Wednesday's first pitch: Let the games begin

Here's a look at today's schedule and some tidbits from around the Arizona and Cactus leagues:

• Fort Lauderdale, Fla. the Baltimore Orioles are ready to get the action started at 1:05 p.m.. They play host to the Mets.


• Now that Felix Pie is in camp, the Orioles are finally evaluating their left field options.


• The World Champs start their Grapefruit League season with a trip to Bradenton, Fla., where they'll face the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05 p.m.


• The Philadelphia Phillies will get Joe Blanton some work today.


• Phil Sheridan takes a look at a player the Phils are taking a chance on.


• The Washington Nationals also start at 1:05 p.m., and will face the Houston Astros in Kissimmee, which is always fun to say. The Southpaw loves spring.


• The Washington Times has a good story about he unexpected success of the Nats new hitting coach.


• In New York Yankees camp, Hideki Matsui is not garnering much attention, but probably should be.


• Former Oriole and current Seattle Mariner Erik Bedard is throwing to live hitters again. In an unrelated story, Carl Pavano is throwing to dead hitters. He's yet to get an out.


• The Boston Globe reports MLB officials helped federal investigators nab one of David Ortiz' friends in an identity theft scam.


• The St. Louis Cardinals have a strange game.


• In camp with the San Francisco Giants, Randy Johnson has lost something on his fastball, but not his reputation.
The Spanks will travel to Dunedin, Fla., to face the Toronto Blue Jays.

• Jake Peavy, and Roy Oswalt will anchor the United States rotation in the World Baseball Classic.
• The Southpaw somehow missed Jayson Stark's blog about the double standard between Major League Baseball and the National Steroid, I mean, Football League. Well, here it is.