We’re already five games into Spring Training schedule and the heat is already on the Cubs. Lou Piniella is already feeling the pressure and has felt the need to deliver a “stern but positive” message to his charges in the clubhouse.
Whoa, this is Spring Training, right?
I’m not expecting results in Spring Training. Let me re-phrase that. The results I expect cannot be necessarily be measured in wins and losses.
To me, Spring Training is where the veterans come to get the kinks out and get their timing down. And where the minor leaguers come to show their talents. Wins and losses cannot begin to reflect that sort of stuff. Even looking at a box score cannot do that. A box score cannot reflect that a minor league batter gave his all running out a ground ball when a veteran did not. You get my point.
In this day and age of instant information, we expect immediate and brief results. But let’s not forget the true reason for Spring Training.