Morse goes not-deep-enough twice

Day by day, we're getting closer to real major league baseball.
Five exhibition games Wednesday featured more-or-less major league teams against each other, and a team in Miami Marlins uniforms defeated the University of Miami.
-- There were highlights -- particularly in Scottsdale, Ariz.
There, Athletics RF Josh Reddick and Giants -- I don't know, OF? -- Michael Morse engaged in a form of deja vu. Reddick twice reached over the fence to catch balls that Morse drove to the opposite field. Instead of home runs, they became outs -- three, in fact, because Reddick doubled off a mentally dozing baserunner at second base after the second and less spectacular catch. Oakland took a 10-0 lead with a six-run fourth inning and went on to win 10-5. It appears that they have built some kind of pavilion beyond the right field fence in my favorite older park in Arizona.
-- There were hints of mid-season form.
Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista hit a home run in his first at-bat as Toronto defeated the Phillies 4-3 in a game stopped after seven innings because of rain in Clearwater, Fla.
Reds OF Billy Hamilton stole his first of no doubt many bases in an 8-3 victory over the Indians.
As leadoff batter, Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury walked and scored in each of the first two innings. However, the Pirates rallied to win 6-5. 1B Gaby Sanchez might have taken note when it was Sanchez -- C Tony Sanchez -- who hit a game-tying three-run homer and 1B Chris McGuiness, hoping to become the left-handed-batting part of a platoon, who followed with a single that delivered the deciding run.
-- There were examples of fast-and-loose rules in spring training.
It also rained near Disney World, where the Tigers took a 6-5 lead on Hernan Perez's two-run single in the top of the ninth inning. The Braves had a runner on base and two out when the game was called because of rain. Instead of reverting to the last completed inning, the game was ruled a 6-5 Detroit victory. For Atlanta, Matt Lipka -- McKinney (Texas) HS teammate of Dodgers prospect Zach Lee -- entered the game late. Lipka struck out in both at-bats, but threw out Perez at the plate in the ninth.
-- There was an example of a spring appearance that most likely meant virtually nothing.
The Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers 4-1, scoring three runs in two innings against LHP Clayton Kershaw. See me in August to find out how Kershaw's doing then.
-- There were injury updates.
Angels fans might have breathed more easily when the team said OF Josh Hamilton, on crutches Tuesday, would miss just two weeks because of a strained calf muscle.
Mets LHP Jonathan Niese went back to New York to have an MRI exam on his shoulder.
Orioles 3B Manny Machado will have his injured left knee reevaluated March 18, two weeks before the season is scheduled to begin.
-- There was the retirement of a player we didn't even know still had been thinking about playing.
RHP Carl Pavano, who didn't pitch last season, announced that he has retired. Thanks. We'll all go and cross him off our fantasy draft lists.
-- There was a move that probably means nothing to either big-league team, or any fantasy team.
The White Sox claim RHP Maikel Cleto on waivers from the Royals.
-- There will be even more games Thursday.
Still, not every team will be in action. Nineteen major league extended rosters will be well used in 12 games. Those include a Red Sox doubleheader against first Northeastern University and then Boston College. The Diamondbacks will split into two squads, probably with at least 25 players each, going against the Cubs and Dodgers hordes. The Marlins also have a college opponent, meaning that they might have at least one two-game winning streak in 2014.
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Hockey. The NHL came back! Part of my team did. I remained at 67 points, but moved two points closer to second place because the current second-place team dropped to 74. My players totaled minus-10. Now I love Jarome Iginla as a player, and he did have a power-play assist Wednesday, but he still managed to be minus-3 by himself.
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Basketball. Team Fresh Prints moved into a 6-1-1 lead. Despite shooting better than 50 percent from the field, it still trails .5094-.5026 in field goal percentage. The tie is in blocks. My best hope there is Serge Ibaka, but he has just two games remaining this week. However, Carmelo Anthony, David West and potentially Raymond Felton are scheduled for three more.