There is still snow kicking around the Baltimore area. Temperatures will not be far above freezing today. Still, the sun will be shining brighter, and as we all go about our daily adventures, we'll be able to feel just a little bit warmer, because down in Sarasota, spring training has begun. As of today, pitchers and catchers have reported. Baseball is back, baby.
We've still got a ways to go to get to real baseball. As exciting as it is right now to know that spring training has begun, the fact is that early spring training consists of little more than drills and fielding practice, of beat writers complaining about hotel rooms and taking grainy pictures and Zapruder film-quality video of bullpen sessions and batting practice.
Even once the exhibition season begins, many games, especially road games, will not feature many players who could be classified as "Orioles" - or even necessarily Orioles prospects. The camp filler gets a lot of action in those road games, and late in home games too.
None of it really matters except hoping that no one gets hurt. Good performance won't matter because it doesn't count yet. For anyone who is not doing well in Grapefruit League action, O's fans will have to be hoping that they're going to get it turned around before real baseball begins. Otherwise they'll end up like Bud Norris last year, with a horrible spring training that turned into a horrible regular season.
Looking for the spring training schedule? The O's start out on the road on March 1 - already less than two weeks away. You can view the rest of the schedule here.
Want a little MASN in your life before Opening Day? They'll be broadcasting seven games: 1:05 games on March 8, 10, 16, 20, and 25, and 6:05 games on March 29 and 30. Only that March 20 game is on a weekend. If you're stuck at work for the others, sorry. Let's hope Gary Thorne gets some action in those games. I've missed that guy.
As for who will actually be kicking around Sarasota, here's a run through of the roster. Non-roster invitees are in italics.
ORIOLES SPRING TRAINING ROSTER
PITCHERS
| Player | Number | Throws | Height | Weight | Date of Birth |
| Pedro Beato | 57 | RHP | 6'6" | 230 | 10/27/86 |
| Jeff Beliveau | 40 | LHP | 6'1" | 190 | 1/17/87 |
| Brad Brach | 35 | RHP | 6'6" | 215 | 4/12/86 |
| Parker Bridwell | 68 | RHP | 6'4" | 190 | 8/2/91 |
| Zach Britton | 53 | LHP | 6'3" | 195 | 12/22/87 |
| Dylan Bundy | 49 | RHP | 6'1" | 200 | 11/15/92 |
| Cesar Cabral | 64 | LHP |
6'3" |
250 | 2/11/89 |
| Odrisamer Despaigne | 43 | RHP | 6'0" | 205 | 4/4/87 |
| Oliver Drake | 71 | RHP | 6'4" | 215 | 1/13/87 |
| Jason Garcia | 61 | RHP | 6'0" | 185 | 11/21/92 |
| Kevin Gausman | 39 | RHP | 6'3" | 190 | 1/6/91 |
| Mychal Givens | 60 | RHP | 6'0" | 210 | 5/13/90 |
| Miguel Gonzalez | 50 | RHP | 6'1" | 170 | 5/27/84 |
| Hunter Harvey | 72 | RHP | 6'3" | 175 | 12/9/94 |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | 31 | RHP | 6'5" | 210 | 1/22/84 |
| Chris Jones | 69 | LHP | 6'2" | 205 | 9/19/88 |
| Chris Lee | 62 | LHP | 6'4" | 175 | 8/17/92 |
| Brian Matusz | 17 | LHP | 6'5" | 190 | 2/11/87 |
| T.J. McFarland | 66 | LHP | 6'3" | 219 | 6/8/89 |
| Darren O'Day | 56 | RHP | 6'4" | 220 | 10/22/82 |
| Andy Oliver | 41 | LHP | 6'3" | 215 | 12/3/87 |
| Todd Redmond | 58 | RHP | 6'3" | 240 | 5/17/85 |
| Chaz Roe | 65 | RHP | 6'5" | 190 | 10/9/86 |
| Chris Tillman | 30 | RHP | 6'5" | 200 | 4/15/88 |
| Ashur Tolliver | 76 | LHP | 6'0" | 170 | 1/24/88 |
| Andrew Triggs | 74 | RHP | 6'4" | 210 | 3/16/89 |
| Tyler Wilson | 63 | RHP | 6'2" | 185 | 9/25/89 |
| Vance Worley | 48 | RHP | 6'2" | 250 | 9/25/87 |
| Mike Wright | 59 | RHP | 6'6" | 215 | 1/3/90 |
Did you ever try to play a little game in a class or other small group of 25-30 people where you try to figure out if anyone shares a birthday? I was always told 30 was the point where, more likely than not, two people will share a birthday. There are 29 invited pitchers. Wilson and Worley share a birthday. Go figure!
