It's the most wonderful time of the year

Last week the greatest phrase ever uttered in mankind was shouted with glee from Seattle to Miami and everywhere in-between: Pitchers and catchers report. Yes folks, baseball season is here and it couldn't have come at a better time.
For most people, those four words immediately conjure up images of hot summer days, drinking cold beers while eating brats smothered with onions and mustard. It's a time spent with friends and family enjoying what is good about life.  It makes them search the backs of their closets for their team's jersey and has kids knocking the dust off their gloves while asking their dads to play catch with them in front of the house.  Baseball is a chance to escape from the daily headaches of work; of checking your emails and worrying about what to make for dinner. Those three glorious hours each game are yours to be selfish; they are there to ease your troubled soul and let you enjoy yourself and be entertained. 
Baseball is a marathon of love.  It is 162 games of bliss and nervousness that is full of history and superstitions.  Every season spawns excitement and surprises, from Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds to the improbable and historic World Series run by the San Francisco Giants.  Spring training is the time to evaluate the young players and find the next Buster Posey, Neftali Feliz, Jason Heyward, Danny Valencia, etc.. and for the veterans to find their swings and stretch out their arms. It's the time of the year that every team is fresh with optimism that this will be the their year and the chess match they played throughout the offseason will pay off.   General managers get to show off their new shiny and expensive toys (Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, Jayson Werth) to their fans and hope the money they spent and calculated risks they've made will reward them with the ultimate prize of a World Series trophy.
There isn't a time of the year or beginning to a season that induces feelings of happiness and comfort quite like baseball. And all it takes are four little words to get the juices flowing and the excitement level raised... Pitchers and catchers report. Just typing them makes me smile.
Now I just need to hear one more thing:  Play Ball!