A non Braves pitcher to root for...

Well...pitchers and catchers have reported to camp already and I can already feel baseball fever in my blood. Once again, I'll be going down to catch some spring training action in March.

Really, for a Braves fan, this will be one of the more boring Spring trainings we've had in awhile. We pretty much know what the roster will look like on opening done. The only thing spring training will determine this year is who gets the 5 spot in the rotation (but nearly every team can say the same thing. The battle for the end of the rotation is probably one of the most overrated baseball topic. Every team does it, fans and bloggers analyze it to death, yet the 5 spot will hardly have an impact on how well the season goes, with the exception of some major breakthrough performance. But enough of that soap box).

I'd also expect the runner up in that battle to also have a bullpen slot. The only other thing to watch is this spring is the battle for backup catcher. Whoever the choice is, once again, probably won't have a huge impact on the season.

So Braves fans will be watching the 5th starter battle (everyteam has those) and the backup catcher battle (boring).

Something (or someone) else I will have my eye on this spring (or...summer) is a name that isn't the most popular name among minor league pitchers, but is someone I've been rooting for since my sophomore year of college.

In 2002, fellow Ooltewah High School 2002 graduate Adam Howard was drafted by the Pirates in the 34th round. Adam turned down the offer to pitch college ball. Two years later, in 2004, the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the 44th round and Adam became a minor league pitcher.

Fast forward three years to last season, 2007. Last season Adam climbed the ladder from Low-A all the way to Triple-A Tucson.

This season I will be rooting hard for Adam. To the best I can figure out, he isn't one of the Diamondbacks non-roster invites. But being at AAA Tucson, he doesn't have far to go (literally!) With injuries to pitchers these days and with a good, solid showing at AAA I'd love to see a fellow classmate on a majorleague mound, pitching for the same team as Webb, Haren, and Randy Johnson.

I faced Adam twice in little league. He struck me out both times but I did manage to make contact once, fouling it to the backstop. After facing him that day, I knew there was something special about Adam's arm. Even at such a young age he was clearly a better/faster/more accurate thrower than anyone around.

Oh, and he quarterbacked our High School football team.

We're rooting for you Adam!