Warming up for spring training

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS!

That's the 1A tease in the Sunday Bradenton Herald's "skybox" -- what we call the teasers at the top of the page each day.

Joyous words, those. As John Lembo tells us in today's story, Pittsburgh’s pitchers and catchers have officially ushered in spring training. So for the next several weeks, the crack of bats, shouts of "Ice cold beer here!" and traffic jams in front of McKechnie Field will be welcome additions to the heart of Bradenton.

The Herald will have its annual crush of coverage for spring training here, with stories, columns, photos and daily blogs. This year, though, the hype is even more exciting, with the return of the local American League champs. As Roger Mooney notes in his column today, the Tampa Bay Rays, who opened their first spring training in Port Charlotte this weekend, fell three wins shy of winning the World Series. And "the Rays, players and management, feel there is some unfinished business."

And my Cards have arrived across the state, as my hometown paper's site proudly boasts. More Rays' baseball means even more good fortune for me: My friend has scored tickets to the Cardinals-Rays game in Port Charlotte next month.

Play ball!

Joan