Dealing With Baseball Withdrawal

Baseball fans around the country are waiting; as they devote their fandom to college basketball, the NFL, and BCS bowls, most are left feeling an emptiness that will only be cured on Feburary 17, 2010.
On this date, nearly all teams require pitchers and catchers to report to the spring training facilities. It is here that their season will begin. However, this date is still a long way off, and it is up to the devoted fan to keep up with baseball happenings of the offseason.  There are a few easy ways to do that, and being familiar with these resources will keep YOU the fan involved in baseball, even as the temperatures dip and snow begins to fall.
MLBTradeRumors.com
    This free website is a great tool for any baseball fan fascinated with the Hot Stove happenings of the winter months. Their motto, ‘If it’s whispered, we hear it ‘ says it all.  The site gathers rumors surrounding free agents and possible trades from credible journalists throughout the country, sourcing all of it with links. MLBTR has grown virally on the Internet, drawing praise from many, including ESPN’s Peter Gammons. They post new material every day of the year, and for the baseball fan experiencing withdrawal, there isn’t a better place to keep up with your team.
Buster Olney Blog
    One of the most respected baseball writers in America, Buster Olney maintains a blog on ESPN.com throughout the baseball offseason.  He updates it 2-3 times a week, and the updates are loaded with links relevant to trades and rumors, as well as insight that only he can provide. His vast connections and knowledge about the game make his blog an invaluable resource for the interested fan. While there are other baseball blogs on ESPN.com such as Keith Law’s and Peter Gammons’, Buster’s is far and away the best of the trio. Accurate analysis coupled with newsbreaks that the other two cannot compete with set Buster in a class by himself.  If you want to keep up with baseball in the offseason, it’s impossible to go wrong with Buster’s blog.
Bats Blog - NYTimes.com
    As a blog run by the online wing of the New York Times, its natural to assume that this blog would focus on Mets and Yankees news, which for the most part is true. That being said, the blog does devote a good amount of coverage to non-mertopolitan are teams, and is updated roughly 3 times a week in the offseason. Featuring the great NYT talents Tyler Kepner, Ben Shpigel, Jack Curry, and Joe Lapointe, Bats Blog keeps fans in the know through short but informative posts that muse on trades, break news regarding free agent signings, and keep the reader informed of the smallest rumors regarding their favorite teams and players.

So there you have it, baseball junkies. While the regular season is still months away, there’s nothing quite like keeping up with the offseason activity of your favorite team. With these three sites, you will be as familiar with your team’s offseason plans as the GM himself. It may not be as exciting as watching a game, but it sure beats shoveling the driveway!