2009 MLB Spring Training

Extra Bases is reporting that the Red Sox have cut catcher Josh Bard.

Bard signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox worth $1.7 million in late December, with a team option for a second year. But his contract was not guaranteed, and by releasing him now the Red Sox are obligated to pay only one-sixth ($283,333) of his 2009 salary.

Spring training is a time when possibilities are endless.

There's room for unheralded youngsters to raise eyebrows. There's room for grizzled veterans to latch on to new teams.There's even room for those whose best days were behind them to find new life.

Case in point: Corey Koskie.

Former Minnesota Twins' third basemen Corey Koskie is hoping to latch on with the Chicago Cubs as a non-roster invitee. He's been out of baseball for two-and-a-half years with post-concussion syndrome.

This year, doctors say he's fit enough to give it a go.

And now, starting in center field, for your Atlanta Braves...

Who will that be opening day?  I don't know.

Spring training is coming to a close very quickly.  We knew going into spring that center field would be a tough battle between Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco, and prospect Jordan Schafer.

Anyone that follows the Braves farm system knows the name Jordan Schafer.

It seems that all the management will say is, "We want to be responsible and let him mature at Triple-A before bringing him to the big club."

Standing at 6 feet 7 inches, 290+ pounds, hurling a horse-hide sphere at 96 miles an hour straight at you, it's safe to say, you're not safe when C.C. Sabathia's on the mound. But for how much longer will Sabathia be able to maintain this level of pitching?

An offseason acquisition brought him to New York, where good players go to die.

So the 28 and overweight Sabathia was a perfect candidate to play in NY: a pitcher who's had mediocre-to-terrible statistics against the division he recently joined.   

Only 21 days left until Opening Day, Cubs fans. With the seemingly never-ending spring training in full bloom in sunny Arizona, now is a good time to examine the potential roster for the 25-man club that will go north with the team.

Today, let's take a look at the pitchers, since there is a little more uncertainty there than with the position players.

The Fifth Starter's Competition Is All But Over

Houston Astros right-hander Brandon Backe entered Spring Training with a chip on his shoulder. The 30-year-old Galveston native finished 9-14 with a 6.05 ERA in 31 starts last season. 

After undergoing career-threatening Tommy John surgery Sept. 7, 2006, Backe perservered through intensive rehabilitation and returned to the mound toward the end of the 2007 season.

The New York Yankees did not have any luck on offense, pitching or defense as they lost to the Boston Red Sox 8-4 at City of Palms Park.

New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon barely hesitated long enough for the reporter's question to be completed before he tossed his answer forward.

When asked to name the most athletic player on the entire Yankee roster, Damon emphatically answered, "Cody Ransom."

After the reporter seemed slightly taken aback by his response, Damon added, "Have you been to YouTube yet?"

After a second straight mind-blowing upset at the hands of The Netherlands, the roster of the Dominican Republic returned home with their tails tucked between their legs.

The Dominican team held the weight on their shoulders of a nation as passionate about the game of baseball as any other in the world.

Two seasons ago, New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin sat in a dark office, wondering what he could possibly do to save his job. He had ultimately lost his locker room, and the veteran presence was beginning to shut him out.

The implementation of a leadership council, coupled with the brightening of a stern personality only a soldier could love, eventually paved the Giants path to a Super Bowl title.