CATCHERS
| Player | Number | Bats | Height | Weight | Date of Birth |
| Jonah Heim | 78 | S | 6'3" | 190 | 6/27/95 |
| Caleb Joseph | 36 | R | 6'3" | 180 | 6/18/86 |
| Francisco Pena | 27 | R | 6'2" | 230 | 10/12/89 |
| Audry Perez | 75 | R | 5'10" | 220 | 12/23/88 |
| Chance Sisco | 73 | L | 6'2' | 195 | 2/24/95 |
| Matt Wieters | 32 | S | 6'5" | 230 | 5/21/86 |
The meaninglessness of spring training has already been established - but, having said that, it will be interesting to see what Sisco can show in the big league camp before he inevitably gets re-assigned. Will he be able to hit Triple-A and MLB-caliber pitchers? Will he show improved defense? If the answer to these things is yes throughout 2016, he could be your starting catcher in a year.
INFIELDERS
| Player | Number | Bats | Throws | Height | Weight | Date of Birth |
| Chris Davis | 19 | L | R | 6'3" | 230 | 3/17/86 |
| Ryan Flaherty | 3 | L | R | 6'3" | 220 | 7/27/86 |
| J.J. Hardy | 2 | R | R | 6'1" | 200 | 8/19/82 |
| Paul Janish | 15 | R | R | 6'2" | 200 | 10/12/82 |
| Manny Machado | 13 | R | R | 6'3" | 185 | 7/6/92 |
| Trey Mancini | 67 | R | R | 6'4" | 215 | 3/18/92 |
| Ozzie Martinez | 79 | R | R | 5'10" | 200 | 5/7/88 |
| Jonathan Schoop | 6 | R | R | 6'1" | 225 | 10/16/91 |
| Steve Tolleson | 18 | R | R | 5'11" | 185 | 11/1/83 |
| Christian Walker | 34 | R | R | 6'0" | 220 | 3/28/91 |
Mancini is one of the non-roster invitees whose performance will be worth watching. They might stick him out in the outfield and see what happens. Good luck. Keep hitting and you'll show up eventually.
OUTFIELDERS
| Player | Number | Bats | Throws | Height | Weight | Date of Birth |
| Dariel Alvarez | 12 | R | R | 6'2" | 180 | 11/7/88 |
| Xavier Avery | 70 | L | L | 6'0" | 190 | 1/1/90 |
| L.J. Hoes | 28 | R | R | 6'0" | 200 | 3/5/90 |
| Adam Jones | 10 | R | R | 6'2' |
215 | 8/1/85 |
| Hyun Soo Kim | 25 | L | R | 6'2" | 220 | 1/12/88 |
| Alfredo Marte | 80 | R | R | 5'11" | 200 | 3/31/89 |
| Efren Navarro | 29 | L | L | 6'0" | 210 | 5/14/86 |
| Nolan Reimold | 14 | R | R | 6'4" | 205 | 10/12/83 |
| Joey Rickard | 23 | R | L | 6'1" | 185 | 5/21/91 |
| Mark Trumbo | 45 | R | R | 6'4" | 225 | 1/16/86 |
| Henry Urrutia | 51 | L | R | 6'5" | 200 | 2/13/87 |
Even Trumbo gets listed as an outfielder, and yet...
DESIGNATED HITTER
| Jimmy Paredes | 38 | S | R | 6'3" | 200 | 11/25/88 |
...this is why I suspect Paredes will be the one to get designated for assignment if the Orioles sign Dexter Fowler. And if they add Yovani Gallardo, someone else's number comes up there as well. For fans, spring training is a time of renewal, excitement, and hope for the season to come, but for a whole lot of players, spring training is the time they're told they're not quite good enough.
There are 46 days to go until Orioles Opening Day. Hang in there. We'll make it.