“In spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of baseball.” – After Lord Tennyson

How better to celebrate Valentine’s Day – most assuredly not named for the respected former Mets manager and despised former Red Sox manager – by renewing our romance with baseball as pitchers and catchers have reported?  At last, the winter of free agency discontent has ended (or at least been pushed aside) and the sun of York (by which we mean either Aaron Judge or Yoenis Cespedes) plans for a glorious summer.  Or at least for a fresh start and six weeks of Florida and Arizona ball.

If baseball isn’t your sport, there is plenty else going on:

• While Avocadolympians have a daily thread to discuss the Winter Games, feel free to talk about it here, too.  Especially men’s hockey, my particular Olympic favorite even without anyone I’ve heard of.
• And there is also the NHL, with the trade deadline approaching, and the Rangers having actually announced a rebuild to their fans. Anyone want a slightly used Rick Nash?
• The NBA trade deadline gave us a rebuild too, as the Cavs have been reborn once more. And the All Star Game is upon us, too.
• The first official prediction of the NCAA men’s basketball top seeds is here.  I have no idea what the point of it is, but right now, the best in the land is apparently Virginia.
• Meet the new boss of US Soccer, almost the same as the old boss.

As ever, discussion of other sports is welcome.