Padres Preview 02/25: Spring Training Game 1!

I know. I'm just as stoked as you are.

Baseball is back!*

*it's been back for almost 2 weeks, but games!

After what seemed like an interminable offseason marked by a departure of one team and question marks abound for the Padres roster we finally get to see what happens when you combine youthful exuberance and promise with a rotation of spare parts, a former Padre and a Rule 5 surprise. Many of you will be tuning in to see who will take over key positions around the horn and observe the strides our youth movement will be taking. Hope does spring eternal, as they say. In-depth analysis of those aforementioned position battles have been written by our own roydjt.

Game one of Spring Training is the traditional intra-facility game against the former natural and Vedder Cup rival Mariners. Paul Clemens will get the ball followed by appearances from Cesar Vargas and Keith Hessler. The pitching staff will be one of the bigger (!!!) question marks heading into the season, so expect to see lots of auditions for the starting 5 and the rotation.

Not expected to make the game against the Mariners and Ariel Miranda (5-2, 3.88 ERA in 11 games last year) are Alex Dickerson and Hector Sanchez, both of whom are nursing minor injuries (back and left foot, respectively).

You can catch today's action in Peoria on the Padres new radio partner: 94.9 FM. The game will start at 12:10 PM Left Coast Time.