It's time for baseball now.
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training starting Feb. 18. The MLB.com Fantasy Preview and Fantasy games are out on Monday. The countdown is officially under way, now that the football clock has ticked to :00 and the jazz is flowing in the French Quarter.
"We pulled it off," Ron Washington said Sunday night amid much background noise, pure civic love in his voice. "I tell you what, New Orleans is a world champion now."
The Rangers' manager was born in New Orleans. He grew up there. He had seven feet of water in his home after Hurricane Katrina, and he stayed while most of his family members relocated to Houston. As he spoke to MLB.com throughout the game from the home of his sister, Lorraine, Bourbon Street was increasingly jam-packed. The Saints had just beaten the favored Colts, ending the winter reign of football and transitioning to baseball once more.
"I think everything that this city's been through, since Katrina came up here and changed everyone's life, the Saints is all they had to hold on to," Washington said. "The city of New Orleans has been supporting the Saints for a lot of years, and now to finally get the championship under their belt is a blessing. This year has been special for this team and for a city that has been trying to get itself together after Katrina. No one can understand the devastation until you've had to pull yourself together from something like that.
"We all were touched by it. One of my sisters didn't come back. Her home got destroyed, she had an opportunity to rebuild like I did, and she decided when she went to Houston to just stay. Our whole family is there. It's just myself, a brother and a sister that's back in New Orleans. The people here, they are certainly gonna have a good time. Through all the bad times -- and there were many -- the people here supported their football team. They love their football team."
Washington is taking stock of this one, soaking it in, the good kind of soaking it in this time. He leaves Friday for Dallas, and then from there leaves on Sunday for Spring Training camp in Surprise, Ariz. He has a message, a new message to bring to a Rangers team that is one of only three active clubs never to reach a World Series.
"The things that my young players went through this year, we stayed in the hunt all the way to the end, I think it's going to make us better for it because we have talent," Washington said. "We realized what it takes. If we stay healthy, I do believe we can surprise some people. The message that we've been sending since the winter started, it's our time. We brought the Angels to almost the last few games of the season, and all we've been talking about all winter is: It's our turn. It's time for the Texas Rangers. Now we just go out and play better baseball than everyone else on this day."
Marlins catcher John Baker was kind enough to e-mail MLB.com from pregame through the finish during the Super Bowl Watch Party, and now he assumes territorial claim on the Sun Life Stadium field following Spring Training. Baker, who reports to Marlins camp with other pitchers and catchers on Feb. 20, said he hopes that venue ends another sports season in 2010.
"While the game didn't turn out as I had hoped (congrats to the Saints) it seems the best team won," Baker said. "It is very refreshing to see two small market teams battle it out for football's greatest prize on our field in Miami. I can only hope that baseball's championship will be decided in the same location: Sun Life Stadium. Watching any team win a championship is inspiring, and great motivation for us to hit the ground running in Spring Training 2010. I can't wait to get out there and help another small market team work its way to a championship."
That is the talk of baseball, the talk of 30 teams that all have aspirations of winning a World Series or at least advancing to the postseason.
Orioles outfielder Adam Jones was at his mother's house watching the game, cheering for the Colts all night, and while the Lombardi Trophy was presented to the Saints, he was being harassed by a houseful of friends and family.
"Everybody was getting on that bandwagon," Jones said. "I've got a houseful of Chargers fans and they're getting on the Saints bandwagon. But I understand it. I'm talking about the 300 million people of this country. It's for the city of New Orleans, I completely understand it."
Then, as he held the phone to his ear, he said this to everyone razzing him on the spot: "I'm gonna talk about this one more day, and you guys will still be talking about it two weeks later. I'm already over it. It's baseball season."
It's baseball season.
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Florida and Arizona starting on Feb. 18. Although he is a position player, Jones, coming off an All-Star season, said he is going to show up early with the batterymates. He had a final thought about the big game first.
"I think actually there were two biggest plays," he said. "It was the fourth-and-one to go for it, then the real conservative way the Colts came out in the second half. Just overall, the Saints were better. They weren't afraid of it. That was a good call before halftime. They deserved to win. Their game plan was better."
