Spring training is finally here, welcome therapy to anyone who's been obsessing over the calendar since the Super Bowl. OK, Jeremy Lin has helped, but he's still no substitute for the sound of that first fastball detonating in a catcher's glove - as hopeful as the ice cream truck ringing its bell.
You want intrigue? Try the coming race in the AL East. Legal drama? Watch Ryan Braun squirm. You like rooting against the odds? Put your money on Johan Santana.
There are a million reasons to be locked and loaded for the coming baseball season. Here are a few:
Bobby Valentine vs.
fried chicken and beer
Valentine inherits a dysfunctional clubhouse that ended Terry Francona's reign. That, and a somewhat flawed roster. This is no small challenge for a manager who a) hasn't worked in the big leagues since 2002, b) is starting the season without Carl Crawford and c) will be missing the maturity and professionalism that underscored Tim Wakefield's career.
But it's a good sign that last year's rogue element - Josh Beckett and Jon Lester - showed up to camp several days early. If Valentine can gain their respect and loyalty, the Sox can begin healing the wounds of their horrific September collapse.
Yu Darvish's
brave new world
Talk about a gamble of global proportions. The Rangers are betting $60 million on Darvish, who's never thrown an inning in the big leagues - and that's not even counting a $51.7 million posting fee Texas had to pay.
Does Darvish have good enough stuff to cope with, say, Robinson Cano or Albert Pujols? Can he adjust to the big leagues' heavier, larger ball than the one used in Japan? Will he be affected by pitching every fifth day instead of every sixth? And what about the Texas midsummer weather - he's never had to deal with temperatures that can reach 100 degrees.
The Rangers have faith; they dispatched 12 scouts to Japan over the last two seasons, and are convinced Darvish's talent will hold up in the American League. It's true, he's a rung higher than Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the final verdict is months away from being returned.
Johan Santana's 2nd act
Santana long ago earned the respect of his peers for his competitiveness and willingness to pitch through pain. But now the left-hander is being asked to perform a small miracle - return to greatness after 2010 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.
Can he? The Mets are doomed to a last-place finish with or without a healthy Santana, so the question is no doubt moot. But his relative recovery - say, 12-13 wins, 150 innings, no trips to the DL - would be a rallying point for Mets fans who are starving for good news.
Ryan Braun's suspension
The Brewers were already in trouble in the Central Division the day Prince Fielder played his final game. He wasn't coming back in 2012, which meant Braun would have to carry the Crew by himself this year.
But barring an unlikely reversal, Braun's 50-game suspension for testing positive for elevated testosterone levels will leave the Brewers in year-long crisis.
Matt Moore's heat
The Rays will unveil a full season of Moore, who talent evaluators believe already has the best stuff on the staff - and that includes ace David Price. Moore has a better fastball, averaging 96 mph, and used it 72 percent of the time with the Rays last season.
Moore's youth (he's only 22) could work against him, but only in the short term. He'll be worth watching.
Pujols' new life in the AL
Is the game's best hitter worth $240 million at age 32 (or older?). Of course not, but the Angels are flush with TV revenue.
Despite coming off his worst season in St. Louis, Pujols will add obvious muscle to a team that led the American League in pitching last year. The Angels may or may not be more lethal than the Rangers - so much depends on Darvish - but they've officially ascended to the ranks of the AL's six super teams that are all capable of getting to the World Series.
Mark Teixeira's uppercut
If you want to talk about the key to October, look no further than Teixeira, whose return to form from the left side, is paramount to the Yankees' chances. Put it this way: If the Bombers are going rely solely on Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson again, they could be looking at another first-round exit in the playoffs.
But if Teixeira can go back to being a gap-hitter, a two-way threat who can finish with a .300-plus average, the Yankees' offense becomes dangerous even to the Rays. Of course, this presumes Teixeira can address the uppercut in his swing, and can get the idea of long home runs over the right field wall out of his head.
We'll see.
Prince Fielder and
the Tigers' defense
Even without Fielder, the Tigers finished in first place by 15 games in 2011, so what chance does the rest of the Central Division have now?
Not much. The only intrigue will be figuring who, exactly, can catch the ball. With Fielder at first base, Miguel Cabrera's return to third base could turn the Tigers into the AL's worst defensive team - he hasn't played the position since 2007.
Not that it should matter during the regular season. But ask us about this in October.
