If there's any good news for the Philadelphia Phillies it's that Chipper Jones retired. The Atlanta Braves and the Phillies hook up for their first Spring Training meeting of 2013 and it should be a dandy. Check out the link provided for the online live stream of this game. Why watch this Spring Training game if you're a fan? Good question, here's why.
As far as the Braves, they have a lot of different races going on in their camp. Right now the biggest one is the battle of the third basemen. As mentioned previously, Jones is no longer in the Braves organization following his retirement. Last season, he scorched the Phillies with not one, but two game-ending walkoffs. The Braves currently have Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson battling for the position.
Yesterday, both guys had tremendous days. Francisco received a lot of attention after blasting an opposite field home run going 2-4 in Wednesday's game and Johnson finished the day 2-2 as the Braves went on to defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-3. If this display continues, Braves' manager Fredi Gonzalez will have a tougher time deciding who will earn the spot.
Another interesting thing to follow in Braves camp is the emergence of Evan Gattis an outfielder, first baseman who can play some catching. He's currently hitting .556 with a home run in Spring Training. He's battling for a spot on the Braves' bench.
As for the Phillies, they have some talent emerging as well in their camp. Currently, Dominique Brown is the outfielder they're waiting to break out. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard can only speak well of this guy and his talents. As the Phillies' game is aired, this is your chance to stay on top of this guys performance.
And speaking of Utley, he could be the difference between the Phillies having a mediocre or competitive season in 2013. He's playing great spring ball right now and simply provides the team with a more fearsome lineup.
The addition of Michael Young should make the Phillies a scrappy team in 2013.