Matt Stairs is still coaching high school hockey up in Bangor, Maine, while he waits to hit his new Padres Spring Training camp next weekend. But he knows the time for baseball is now here.
"Always the same. Football is done. Now baseball is coming," Stairs said. He was thinking about what is now unfolding on Bourbon Street, what kind of celebration they will have for the city of New Orleans' first major sports championship -- and was reminded about how it felt to ride that long-awaited Phillies victory parade after the 2008 World Series.
"I don't think New Orleans will have as many people as we did, close to 3 million people, but it's something every pro athlete should go through one time," Stairs said. "To ride through your Main Street and to see the joy on the face of fans. It's exciting. Now I know what they mean by parade elbow. You're waving to all those people for a long time."
MLB.com celebrated the annual handoff from football to baseball with a Super Bowl Watch Party from pregame through the trophy presentation ...
9:48 p.m. ET -- Saints win Super Bowl, 31-17.
More to come ...
9:36 p.m. ET -- Saints 31, Colts 17, late fourth quarter
Back in Visalia, Calif., the background noise was all Saints as Astros manager Brad Mills answered the phone. "You hear that?" he asked.
The Saints had just been the beneficiaries of instant replay, as their attempt at a two-point conversion was ruled successful after closer inspection. "I'll still take our umpires' calls," Mills said with a laugh. The Saints at that point were up a full 7, with time dwindling.
"They set the standard for this game when, even though they didn't score, they went for that touchdown on fourth down in the first half," Mills said. "Since then, it's been a very good game. They have to be going crazy in New Orleans."
Just to be sure, we called Rangers manager Ron Washington back -- the other Texas state manager.
"Who Dat?" was the voice answering on the other end.
"Who Dat gonna beat them Saints?"
Washington was laughing. Everyone at his sister Lorraine's house was going slightly wild -- especially the host, who "lives and dies with it." The Saints had just added another quick TD with the 74-yard interception return by Tracy Porter.
"I know they're going crazy at my sister's house right now," Washington said, when told what Mills had just said. "They had to play some defense and they pulled one out there. That was a bad pass by Manning. Now [the Colts] have got to score two touchdowns.
"If this holds up, I'm just going to be happy that the Saints won. I can't put up with that crowd, but I know the city will be lit up. You can believe that. There will be a lot of horns. It's already Mardi Gras time, you know? But I tell you what, the city needs it. It needs it, it needs it. It's something to be happy about."
9:20 p.m. ET -- Saints 24, Colts 17, fourth quarter
Marlins catcher John Baker, heir to the Sun Life Stadium playing surface after the Super Bowl is finished, said at the start of the fourth: "One-point game with one quarter left. Who could ask for more?"
8:57 p.m. ET -- Colts 17, Saints 16, end of third quarter
Joseph Addai took the handoff from Peyton Manning and tapdanced his way into the end zone to put Indy back on top. But back in Omaha, at the home of Twins pitcher Brian Duensing's in-laws, they finally converted the last holdout, his father-in-law, to jump on the Saints bandwagon.
"He was the last one here rooting for the Colts," said Duensing, who grew up a Chiefs fan in Kansas City. "It's just ridiculous. This is a great game. The pace of the game has picked up in the second half, back and forth, I like that. The middle of the first half seemed kind of boring, not much going on."
And just like that, Garrett Hartley nailed a 47-yard field goal, cutting the Colts' lead to one.
Duensing was told what Rangers manager Ron Washington had just relayed to MLB.com from home in New Orleans, where there was so much background noise. Could you imagine the scene on Bourbon Street if the Saints can rally again and win this Super Bowl?
"I think the word to describe it would be disaster. It would be mayhem. Probably pretty fun," Duensing said.
Favorite commercial so far?
"We loved the Snickers one with Betty White right out of the gate," said the Twins' Game 1 starter in the 2009 American League Division Series against the Yankees. "And the most recent Volkswagen one where the kid hits his grandpa."
Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson was taking a pass on the game, focusing on his training. "Gym time!" he tweeted. "Betting attendance at Gold's in Huntington [Calif.] is single digits." Nationals pitcher Colin Ballester, completely enthralled along with most of the U.S. population, tweeted: "Colts are my new favorite team to watch."
