Ch..ch..ch..changes

Every spring sees something new, and this spring is no different.

Currently, the most nervous guys in baseball are Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, Manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean.

What you don't want is to spend $126m on your new star pitcher and have him report to Spring Training with a completely remodelled delivery.

Righetti wasn't too happy about it, and he made no bones about how he felt.

That'll wear him down. He's going to over-stride," Righetti said. "It's going to be tough on him. He's a good athlete and he got himself in shape for it. Maybe it's all tied in together and he felt he had to do something. To me, it'll be about making his pitches. If he loses the curveball, which he could because he'll be throwing from a different angle now -- we'll see how sore his groin is tomorrow."

If Zito loses his curveball but ups his fastball from 88mph to low 90s, will that make him a better pitcher? I wouldn't bet on it. Greg Maddux has made a very nice career on a fastball that doesn't hit the 90s, but does hit every imaginable corner of the strike zone.

Nobody's saying that Zito's got the extreme control that Maddux has, but his entire game has been locating his fastball and changeup for strikes and then snapping off one of those amazing curve balls for a strike three. I've seen games where Zito was a couple of steps on his way to the dug out on a 2 out, 2 strike count, as he knew as soon as he released the curve it would be either a called strike three or completely unhittable.

I'm not sure why Zito would want to jeopardise that, but then again, it's been a few years since his Cy Young season, and he's been struggling with some injuries.

I for one hope he doesn't lose his curve - it is a pitch anyone who loves baseball would be hard to not admit is a thing of beauty.

Saviour

For my recent birthday, my lovely mother bought me a book which has lightened my otherwise relatively gloom existense recently (the time between the Super Bowl and the start of baseball season is always the toughest of the year).

The author is now one of the marquee names at ESPN.com, but Bill Simmons, a.k.a. the Sports Guy, came from a much humbler sport journalism background.

His book, Now I Can Die In Peace, sees him go through his Sports Guy Red Sox blogs, from the beginning on AOL.com in Boston, up to the World Series win in 2004.

It is a very funny book, and I'll add some snippets as I read it - but it is time for bed now, as it is way, way too late for me now....I know, I've turned into a wuss.

Spring is in the air...

So, we're less than 4 days away from the first set of pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training....truly the sun has returned!

Obviously, this hot stove season has seen spending on free agents look like money was going out of fashion. $55m for a lifetime 4.65 ERA pitcher? Or, if you want to count absolutes, $1m per career win so far...did every agent become Scott Boras this winter?

BoSox have finally stopped pretending they are the poor little step child to the mighty Yankees in financial terms and blew everyone out of the water for the new boy wonder Dice-K by paying $50m+ just to TALK to him!

On paper, the Red Sox look improved in almost every aspect of the lineup, with the glaring exception being the crucial closer position. Then again, I remember last years spring training, when everyone was mulling over the possible return to form of World Series hero Keith Foulke, and yet Super-Jon stepped up from out of nowhere. Now Papelbon is in the rotation, as the doctors say he cannot pitch every day, so Fort Myers will be the spot for closer auditions from the illustrious group of Joel Pineiro, Brendan Donnelly, Mike Timlin, Julian Tavarez, Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen.

Tavarez stepped up as a spot starter last year, but Hansen came out of college as the "closer of the future" - a burden you wouldn't want your worst enemy to be stuck with.

All I know is that it soon time to get that MLB.com subscription up and running again.

Welcome back baseball - rarely have I needed you as much as now.

Return?

Wow, the last few years have been mad, but I'm trying to focus on some of the lighter things in life.

More baseball comments will come soon...