That Smell

New York City awoke to the dead-of-winter. It’s that time before Spring Training when baseball is getting just close enough to smell. It smells like the freshly-oiled glove you slept with as a kid. Big game tomorrow.

But Opening Day isn’t tomorrow and you need to focus or you will loose your edge on the streets of New York where people only care about three sports: Baseball, Baseball and Baseball.

The coffee-cart guy scolds the man in front of me, “Of course Humberto Sanchez is on the 40-man roster, what planet do you live on?”

Exactly.

This is where baseball lives. Just because you can barely smell it, doesn’t mean you can be lazy. There are rosters to study, scouting reports to read and Willie Randolph is on the back page: New contract, good for him.

And the Yankees are going to China. Well, some executives are going to China for a visit that could eventually lead to a Yankees’ baseball academy there. New baseball academy, good for them.

How’s the Bronx baseball academy coming along?

“What Bronx baseball academy?” the coffee-cart guy snaps.

Exactly.

It’s cold today, but baseball is coming. I can smell it.