Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Good news baseball fans, spring is nearly here. As you may recall, the pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training is the start of spring for yours truly. Yes, I know, the start of spring for most people and certainly for farmers here in W. MI, is March 20, 2018. the spring equinox. But for those of us who believe that "Baseball is Life!" the date when the pitchers and catchers report is the start of spring.

Certainly, there are some of the Johnny come lately types, the people who attend those baseball conventions that have sprung up around the country to showcase players and team staffs during the cold days of the off-season, but those are just window dressing for the fans, those who are not purists, they really have nothing to do with America's Pastime, Baseball.

Right now, many sports fans are focused on the Superbowl, in this case, Superbowl LII, or 52, but if your favorite team isn't playing what's the point? I don't believe in Superbowl parties that make money for food vendors and liquor distributors. No, my friends, this is the time of year when the chance to dream about the new grass on the field, in short, a Field of Dreams, is what makes living worthwhile.

That being said, don't forget that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers, both teams with new managers this year, report on February 13, 2018. The Cubs are keeping us in suspense with a big TBA posted on the MLB spring training site. What the Hey, Hey, it's time once again for the Cub's song from that infamous 1969 season of dreams. This is just one of many videos that can be found on YouTube™https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MsIyWutisc. In my view, the Cubs have many more NL pennants and World Series appearances in their future.

If like me, you are a two or three team baseball fan, although I came to the Tigers later in life, well after the Cubs and the Red Sox, then here is a clip from the movie, Fever Pitch, that starred Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKaldffU02c, Also included is the Detroit Tigers own fight song, Go Get Em Tigers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzmAuKXfhP4. 

Who can forget lazy summer afternoons, in front of the radio or TV with Jack Brickhouse, interviewing players or team officials, or anyone who walked by, during rain delays or shouting Hey! Hey, Whee! whenever a Cubs payer hit one out of the Friendly Confines. Plus there were Lloyd Pettit, Vince Lloyd, and Lou Boudreau. Sorry, there was a time before Harry Caray and his famous/infamous Holy Cow! and his awful version of the national anthem that should have been retired a long time ago.

The current temperature is 26° according to the NWS and my DTWS as we head towards today's sunrise @ 8:12 a.m. We are expecting a high today of 32° and by Monday, the high is forecast to reach a very unseasonable 42°, albeit with rain. Later tonight, the sun will set @ 5:39 p.m.

I don't have much else to say at this juncture, so I'll close now with my own version of a signature, Ciao.