Baseball fans are a unique group. Every February, somewhere in Arizona or Florida, a perfectly rational adult watches a 32 year old utility infielder line a double off a pitcher who will be selling insurance by July… and immediately declares, with the confidence of a Supreme Court justice, “He has to make the team.”
Spring Training turns baseball fans into gold prospectors panning a river of box scores. They swirl the stats, squint at a .417 average in 12 at-bats, and shout “Eureka” as if they’ve discovered the next Hall of Famer hiding behind Field 6 next to the nacho stand.