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Hochman: Fresh baseballs and fresh hope as pitchers and catchers start the season

Some of the Cardinals have been in Jupiter, Fla., for months or weeks, while others arrived Monday, wearing flat-billed caps and backpacks on their sculpted backs. Tuesday, however, is officially report day for pitchers and catchers and, unofficially, the beginning of the 2019 season. “Pitchers and catchers” is opening day for spring training. And what a cool feeling to know that Tuesday — while you sit in a meeting or in traffic — that somewhere a St. Louis Cardinal is playing baseball.

“I’ve been coming here to (the Cardinals’ facility) for a couple months, but now that pitchers and catchers are here, it’s just a different smell in the air.