| Hope springs eternal for baseball teams every | | | | champion. |
| March - except for the Pittsburgh Pirates and | | | | 3. Taking stock in May: By May, the goods are on |
| Washington Nationals - as pitchers and catchers | | | | the table. Teams which are over 15 games back |
| report to their posts in warmer climes and begin | | | | might as well call it a day, while teams getting hot |
| their lazy workouts. This rite of spring is | | | | and mashing pitchers nightly should start to plan |
| something of a fan favorite, even though it never | | | | for the stretch run. At this point, the twilight's last |
| means much. Over the past several years, there | | | | gleaming takes on a warmer, more exciting tint |
| have been bench-clearing brawls and other | | | | appropriate for America's Pastime. HD broadcasts |
| eccentric posturing which would make Pete Rose | | | | start to make use of the exceptional colors of |
| proud. Check out satellite TV networks and see | | | | late spring to be found in and around the ballpark. |
| how baseball season stacks up. | | | | 4. Baseball takes over in July. It is often not until |
| 1. The Opening Bell: Spring training is notorious for | | | | July that you really see the value in your MLB |
| not getting the most out of players, but there | | | | Extra Innings package. For satellite TV subscribers |
| are a few games towards April which do seem | | | | with a real thing for the grand old game, this |
| important. Pitchers start to regain full strength and | | | | package is indispensable, especially if you are out |
| show what they're really made of. Batters | | | | of the market of your favorite team. All of the |
| consider it a dress rehearsal and everyone else | | | | other sports drift by the wayside by July, making |
| simply tries to make the team. There will be no | | | | baseball the focus front and center of anyone |
| shortage of discussion on ESPN, YES, NESN and | | | | with an interest. The road to the Series begins |
| the MLB HD network about what all of this | | | | here. |
| maneuvering means, but fans should save their | | | | 5. The pennant race becomes a national |
| energy for a long season. | | | | obsession. By September, you can't flick on a |
| 2. Navigating through the early days: As in the | | | | television set or walk by a newspaper stand |
| case of the 2009 Yankees, getting bombed on | | | | without becoming entrenched in some drama or |
| Opening Day means little when you win the World | | | | other. There is always a team in danger of losing |
| Series some 175 games later. Nonetheless, watch | | | | everything in just the last week (usually the Mets |
| how teams can come out of spring training with a | | | | or the Tigers). There is a team looking to put the |
| purpose and never seem to cool down. They | | | | icing on the cake of a most improbable season, |
| could be contenders as well. It's hard to remain so | | | | like the Rays of 2008. Any way you cut it, |
| idealistic when you watch these early contenders | | | | satellite channels are consumed with pennant |
| slump out of contention by August, but | | | | fever. |
| sometimes the wire-to-wire run makes a | | | | |