Tony Batista, 2002 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia #17

It's been a long, strange winter, from the 70-degree temps of Christmas week to last month's weekend blizzard, and it's still far from over. It looks like a few more inches of snow are en route to Baltimore tonight and tomorrow, though in my house we'll be turning our pajamas inside out and backwards just to seal the deal. There are signs of hope, nonetheless. In just ten days, pitchers and

catchers will report to Sarasota to kick off Orioles Spring Training. Sure, we still have to wait until April for games that count, but practice drills and exhibition games are better than no baseball at all.