Of the 27 predictors tracked by Diamond Mind Baseball (including 25 media outlets/prognosticators, and also the previous year's standings and current season's spring training standings), only four outperformed the Vegas over/under line in 2003. Of those four - Diamond Mind simulations, the Los Angeles Times, Baseball America and Baseball Digest - only Diamond Mind and the Times have consistently bested the House over the past three seasons.

What do the sportsbooks have on the over/under menu this year? This is, of course, for predictive value and conversation stimulation only; the Box does not endorse gambling.

A little bit more than you could ever say.

Before spring training games start tomorrow I decided to look back to "The Good Old Days".

It has recently come to my attention that I’m the second-oldest member of the Batter’s Box roster. It has been quite a shock to my system to think of myself in those terms. At age 47, I do not consider myself old. My father is old; I am not.

Everybody shooting from the hip, Everybody wants their Jays news.

Colby Cosh put a recent day off to good use and produced a new kind of baseball graph. It shows all the pitchers from last year who qualified for the ERA title and charts their strikeouts, walks and home runs (the 'Three True Outcomes' and the founding components of DIPS). Colby's graph plots k/ip on the y-axis, bb/ip on the x-axis and then uses dot-size to represent home runs allowed.

Some folks on the Red Sox Nation forum have taken the idea a step forward and have plotted career graphs for the Red Sox starters.

This is a very interesting project and offers the data in a form that is more intuitive than tables of data.

We'll leave the T.V. and the radio behind and see what the papers are saying about the Jays.

Every new problem brings a stranger inside, but what do the newspapers bring?

Here's the latest Jays news on a quiet Sunday.

In the March 2004 issue of Esquire magazine (hitting newsstands right about now), you may be surprised and delighted to find a feature article on newest Blue Jay Talley Haines. No, he's not an immaculate dresser or a rising Hollywood star (not that I'm aware of, anyway), but he's the case-study subject of an article on the Rule 5 Draft, written by former National Post scribe Chris Jones. The article reveals that the Jays have had their eye on Haines for a year, ever since he retired the heart of their order in a game last spring. It looks like a good read -- pick it up if you can.

Here's the latest news coming out of spring training.

No Dexy's Midnight Runners this morning, but please say hi to Eileen for me, Mick!

So what's in the ol' paper pile this morning?

While I am still reeling from Mike Williams' decision to leave USC, I can take comfort knowing that in one week -- one week! -- spring training games begin. I know they are useless in the big picture, but in the bigger-than-big picture they mean that the real games aren't far behind.

Enjoy your weekend, Canadians, Americans, Brits -- everyone. Yes, even Yankee fans.

As February winds to a close and spring training ramps up, let's take a look at the first of what will be 12 All-Star teams ... that's right, it's the All-February Team, made up entirely of players born in the shortest month. Next February, if time, energy and patience permit, we can play a tournament to determine the best of all months to be born if you want to play in The Show.

Now, first, there are nine Hall of Famers elected primarily for what they did as players who were born during February. These are Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner (ooh, pretty good start, huh?) ...

As Opening Day draws inexorably closer, one's thoughts turn unavoidably to the greatest sports-related travel itineraries in North American sports: Baseball road trips.

I'm Jonny G., and I don't own a TV.