Seven Annoying Things About Spring Training

Now that we're into the middle of March, we'll soon begin hearing from some of MLB's veterans that they can't wait for spring training to end.

I can't say I agree with that sentiment -- after all, I still feel like I need more time to prepare for my fantasy draft -- but I will say that I find myself becoming more easily annoyed with certain parts of spring training.

So today, I plan to vent a little bit. Here are the seven things I find most annoying about spring training...

1. Closers pitching in the middle innings -- Listen, I understand that managers want their closers pitching against legitimate big league competition rather than the prospects and suspects typically in the game for the ninth inning. But there's just something odd about seeing pitchers like Mariano Rivera or Bobby Jenks entering a game in the fifth inning. More importantly, when I see a pitcher -- like Tampa Bay's Juan Salas -- pitching the ninth inning, I get excited about the prospect of finding a new closer...only to realize later that the ninth inning was completely meaningless.

2. Spring training broadcasts filled with features -- The people who produce spring training television and radio broadcasts have become incredibly annoying. Over the past couple of years, it seems, it has become fashionable to run an interview with a player -- or, in some cases, an entire press conference -- while virtually ignoring the action on the field. I realize the producers are trying to appeal to a mass audience, but a junkie like me really wants to know what's happening on the field. And speaking of that...

3. Identify all the players, please -- Nothing bothers me more than watching a telecast of, say, a Colorado Rockies game where the Rockies telecasters completely ignore the names of the opposing players. And what's more -- the production staff doesn't even bother to identify the players with graphics once the regulars leave the game. Listen, if you're going to go to all the trouble to actually broadcast the game, you could at least tell me who's playing.

4. Teams that send down their prospects too soon -- One of the great things about watching spring training baseball on television is you get the chance to see both the big leaguers and the top prospects on the field in the same game. But some teams have gotten into the habit of sending their top prospects down to their minor league camp after just a week or so of exhibition games, leaving only the big league players and a bunch of 30-year-old career Triple-A types. Here's an idea for Bud Selig: why not mandate that teams not make cuts any earlier than March 15? And for the first two weeks of the exhibition schedule, why not "strongly suggest" that teams feature three of their top prospects and at least four of their regular players in the starting lineup at all times?

5. Fans on cell phones waving behind the backstop -- I appreciate the fact that NESN and the Boston Red Sox televise so many games from City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. But do any of the ushers actually work there? Or is it just accepted practice that fans take turns walking down to the seats behind home plate so they can wave furiously while telling their friends back home to "Look at me, I'm on TV"? And this isn't a problem exclusive to Fort Myers. Again, I think the commissioner should step in here and have these people banned from attending ballgames for life.

6. Non-apology-apologies -- Seems like this has become another rite of spring. A couple of years ago we had Jason Giambi's apology -- for "something" -- just before spring training began. Then we had the infamous Congressional hearings in 2005, with plenty of doubletalk. And this year, we've heard Gary Matthews Jr. apologize for the "distraction" on one day and then deny that he did anything wrong soon after. The way I see it, unless you're planning to tell me what you're apologizing for, don't bother. Think of it this way: would your wife accept a general apology without details? Not a chance -- in fact, we all know that a stunt like that would actually make things worse than if we didn't apologize in the first place.

7. Fashion sense -- I think we can all agree that the new spring training caps look terrible. I understand wanting to market new gear, but shouldn't someone check first to make sure the new gear actually looks good? And beyond that, I'm sick of seeing those batting practice jerseys. Here's another rule proposal: All MLB teams are allowed to wear batting practice jerseys until March 17. On March 17, of course, all teams should wear green for St. Patrick's Day. And from March 18 until Opening Day, all teams should be required to wear their regular season uniforms.

OK -- rant over. My apologies for throwing so much negativity out there during such a positive, relaxed time as spring training. I'll be back with more tomorrow...