Hitting The Cutoff Man

Anyone not living under a rock the past couple of years has the words "hope" and "change" imprinted on their brains.

But inspiring throngs of ardent supporters with visions of a better tomorrow is not the sole domain of people running for our nation's highest office (or any public office).

Baseball players employ this tactic as well as anyone, and Spring Training is the frantic climax of their campaign to win the hearts and minds of their teammates, coaches and fans, not to mention gullible fantasy baseball owners. It's truly amazing how everyone comes to camp in "the best shape of their life," or with a new batting stance, a new pitch, a new type of workout or with a personal chef in tow who is totally going to revolutionize this guy's diet.

I suppose it's human nature to look for reasons why this year will be better, whether you're the one doing the telling or the believing. And there's really not much harm in it, unless you're a decision-maker (real or fantasy) who's going to put more stock in someone's predicted re-birth than in the statistical evidence at hand.

I don't have the time, energy or means to look back at past claims of turning over new leaves to see how many actually resulted in some sort of sustained improvement. But let's put it this way: If every claim someone made in Spring Training turned out to be legitimate, MLB would have to bring back the long defunct second All-Star Game.

So without further adieu, let's take a quick look at just a few of the hopeful tales we've been told so far in Spring Training.

Who: Geovany Soto, C, Cubs
Change: 40 pounds lighter!
Hope: A more svelte Soto will return to the form he showed in 2008, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year award.
Comment: Soto likely will improve upon his dreadful 2009, but it will probably have more to do with his batting average on balls in play returning to a normal range.

Who: David Wright, 3B, Mets
Change: One ticket to the gun show!
Hope: More muscle will mean a return to the home run numbers of years past.
Comment: Maybe Wright feels he needs the extra juice to clear the fences at Citi Field, but his power numbers were likely to move back toward his career averages anyways.

Who: Delmon Young, OF, Twins
Change: A new man, in body and mind!
Hope: A good attitude and a tighter waistline will help this once-top prospect get back on track.
Comment: A slimmer frame probably could help Young in the outfield, where he's been dreadful defensively the past two years.

Who: Kyle Farnsworth, P, Royals
Change: He's a starter -- with a new pitch!
Hope: A new changeup will help this inconsistent reliever blossom in the rotation.
Comment: Because what the Royals need is MORE innings from Kyle Farnsworth. But hey, it's worth a try.

Who: Gerald Laird, C, Tigers
Change: A new stance!
Hope: Resting his bat on his shoulder before the pitch will help him raise last season's .225 average.
Comment: A new stance on public brawling would be good too.