Baseball has begun

After what seemed to be a long off season, baseball is back in session. Last Thursday pitchers and catchers reported to camp. Seems like the baseball season ended so long ago. For me it actually ended on October 7, 2006... (not because I got married on this day, but because the Yanks lost a do-or-die game in the ALDS to the Tigers).

The off season did bring some exciting baseball news to Yankee fans (in no particular order or ranking):

1. Andy Pettitte is back in pinstripes. Will Roger Clemens be joining him later in the season?
2. Donnie Baseball is the new bench coach. Hopefully he will be Torre's replacement as manager.

3. Yankees signed Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa.

4. Yankee Stadium will host the 2008 All-Star Game as a tribute to "The house that Ruth Built." 2008 will be the last season the Yanks will play in their current stadium. Ground breaking for the new stadium has begun in order to be ready for opening day in 2009.

However, the Yankee family did go through some hard times:

1. Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed when the Lidle's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building in New York City.

2. Bobby Murcer had surgery to remove a brain tumor.

But now it is a new season, with new things to look towards like a 27th World Series title. The Yanks open the season at home against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 2nd. Over the next few weeks the clubs will be making their choices for their final 40 man rosters. And fans will be keeping track of who is on the list or who is hurt in order to have an edge in Fantasy Baseball drafts with friends and colleagues.

Another thing to kind of keep track of, whether you hate him or love him, is Barry Bonds. Will he break Hank Aaron's historic homerun record of 755? Will MLB give Bonds any special attention if and when he breaks this record? Time will tell.