10 SPRING TRAINING STORIES TO WATCH

1. Barry Bonds’ pursuit of history

No story will dominate spring training like the mother of all stories. Bonds stands 22 homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time record, and there appears to be no stopping him now. Unless Bud Selig suspends him for steroid use or a federal grand jury indicts him for perjury. Either way, everyone will be watching.

2. Daisuke Matsuzaka’s arrival in Boston

The latest — and priciest — import from Japan, “Dice K” joins an already stacked Red Sox rotation that includes Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon. Whether Matsuzaka is worth all the money Boston spent remains to be seen, but there’s no question he will become an instant celebrity in baseball-mad New England.

3. The Cubs’ spending spree

They spent about $300 million to bring in Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and manager Lou Piniella and re-sign Aramis Ramirez in an effort to turn things around. But what good is it if Kerry Wood and Mark Prior are injured again?

4. Roger Clemens’ annual retirement tease

Is the Rocket done for good this time, or does he have yet one more farewell season in him? And if so, will it come with the Yankees, the team he left four years ago at the time of his first so-called retirement? Stay tuned.

5. Sammy Sosa’s last gasp

The once-beloved slugger sat out all of last season when no one was willing to offer him a major league contract. This time, he agreed to a minor league deal with the Rangers and now must earn his way onto their roster. Can Slammin’ Sammy restore his good name, or is he doomed to be saddled with steroids suspicion forever?

Story Continues →