Spring has sprung

If you had any reservations about the Grapefruit League season starting today, they’ve been effectively overruled. Baltimore manager Dave Trembley has been holding court with several of his players for the last few hours, introducing himself to some in person and chiding others about their non-compliance with the team’s facial hair policy.

In some ways, it seems like Spring Training has been here forever. Koji Uehara is already being shadowed by a sizable Japanese press corps as he goes about his daily routine. Matt Wieters has already been interviewed by the local press corps. And Gregg Zaun and Mark Hendrickson have been making the rounds, introducing themselves to their new teammates.

Several of the team’s pitchers are already in camp, even though they’re not required to be at the facility until tomorrow. And two position players — Ryan Freel and Donnie Murphy — are in camp well ahead of their mandatory reporting date. Freel, in fact, came up with the spring’s first deadpan quip when asked if he always shows up to camp a week early.

“No,” he said. “I usually show up a month early.”