more to do with little signs of spring -- longer, brighter days, the slight smell of mud in the air, Summit Maibock, Shamrock shakes, generally cheerier people.

o and, THIS:

Pitchers and catchers at Fort Myers, photo courtesy @LaVelleNeal. February 19, 2011)

I know ya'll know this and every sports writer/blogger/tweeter out there has it covered, so I'll just say this: HELL YEA! (My right hand is tyinping whilst my left is fist-pumpyining.)

I am excited and I am optimistic and, dear sportsfriends, so should be you. 

An aside, sort of: We won't be dwelling on last season here at So It Goes Baseball. I am not a dweller, in life, in love, and most definitely not in sports. With each season, we start anew. We can analyze stats and trends and make predictions all damn day, but we just don't know how it's going to go until it's underway; and even then, good and not so good, surprises abound.

That is the beauty of the sports season and part of what makes this shit so fun.

So, if you want dwelling and rehashing, you can find that plenty of other places. You are also out of luck if you want:

• derivative whining about Mauer not being exactly what you want him to be as a person
  Analysis of his performance is, of course, on the table, as well as that of his muffinbutt, sideburns, his need for tighter pants, his favorite milkshake flavor, what kind of tattoo he might secretly have and where,* etc.
  
  

• bitching about front office payroll decisions. This might be a relevant conversation for baseball fans, I just find it incredibly boring.
  
  
• pining away for traded players, specifically ones for whom the need for a trade or a straight out dumping was pretty obvious. I might say something like... I really miss Corey Koskie and wish his career wouldn't have been cut short the way it was. I won't say... look, Nick Punto got on base two games in a row, I sure wish we had him back.
  
  
• Jeremy Lin puns. 

And with all that, I present evidence that this season will be better:

(Um... think of this in an Athena in ancient Greece, owls are good luck kind of way and not in an ancient Celtic, owls are harbingers of death kind of way.)

Ciao, buddies!
-christine

_______________________________________________________

* A hammer of Thor on his left inner thigh.