Tired of Games That Don't Count

It was quite the buzz when Spring Training finally got started after a long baseball absence. And then it was fun to see how new players would do on new teams and to look for rookies that might break into the opening day roster. But there gets to be a point where enough is enough already. The Fan is tired of games that don't count.

The box scores were carefully checked. Kaz Matsui is still leading off for the Astros and is still batting .105. Trot Nixon did that for the Brewers and got himself released. It's all about perception in baseball isn't it? Nixon is perceived as a guy on the way out. Matsui is perceived as a useful second baseman. The first guy loses his job and the other is still batting leadoff.

But there are only so many of those observations one can make without the ennui setting in that it doesn't count and in the end doesn't matter. All that matters is that the pitcher has his mechanics down and repeatable and the batter is covering the plate and that the fielders know what to do and when to do it. And with it all, make sure your best players are ready and healthy when the gate goes up and the race begins.

So, yeah, it's still somewhat interesting to see that Josh Hamilton is still batting over .400 and that Fernando Tatis of the Mets has really rebuilt his career and that Jon Garland and Lee over in Cleveland look really shaky. But it's like practicing for trick or treat. You are wearing the costume, but there's still no candy in the bucket. Or worse yet, there is candy in the bucket, but it's all the sugar free kind.

At least it's fun picking games over at BallHype.com. The Fan is 9-2 this week in baseball games. Not bad. Just as predictably, the Fan is 3-4 in his hockey picks. But wouldn't it be really cool if that 9-2 was picking real games played for real with real results in the standings and in the record books?

The Fan is done and over baked. It's just dry chicken left on the bones. It's time for some real fun and for the real thing. Can these last couple of weeks please get over with quickly!?