1. I’m feeling good.  It was our quietest week of the  year at CP, so I’ve actually had a few days to get myself a bit organized.  If this pace keeps up, I might even actually get my voice back by the time 2010 rolls around.  I’m sure I’ll be sick of the quiet by next week, but the good news is that there is a lot of baseball to watch, and UCONN is still looking good in March Madness.

2. Another reason to smile is that we had two high school sophomores (ages 16) hit 89mph readings on the radar gun outside in cold Massachusetts this week.  The best part is that they weren’t “everyone throws 90mph on the internet” readings; they were actually legitimate.  It’s going to be a fun spring around it; it’s always nice to see guys rewarded for their hard work in the off-season.

3. Morgan Alexander – a member of the 2006 Canadian 4-man Bobsleigh team that finished fourth in the Olympics – is in town to train with me this week.  Yesterday, he and I visited CP client Steph Holland-Brodney’s third-grade class at a local elementary school.

On one hand, it fascinated me how brilliant these kids are with respect to working computers; each of them has a laptop at each desk, and they are incredibly proficient.  Then, just as I’m about convinced that the future of America is bright with these kids, autograph time comes.  Obviously, they wanted Morgan’s autograph (and he signed a ton), but it never ceases to amaze me that they asked for mine, too.  I signed sneakers, balloons, and note cards – and I’m pretty sure that I devalued them completely (if that’s even possible) just with my signature.

4. Anyone who thinks that throwing submarine-style is easier on the arm needs to check out this picture (thanks to Paul Connolly for sending it along).  This is some serious external rotation.

As you can tell, the real change in his throwing posture comes from the hips and trunk, not so much from the arm.  As such, he’ll encounter all the same flexibility deficits that regular pitchers experience if they don’t take care of their bodies.

5. The folks at Precision Nutrition published a great article about artificial sweeteners, particularly Splenda.  Check it out: Splenda: Is it Safe?

That’s all for today.  Have a great weekend, folks!