It's baseball somewhere

I realize that most of us are turning up the thermostat or sitting near the fireplace or piling another comforter on the bed.
But there is baseball being played.
Well, maybe not tonight, but tomorrow at least.
The Caribbean Series begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. that's when the Dominican Republic's representative, Toros del Este is scheduled to take on the Mexican Pacific League champions, Yaquis de Obregon.
Venezuela's representative, Caribes de Anzoatequi, is scheduled to take on the home country's (or commonwealth's) hope, Criollos de Caguas.
Puerto Rico's 14 Caribbean Series championships trail only the Dominican's 18. But Caguas has been a perennial contender on its home island, winning 15 league championships. The other three teams in this year's Caribbean Series are relative newcomers, with just five league titles among them -- two each for Los Toros and Los Yaquis, and only one for Caribes.
The competition remains a double round robin, with two games each day for six days and the team with the best record claiming the crown.
The Caribbean Series title could be decided before the teams even get to the last day, meaning that it could be a huge anticlimax compared to the winter league playoffs in each country.
The Mexican, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican series all went to their seven-game maximum. The shortest series was in the Dominican Republic, where the best-of-nine championship was a five-game sweep for Toros del Este.
Some playoff highlights:
-- In Mexico, the Yaquis' Marco Quevedo pitched seven innings, giving up only one run on a home run by Marshall McDougall, in a 5-2 Game 7 victory over Guasave. In a four-run fourth inning, Iker Franco hit a leadoff home run and Mario Valdez drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single.
-- In Venezuela, Mariners farmhand Luis Jimenez homered and drove in four runs as Caribes edged Aragua 8-7 in the deciding game. Josh Kroeger, a prospect turned hanger-on, showed his new Florida employers that he still can hit. He hit a three-run homer in Game 7 after leading the league with a .369 regular-season average. Keep an eye on him in the Marlins' camp. The Rockies' Jonathan Herrera went 3-for-4 and scored two runs for Caribes, and Endy Chavez, most recently in the Texas organization, had four hits including two doubles.
-- In Puerto Rico, Royals farmhand Rey Parano went 3-for-5, including a two-run single in the eighth inning, Caguas took Game 7 from Ponce 7-5. The Cubs' Lou Montanez had a homer and four RBI for the champs, who received clutch relief pitching from Eddy Ramos (4 1/3 hitless innings).
-- In the Dominican Republic, Los Toros completed their sweep with a 4-2 victory over Estrellas despite having just three hits. Two unearned runs made the difference.
Twelve days before pitchers and catchers report, there wasn't much major league news. The only transaction reported on mlb.com was that the Padres designated OF/1B Oscar Salazar for assignment.
The White Sox extended Alexei Ramirez's contract for four years and $32.5 million, with a $10-million option for a fifth year. Rockies RHP Rafael Betancourt received a far more modest extension, receiving an extra year for $4 million in 2012, with a mutual option for '13.
The Orioles have signed RHP Justin Duchscherer, limited to five games before undergoing surgery on his left hip last season, to a one-year contract for $700,000. That number would go up to $1.1 million if he makes the major league roster.
Despite winning 12 games (12-6, 4.64 ERA) for the White Sox last season, RHP Freddy Garcia could get no more than a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training for the Yankees. He's expected to compete for one of the last two spots in New York's underwhelming rotation with Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre and another veteran, RHP Bartolo Colon.
More tomorrow, when we'll say, "Play ball!" even if it is beisbol.