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The ball parks at spring training are packed, in a cozy and relaxed setting which is refreshing and downright uplifting emotionally. It is as much fun to sing baseball’s anthem, “Take me out to the ball game,” as it is when you attend a regular season matchup when every game counts.

Tim Hyers, the Covington native, who is the new hitting coach for the Braves, likes the Atlanta lineup. “If we stay healthy, we can compete,” he says.

Already, most soothsayers are considering the Dodgers to be shooins to win the National League pennant and repeat as World Series champions.

The talk of baseball now is that the Dodgers have such talented depth, they look invincible. With all the deferred compensation contracts coming about, which has become controversial, the L.A. brass has recognized that with 24 million Asians living on the West Coast, the Japanese players are immensely popular.

They can take a lowball salary, say a million or two, and make millions in endorsements. Then when their skills begin to wane, late in their career, the deferred money kicks in. It is a very clever arrangement, but will the Commissioner allow this deferred practice to continue?