Spring Training clearly isn’t going to start on time. Why won’t MLB say so?

It’s February 17. It’s going to be beautiful in Mesa, Arizona today — sunny and about 72 degrees. I should be heading over to the Sloan Park complex to watch some pitcher and catcher workouts, and maybe see a few position players who were in camp before the usual reporting date. I should be getting ready to attend a game in eight days, preparing to see friends I haven’t seen in a year, all the things I normally do to gear up for another season of Major League Baseball.

Instead, I’m sitting at my computer again, reading baseball news that doesn’t change. We’re no closer to a collective-bargaining agreement between MLB players and owners than we were 79 days ago, when owners locked players out…