The Rites of Spring

Breathe that fresh air! While the NHL is imploding, hope springs eternal in baseball, as Cubs and Sox pitchers and catchers reported to spring training yesterday. Still skeptical about the Cubs' chances -- while I love the staff, assuming they stay healthy, and their hitting is okay (still missing one solid hitter I think), the team's bullpen, specifically the lack of a proven closer, will hurt their chances. One good thing is that the Astros and Cardinals lost a lot more than the Cubs did, which will hopefully even things out a bit. Nothing like spring training to make you feel good about a team that hasn't made it to the Series in 60 years...