The forever cliche is that hope springs eternal, even as your hometown club embarks on another rebuilding plan, even as the memories of champagne and parades fade into the past, even as the sport itself is racked by uncertainty, strife and a looming labor battle.
Baseball is baseball, and spring is spring, on a Tuesday morning in Arizona, pitchers and catchers will report to Royals camp in the desert sunshine.
So why does this feel so different? Maybe it is the uncertainty surrounding Eric Hosmer, who remains unemployed in the final days before camp. Maybe it is the abundance of familiar faces that have departed, from Wade Davis (last year) to Lorenzo Cain (last month) to Mike Moustakas (not yet).