8:33 p.m. ET -- Saints 13, Colts 10, third quarter
Rangers manager Ron Washington is in New Orleans right now, at his sister's home. Church was an amazing sight there this morning, he said.
"Everybody dressed in their black and gold, it was exciting in church," he said. "It's wild right now. Saints fever all over the place. I just hope they can play a good enough game to pull it out. It's nice for the city."
When you talk to the Rangers' manager right now, during this game, there is a lot of "we" on the other end of the phone line. "We need to tackle a little better," he said. "[The Colts] took care of the first quarter, we took care of the second quarter. They put up 10, we put up 6. We have to make Manning beat us. If the guy running the football is chalking up yards like that we gonna be in big trouble."
As he was talking, the Saints recovered an onside kick to start the second half. Then they took it in, taking their first lead in Super Bowl history. It was 13-10, Saints. There was serious whooping and hollering where Ron Washington is watching this game.
"I like where we are," he said.
Washington is driving to Dallas on Friday, and then comes Spring Training camp, a flight next Monday to Surprise, Ariz. "Everything shifts back to baseball," he said. "I just came from a trip over to our Dominican baseball school. Got a good rush over there working out with those young kids. I'm ready, my blood is flowing."
Adam Jones' blood is flowing, too. He has been working out like a machine all winter, "trying to get myself right," but he said before this game that his total mental focus really comes after this Super Bowl is over. He is just being a real sports fan, as he watches this one at his mother's house, wolfing down tacos.
"Since my team is still in it, a lot of other people [on the Orioles], their football minds are already altered," Jones said. "After today, mine's completely altered. Then I can go hard with baseball and let it keep going.
"The Colts look good, the offense looks really good. They just have to keep it up. The defense is fast, but when you keep [the Saints' defense] on the field, you can do some things against them. You just gotta get them three-and-outs."
Jones is pumped for the American League East race this season. Coming off an All-Star campaign, he said he thinks he has even more talent around him: "I feel good. Our GM made some great moves, I think. We added leadership. I'm excited for the first day. I'm going to get there early and report with pitchers and catchers and get a feel for everybody."
8:09 p.m. ET -- Halftime show
Adam Russell is watching the game at a sports bar in Scottsdale, Ariz., along with former White Sox teammate Chris Getz, now a new Royals infielder. Reached by phone, the Padres pitcher had a few moments to talk before catching the halftime concert by "The Who."
"That's some serious rock and roll right there," Russell said.
Russell, who lives in the Cleveland suburbs, said he is in Scottsdale "getting a little training in before Spring Training starts." For players like him, this is My Generation.
"I'm really excited for this year," he said. "We've got some good additions. Jon Garland is going to help round out our rotation. The way we wound up the last two months, it's going to be indicative of what's in store. We were the second-winningest club the last two months. That was a fun time. We held leads and every game was close, we were able to finish teams off.
"Me personally, I feel great. Usually at this time I'm a little stiff and don't have good arm action, but my bullpens have been going very well, and my bullpen coaches have been out here helping me. It's a little tough in Cleveland to get good training with the snow, so I came out here early."
This is what it's all about. Baseball players and managers watching the Super Bowl, just waiting, waiting, waiting -- knowing their moment is about to come.
Russell said he agreed with Brad Mills on the fourth-down call.
"I have to agree with that. Super Bowl, you gotta let it all hang out," Russell said. "I think that was the right move. That was good defense [by the Colts], can't do anything about that.
"Great game so far, nice clean game, kind of free from penalties. I am a little surprised how well the Colts ran the ball, but it's a great game so far. I thought there would be more scoring, though, with those two pass offenses, so it's kind of surprising. I think Drew [Brees] had a couple miscommunications early with receivers, but they got past that, and they should have gotten more than six out of it."
Halftime, 8 p.m. ET -- Colts 10, Saints 6
It was hard to focus after seeing Punxsutawney Polamalu, but after that commercial, the Saints were stuffed at the 1-yard line on a bold fourth-down call. As John Baker, the Marlins' catcher, e-mailed to MLB.com: "Defense wins championships. Wow, what a goal-line stand."
