Like many Phillies fans, I usually take the arrival of pitchers and catchers to Clearwater as a sign that Spring isn’t too far away. February and March often bring unpleasant weather but reading reports from the Spring Training compound serve as a reassurance that warmer days will soon be upon us.
Maybe the groundhog was on to something when he saw his shadow last month, because this year, we won’t have Spring Training to remind us that Winter won’t last forever. Pitchers and catchers - or at least those on the 40-man roster - are unable to report to camp.