When Championships are Won

Steve Cramblitt, my high school baseball coach always stressed the concept that "championships are won during the off-season." At this time of year when so many people are concerned with other things, like whether or not college football should have a playoff to crown a champion like every other competitive sport, there are pitchers working on controlling their change-ups, catchers working on their footwork, infielders taking ground balls in the gym, and hitters wearing out batting cage netting.

These days, in order to be competitive, baseball has become a full-time, year-round sport. Back before the days of multi-million dollar contracts, many ballplayers had to take odd jobs in the off-season to be able to pay the winter heating bill. Consequently, many players would show up for Spring Training entirely out of shape. They needed the month of pre-season work to get back into playing condition.

Today, players spend the bulk of the off-season training and working to improve weaknesses in their game. To assist the developmental process, many organizations assign young players to warmer climates to compete in various winter leagues. By the time the official start of spring training arrives, most players are physically ready, and use the time for the fine tuning involved in the game.

The season is not too far off now. Before you know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training, and the position players won't be far behind. For those like me, who check their teams' web sites daily, despite the lack of actual news, baseball can't come soon enough.