We immediately called new Astros manager Brad Mills, wondering what a dugout play-caller thought about an NFL coach going for it in the biggest game with fourth and goal at the 1, needing points.
Mills never even waited for the question as he answered the phone.
"I support it wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly," Mills said before the greeting. "We got a houseful here. Everybody was kind of rooting for the Saints because they're the underdog.
"How about that? Even though they didn't take that in, I'm glad to see them come back [and add a field goal before the half]."
Mills is having a party for "a houseful" of family and in-laws. They are back in Visalia, Calif., and he said he and his wife leave next Friday for Kissimmee, Fla., and his first Astros Spring Training since coming over from the Red Sox organization.
"We're excited about getting started, there's no doubt," Mills said. "Anytime you have the type of talent we have on this club, and getting ready to start Spring Training, it's exciting for our coaching staff and players, as well. It's a good time. It really is almost like handing over to baseball."
After Mills hung up the phone, the Colts went into the locker room clinging to a precarious four-point lead in a truly low-scoring Super Bowl.
7:25 p.m. -- Colts 10, Saints 3, second quarter
Marlins catcher John Baker, who will be going to work on the same field on which this Super Bowl is being played, just emailed this to MLB.com after the Saints broke through with a field goal:
"Points on the board ... Indy looks good. Time to see how their defense looks, this first drive should be interesting. Can the Colts stop the Saints?
"Peyton has a rocket arm. The Saints better score on this drive or they are going to be in real trouble."
7:15 p.m. ET -- End of first quarter
Pierre Garcon just hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning, and the Colts finished the quarter with a 10-0 lead. It completed a 96-yard drive -- tying the longest drive in Super Bowl history.
That was good news to Pirates starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who asked during the first quarter: "Is it bad I am outnumbered at least 10 to 1 at my own party?" He then proceeded to post on Twitter: "Go Colts!"
Kansas City first baseman Billy Butler is pulling for the Saints as he hosts a party at his home in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has been busy making "all the typical kinds of snacks and dip, pigs in a blanket, artichoke dip. I've got a bunch of people here and had to get all that ready." MLB.com talked to him after the first quarter, and he said he liked the Bud Light house-building commercial best and worries about his Saints.
"It's their first Super Bowl, it would be good to see them win it, good for the sport," Butler said. "I was not shocked to see the Colts come out quick."
Butler said he is psyched to take the handoff. The Royals are about to crank it up at Spring Training in Arizona, with their first full-squad workout scheduled for Feb. 23. He comes off a huge season in which he batted .301, and also was just the fifth Major Leaguer to post at least 50 doubles and 20 homers in a season before the age of 24, joining Hank Greenberg, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Magglio Ordonez.
"Baseball's all about being consistent," Butler said as he returned to the TV screen. "Last year was good for me but that year's over with, I've got to go out and prove myself again. They know what I'm capable of with the bat -- if I can go out and do better, it just shows it wasn't a one-year thing. You gotta keep doing it year in and year out."
Matt Stairs is in Bangor, Maine, hosting 10 or 15 friends and family. He is a Cowboys fan and said, "I don't care who wins, I just want an entertaining game, high-scoring, which would be good for fans, maybe pull for the Saints as underdogs and what it would do for New Orleans." He said the big play in the first quarter was the dropped ball by Saints receiver Marques Colston -- "He was wide open, and it changed the momentum."
Stairs played in the last two World Series, securing a spot in the hearts of many Phillies fans for years to come. Having been on baseball's big stage the past two autumns, he said he felt sort of a connection to the Super Bowl participants.
"It's not nervous, but you're anxious," Stairs said. "When that girl came on before the game started, they were showing highlights, and the same girl sang during the World Series, I had goosebumps. Knowing that when they're waiting for God Bless America and the national anthem. You knew the players wanted to get it going. I felt anxious for them."
Now Stairs is about to have a fresh start once baseball takes over. He will be trying to earn a spot with the Padres at their Spring Training camp.
"I'm excited, knowing that next Sunday at this time I'll be in Arizona, starting with a new team, different side of the country," Stairs said. "I'm excited. It's something I had my mind set on with early retirement during the season, then I was given the opportunity to make the team. I hope it works out well."
