for This Week’s JP Lime, we have JP Lime’s own Scholar with, in his words, “a poem that celebrates spring training only for the return of the baseball season but also as an early sign of the spring thaw from all the snowy madness.”

Spring Training

When Winter begins, we break out our coats and Holiday smiles are found all around…

But by the end February, having felt Winter’s Wrath…

Those smiles turn to frowns, and we pray for the last…

Icicle to melt and the end of the cold…

We’re all sick of shoveling this crippling snow…

But Lo and Behold! Just turn on the tube…

Or if you prefer, then Google the news…

And let it sink in, a reason to cope…

The headline reads, “Pitchers and Catchers and Hope!”

Unload the equipment from all of the trucks…

The gloves, bats, and bases, the jock straps and cups…

Look forward to freshly cut grass and warm weather…

‘Cause Winter will fade, it won’t last forever…

Arizona and Florida start all the fun…

That truly begins when Spring Training’s done…

And ball-clubs come home for Opening Day…

But in the meanwhile, let’s watch the boys play…

And shake off the rust for the regular season…

Dissect roster cuts; were they within reason?

It may still be cold, but baseball is near…

And with it comes both optimism and fear…

‘Cause some teams are stacked a lot more than the rest…

Some fan-bases brag, some fan-bases stress…

But whether your team’s good, average, or bad…

When Spring Training starts, we can all be glad…

That Winter will wane and for that we’re all stoked!

So thankful for Pitchers and Catchers and Hope!

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies-Workout