Mitchell: Potpourri

With warm temperatures this week and baseball news on every website, it’s beginning to feel like baseball season is here, despite what the calendar says. I keep waiting for Mother Nature to shout, “Fooled you!” and drop a foot and a half of ice and snow over Ohio, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

First and foremost, if you haven’t yet, you should “like” the Clippers Cargo Shop Facebook page. You can check out the latest and greatest merchandise Krista Oberlander has procured by months of scouring the world of sports apparel and memorabilia, and you may just win a prize while you’re at it.

Those who follow minor league baseball are likely aware that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a team without a real home for the 2012 season while PNC Field is slated to undergo major renovations. There is recent news out of the Electric City that doesn’t make it sound like the efforts are going as smoothly as the Yankees, the IL and Lakawanna County would like. Hopefully things can get finalized in the near future to avoid any serious long-tern ramifications.

Here is a neat story out of Pirates Spring Training. New Bucco A.J. Burnett has worn #34 his whole career, but young Daniel McCutcheon currently had claim to the number when Burnett was traded to Pittsburgh. As often happens, a new player will “buy” a number from the current owner. Cash, gifts, home renovations have all taken place, but soon-to-be-father McCutcheon got creative. He asked Burnett for a college education for his unborn baby girl. Burnett will set up a 529 education investment account for the Baby To Be Named Later.

In case you didn’t hear, Sizemore is out for the season with a torn ACL. Scott Sizemore, former Toledo mudhen and current of the Oakland A’s second baseman injured his left knee just two hours into the first team workout Saturday in Phoenix. Sorry if there was any confusion there.

Finally our buddy Tony Lastoria’s yearly Indians Prospect Insider book is finished and available to order. Check it out here.