Happy Baseball Solstice!

Today is Dec. 31st, 2014, which is this year's Baseball Solstice - the day on which we are at the midpoint between the end of the World Series and the beginning of Spring Training games. Astronomically speaking, that should be the Baseball Equinox, but we'll go with it.

It's been bitterly cold in Colorado the past couple days, only today starting to warm up a bit to a point where it isn't borderline painful to be outside. It makes me long for the days of spring and summer, when baseball is happening and the sun doesn't set during business hours.

You could almost say that I have...

2014 Topps Spring Fever #SF-20 Jose Fernandez

...Spring Fever!

No doubt that Jose Fernandez does, too. I'm sure he's itching to get back on the mound after his Tommy John surgery last season.

I've set aside the two insert cards that appear in this post for months, just waiting for the perfect time to do an "is it spring yet?" post. Now that Colorado has recovered from subzero temperatures, this seems like a good time. They're both from the 50-card "Spring Fever" insert sets, which Topps has printed for each of the last two years.

In the month of January, which marks the one-year anniversary of Infield Fly Rule, I'll be doing numerous trade posts. I have six or seven that arrived before Christmas, and two more from new trading partners that arrived today after a long day at work. I am even planning on doing a giveaway. Watch this space!

Now that it's almost 2015, I am assured by a Cubs fan friend of mine that "this is the year." Of course, that seems to be true for every Cubs season, but with some of their young rookies like Alcantara and Soler, and off-season pickups like Jon Lester, he might be right.

2013 Topps Spring Fever #SF-14 Anthony Rizzo

I'm sure Rizzo will do all he can to make that come true. But so will the members of twenty-nine other teams.

Soon.

Happy New Year!