Photographic evidence of Jackson Field

Bear with me, I'm learning Flickr.

Why?

Because the sun is out in Lansing, the snow is melting, and I wanted to show you how the ballpark looks right now.  And from another angle.

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A moment of silence for Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.




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Here is Alexis Brudnicki's well-researched story on the second season of the revitalized Australian Baseball League.  Alexis provided terrific ABL coverage all winter long -- with winter, of course, being a relative term.

In case you wondered what Graeme Lloyd is up to...

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I refuse to allow overcoverage by ESPN (and its mass sports media brethren) turn me against Jeremy Lin.  But still, good G-d.  There's nothing like sports media to take a great story and just ram it into the ground any way they can, day after day.  I really couldn't blame a rational person for hoping that Lin stops hitting game-winning shots.  It's the equivalent of the "Today's Hits" radio station taking a popular song and playing it over and over throughout the day until you're just sick of hearing it.  The song isn't the real problem, and neither is Jeremy Lin.

(Former Lugnuts broadcaster Jim Tocco - shout-out! - has termed it "Lindigestion.")

In the same respect, tabloids will continue to hammer at Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan and Kim Kardashian, and it's not really their fault --  Ha.  No, I kid.  It's totally their fault.  Bad example.  I'm pretty sure that trio does whatever they can to search out attention wherever they can find it.

But I'm going to keep on rooting for Jeremy Lin -- and if that means I watch a heckuva lot less SportsCenter, so be it.  I've already tuned down my sports talk radio listening habits.  (You would too if your choices consisted of Colin Cowherd vs. Jim Rome, not to mention the excruciating nightly Rob Dibble Show.)

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Unnecessary sports stories that ESPN thinks are important:

"LeBron could see return to Cavaliers" is a classic.  When his current contract is up, of course.  Several years down the line.  Hypothetically speaking, with key emphasis on "could."

And naturally there's a Tebow story.  There always has to be a Tebow story.

"GM says Vikings not interested in signing Moss"  That's the ol' "This wasn't a story before you heard about it, and it's not a story now."  Well done.

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Finally, via Grant Brisbee at SB Nation, here's video of 19-year-old Greg Maddux of the Peoria Chiefs, pitching against the Quad City Angels in Midwest League action.