Finally, Game Action Returns!!

The Jays are still a day away from returning to action, but the Mets and Braves are set to square off with one of my favorite young pitchers leading the way – Timmy Hanson. I am one of the fortunate people who gets a chance to order MLBTV each season, so I’ll be watching it live. I am home sick as a dog anyhow, so I might as well call watching the came work and fall asleep by the 4th inning.

The Jays will be facing off against Detroit tomorrow, and it will be fun to see the new faces and to begin to get a feel for the new guys on the team. As always, we shouldn’t put too much emphasis on spring training performances, as both sides (pitching and hitting) are working out the kinks and just loosening up. Having said that, the Jays set themselves up to have competition in many spots, so there are plenty of interesting stories to follow. Here’s the big ones I’ll be looking at:

• Who leads off in the lineup, especially the last week of spring training;
• Whether Travis Snider takes the reigns in RF;
• The bench spot battles;
• The bullpen battles;
• The probable rotation;
• Whether Hill and Lind continue to build on their outstanding performances from 2009; and
• John Buck and Jose Molina, and watching how they handle the young staff.

I’m sure many more story lines will creep up, but that’s what I’ll be keeping the closest eye on beginning tomorrow. Enjoy the show and thank goodness we get to watch some baseball once again!!