How fitting that most Major League Baseball teams have opened or will open spring training on Valentine’s Day, when we celebrate all that we love.
Of course, there is no greater gift than the game of baseball, which is what makes this year’s holiday better than ever.
As of Friday, 20 teams have reported to camp. The Arizona Diamondbacks started first, with pitchers and catchers reporting on February 6, since their regular season will begin on March 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Australia.
The only teams yet to report are the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.
Those clubs will all be in camp no later than Sunday, February 16.
In the subsequent eight days, players have converged on Arizona and Florida to get a jump-start on the 2014 season. Yes, after more than three months away, baseball is finally back.
Because we love baseball so much, and there’s no shortage of storylines to watch, we wanted to provide you with a look at the best photos and quotes from around the sport as teams begin preparing for the regular season.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.