Spring Training Has Arrived

It's been a relatively quiet past two weeks for the Dodgers.

Oh, yeah, sure, Manny had something to say. And then he had something to say again.

But did he really tell us anything the first time that we didn't already know? Not really.

And was he just having fun with us when he changed courses the second time around? You betcha.

And of course, the media ran with it both times.

Ah, it's that time of year again.

The warm air; the sunny Arizona and Florida skies. The green grass. The muffled sounds of a 95-mph fastball hitting a catcher's mitt. The hallowed sound of a bat cracking on impact with another 95-mph fastball.

Ah yes, life is finally back to normal.

The Blue have taken refuge at The Ranch for the next four weeks. They have their official Spring Training opener this Friday against their "Ranchmates," the White Sox. A home-and-home series, so-to-speak. One team is the home team on Friday, and the other on Saturday.

And with that, as the Dodgers continue to figure out who will be their fifth starter, or who will be their everyday second baseman, or who will round out the bench, and the bullpen, they quietly keep adding to their collection of veterans coming in on minor league contracts with Spring Training invitations.

Today's addition: Garret Anderson.

Anderson played for a number of years with the cross-town Angels, and then bolted for Atlanta before last season as a free agent. So of course, G.A., as he was so popularly known as down in the O.C., finding a home in Dodger Blue can only sting a little when it comes to Halo fans down I-5.

Of course, there's also no guarantees Anderson even makes the team. He's competing with Brian Giles and Doug Meintkiewicz to be the left-handed bat off the bench. And, as it's been said here before, unless by some miracle chance the Blue go with 11 pitchers out of Spring Training instead of the recent customary 12, Meintkiewicz would seem to have the inside track to serve as not only the primary lefty bat off the bench, but also as James Loney's back-up. That would all but eliminate any chance of the Dodgers carrying five outfielders.

But then again, with the health questions of Giles and Meintkiewicz, Anderson might be the only sure thing among the three.

You can't really even fault Ned Colletti for at least trying. He knows most of these guys he's brought in have little-to-no chance of panning out. So naturally, the plan is to bring in as many of these guys as possible anyway, throw them out there in Spring Training, hope one or two of them pan out (my votes go to Anderson, Ronnie Belliard, Jeff Weaver and Eric Gagne, for nostalgia purposes), and then take the credit for it later in the year when he's labeled a genius for pulling a rabbit out of his hat.

Ah, the joys of Spring Training.