Atlantic League opens spring training with new faces

LAKELAND, Fla – The independent Atlantic League started its spring training here this week. Seven of the league’s eight teams came to Tigertown – Detroit’s spring training complex – for 10 days worth of workouts. Only Newark didn't head south.

Tuesday and Wednesday were team days. Spring training games begin Thursday afternoon. The Dugout hopes to attend one of those matchups (Camden vs. York).

Speaking of York, The Dugout spent some time with Jim Seip, the beat writer who covers the Revolution. Kudos to the York Daily Record for sending a writer to Florida for a week. After the winter they’ve had, Seip is awfully pleased to spend a week in the Sunshine State.

The biggest name in camp, Carl Everett, will play for the Long Island Ducks. Everett had fun in batting practice trying to reach the cars parked beyond the outfield fence. He succeeded several times, offering to autograph the dents.

Bobby Darula, who has two of the funniest stories in the book The Funniest Thing I’ve Ever Seen: More than 100 crazy stories from minor league baseball, started last season with Bridgeport before returning to affiliated ball with Atlanta. Darula is back with Bridgeport this season after a freak elbow injury suffered last season side-arming a ball back to the infield. He underwent Tommy John surgery and expects to be ready to start the season.

Just cause it’s bugging us: Sheryl Crow's suggestion that we should be limited to one square of toilet paper per bathroom trip in order to stop Global Warming may be the dumbest idea ever. Ever. Ever.

Did she really say that out loud? Crow now claims it wasa joke. The Dugout thinks that's Global Revisionism.

After using our allotted square, would it be alright to use the booklets that are packaged with her CDs? Or is that just too much crap in one place?