Spring Training pic-o-rama

February 16, 2009 at 9:43 pm | Posted in Baseball, Major League Baseball, Minda's Take, Sports Culture | 1 Comment

By the end of tomorrow, all players from all 30 MLB teams will have reported to Spring Training. Most of my Royals have been in camp for about a week now, hoping to get a head start on the season. This is wonderful news for a poor tortured baseball fan. The sight of the snow outside makes me want to cry or hurl, depending on the day, and nothing else is really going on in sports. February is just so “blah,” you know?

But now is the time when things start heating up. College basketball is nearing its thrilling postseason. People who like the NBA get to watch it on TV pretty much every day. Heck, even NHL games are televised a lot* this time of year.

*compared to the usual “never”

And of course, baseball teams are reporting to Spring Training.

Oh, how sweet it is. We get the “best shape of my life” cliches – including Heath Bell, who lost 25 pounds playing Wii Fit – the concerns, some improbable career revivals, the lectures about steroids – oh wait, that part isn’t as wonderful, but it’s a part of this year’s ST coverage. We also get tons of cute pictures of players signing autographs, and some cute kids, but those aren’t even the best ones. My favorites are the goofy-looking workout pictures. These things are like a drug to me, and are as much a part of my pre-baseball-season routine as the countdown to Opening Day or scouring trade rumors.

I may have gotten a little carried away in my hunt for the silliest spring training pictures this year. Here are some of my favorites:

Joba Chamberlain & AJ Burnett: Future Dancing With the Stars contestants? (Reuters)

Joel Zumaya leads the Tigers in a game of airplane. Then he goes on the disabled list. (AP/Tony Dejak)

Hideki Matsui's Jazz Hands need a little work. But Phil Coke has it DOWN!. (Reuters)

"What are you? CHICKEN?!?" AP /David J Phillip

"Right hand on WHAT color??" (AP/Elaine Thompson)

Cole Hamels finds this workout to be distasteful. (AP/Gene J Puskar)

The Flyin Hawaiian! (AP/Gene J Puskar)

Aaron Cook...is Tarzan? That looks fun. (AP/Elaine Thompson)

Lastly…it looks like Roy Halladay is as happy as I am that Spring Training is upon us. Look how cute he is!

AWWWWW!!!! (Reuters)