Baseball's in the air -- somewhere

Spring training hasn't even started, yet the Marlins already have 24 pitchers working out at the ballpark they share with the Miami Dolphins.

That's easy for the Fish to do -- they're one of the few teams that have to go north to spring training.

The ice storm that might or might not hit north Texas already has caused schools and businesses to close in anticipation ...

Meanwhile, as I write these words, the Venezuela Winter League playoffs may have reached a pivotal moment.

The regular (winter)-season champions, Leones del Caracas, entered tonight's game leading runner-up Tigres de Aragua two games to one in the best-of-seven finals. With ex-major leaguer Jeff Farnsworth shutting out los Leones for 6 1/3 innings, Aragua took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh in Maracy, Venezuela. He gave up just two hits, but walked consecutive batters with one out in the seventh.

No worry. Victor Moreno faced Carlos Maldonado and forced an inning-ending double-play grounder.

That would tie the series at two games each, and prolong the wait of the three teams besides the Venezuelan champion that will play in the Caribbean Series beginning Monday in Mexicali, Mexico.

Those teams all made short work of their championship series.

In the Dominican Republic, the defending Caribbean Series champions (Tigres de Licey) defeated Gigantes de Cibao four games to one. The only loss was in game three, forfeited because los Tigres were upset about a player's suspension. It was the 20th Dominican title for Licey, which has won the Caribbean Series 10 times.

In Mexico, regular-season champion Venados de Mazatlan swept four games from Caneros de los Mochis. This will be Mazatlan's third trip to the Caribbean Series in four years.

In Puerto Rico, where winter ball returned after a one-year hiatus, Leones de Ponce won their first title in five years by taking four of five from Lobos de Arecibo.

The Caribbean Series will mark the first games televised live by the new MLB Network. By the way, that network hired a new good talker after Sean Casey retired from the Red Sox.

Don't forget: Pitchers and catchers report in little more than three weeks.

If we're so inclined, we also can watch the second World Baseball Classic, scheduled to begin March 5 in Tokyo and finish March 23 at Dodger Stadium. They must be expecting big crowds in Japan; the cheap seats are set at 18,000 yen (about $200).

All these makes me think that baseball just might succeed on a global level the way American football once wished it could.

Meanwhile, back in Maracay, los Leones knocked Moreno out of the game. They pulled within 3-1 on Jackson Melian's homer in the top of the eighth, and Moreno was gone after walking the next batter.