The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. Its been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But, baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and could be again. —Field of Dreams

 

Without fail, every spring I wax poetic about the return of baseball and all that is Good and True in the world. Baseball is part of American culture.

Just look at last year’s playoffs and the Red Sox and Cubs fans. During the off-season, baseball stayed in the headlines, what with THG, the incredible amount of player movement and the insane Sox-Yankees competition.

But for all the entertainment that baseball provided, it proved over and over that the game is tainted. Now when players report to camp, we wonder who’s juiced, who’s not and who the hell is on what team.

I know, though, that baseball will endure. The allegiances and rivalries of the game may encourage doing whatever it takes to get ahead, but that competitive fire is also undeniably precious. So with that optimism, I give you my top five wishes for the season ahead.

5. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte become power hitters.

How funny is it going to be to see these two hulking power pitchers bat for the first time in their careers?

I want to see them get brushed back, glare at the opposing pitcher and then slap a liner right back at the mound. I want them to whiff so bad that the outfielders feel the breeze. I want them to share tips on hitting during their daily workouts.

I want one of them to go head-to-head with Mark Prior or Kerry Wood, matching zeroes inning after inning, and then win the game with a walk-off homer.

Hey, it is a field of dreams after all...

4. Pitchers actually pitch to Barry Bonds.

Put an asterisk next to his name if you want, but good Lord, can Bonds hit. I bet he could crank out close to 100 homers if he saw anything decent at the plate.

Let’s see him try.

3. A big name to get caught on steroids.

Truthfully, only a dumb player with horrible trainers is going to get caught juicing. The testing policy is such a joke that nothing will happen to the guy until the fifth positive test anyway.