The sights of spring...

After a week that brought dangerous snow and ice to West Virginia, I appreciated even more than usual the news that pitchers and catchers have reported for Spring Training. Here's a strange image, though: Joe Torre in a Dodger's uniform.



On the other hand, here's an interesting article about Joe Girardi's first days as the Yankees' new manager.

"The guy in the manager's office is named Joe, there's a couple of boxes of green tea on the table behind his desk, and the phone rings a lot. Every so often, there will be a lunatic on the other end.

But that's where the similarities end. There's a new Joe in town, a stronger, bolder, more potent cup of Joe, not the smooth and mellow blend to which the Yankees had become accustomed the previous 12 seasons. This one is intended to be a wake-up call, the alarm clock that jolts you out of bed at 6 and the drip in the bathroom that keeps you up at night."

I'm eager (that's an understatement) to see how Girardi's persona meshes with this Yankee team. My gut tells me he'll do a fine job, provided the players actually show up and produce.

I'll end with "Joe's Law," apparently a partial list of some of his rules for Spring Training.

1. Be on time. No excuse for lateness.
2. Shorts and T-shirts only permitted during spring training.
3. Curfew of 1 a.m.
4. Jewelry - only one chain is permitted. No earrings.
5. Only neatly cut beards, mustaches, goatees. No long hair or "unshaven looks."
6. No family members in the clubhouse until after games.
7. No cell phones in the dugout.
8. Cell phones only allowed in the clubhouse until one hour before games.
9. No competing speakers in the clubhouse.

Sounds good to me! These guys need some discipline. Interestingly, these aren't all that different from some of the rules I wish I could impose in my classroom. Just substitute "classroom" for "clubhouse." (No, I can't control how they dress or groom themselves, but I often wish I could...)