6:25 p.m. ET -- Kickoff
Brian Duensing has had his taste of postseason excitement and is eager for more. He was the starting pitcher in the Twins' postseason opener last fall, but took the loss as CC Sabathia and the Yankees came out firing that first night. Right now, he is showing up at his in-laws' home in Omaha, Neb., ready for some enchiladas and salsa, ready for the big game, ready to take the baton and go fight for a spot on the Twins' pitching staff down in Florida.
"It's going to be a high-scoring game," the lefty said on the way into the party. "As much as I can't not root against Peyton Manning -- because he's such an intelligent quarterback and so good -- I just feel that the Saints are going to pull it out. I don't know how, but I think they're going to win it. That's just the gut talking. I watched a little bit throughout the season. I'm not some diehard NFL fan so to speak, but I do like to watch a lot.
"The way Peyton runs the offense, I feel the Saints have a lot of work to do, especially on offense to keep up. But I think the Saints will make the big plays when they need to. If Reggie Bush makes a couple of good plays, he can be the momentum shifter for the Saints."
The first date for Twins pitchers and catchers to work out in Fort Myers is Feb. 22. Duensing said, "I've got a lot of work to do because there's a spot that needs to be earned. I'm just itching, getting ready to go, get out of this cold weather, get down where it's warm, see what's gonna happen this year. So far it's a given we have [Carl] Pavano, [Scott] Baker, [Nick] Blackburn and [Kevin] Slowey coming off the DL. All the talk has been about myself and [Francisco] Liriano and Glen Perkins fighting for that fifth spot. I wish I could say that what I did last year would solidify it, but I know I have to do all I can."
Carrie Underwood just sang the national anthem. She also performed it during the 2007 World Series at Colorado.
Pregame
Kickoff is at 6:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. That venue will be taken over by the Marlins after Spring Training, so let's start with Colts-Saints predictions from some guys who will spend this summer in that same stadium. The first thing you notice is that they, like the masses at large, differ wildly on the subject.
"I'm taking the underdog ... Who Dat Nation! Sorry Peyton," Chris Coghlan just said. He had more hits than any Major Leaguer in the second half of last season, enough to win him the National League Rookie of the Year Award -- and enough to make you wonder fancifully just how good this guy can be in his first full Major League season.
"This matchup makes for a very interesting game," said Coghlan's teammate, Marlins catcher John Baker. "Both teams have dynamic offenses, so the key will be defense. I think that the Saints, while they have more offensive weapons, don't have the defense to stop Peyton and the Colts. I think the Colts win a close game with a lower than expected point total."
Adam Jones is eager to follow up on an All-Star breakout season in Baltimore, and we'll be hearing from him between quarters, during those tantalizing commercials. He is a hardcore Colts fan who loves football. Jones has been at Athletes Performance all offseason training tirelessly, yet the average baseball fan surely can relate when he says he "can't think 100 percent about baseball until the Super Bowl is over."
Brewers newcomer LaTroy Hawkins grew up in Gary, Ind., as a Bears fan, but he said he is adopting the Colts right now. We'll be talking to him during the course of the game, and this is what he had to say to MLB.com beat writer Adam McCalvy before kickoff:
"My mom, my mother-in-law and my father-in-law are all big Colts fans. So is my daughter. She's got a Colts flag painted on her wall in her room, and a Shrek doll wearing a Colts jersey. Her grandma got her into that. But I'm rooting for them anyway because I like Peyton. I'm a big fan. I know it's going to be a shootout, but I think defense is going to have to win this game. It's going to come down to which defense can stop the other offense. If they don't play defense, this might be the highest-scoring Super Bowl in history."
Hawkins is watching the game at home with his family. He is a big Brett Favre fan, and was at the Superdome in New Orleans for the Jan. 24 NFC Championship game. The Saints beat Favre and the Vikings in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl, giving Hawkins even more reason to pull for the Colts on Sunday.
"I don't have any Saints fans around me right now, so I can say this," Hawkins said, launching into song. "'Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Colts do! Dat's who.'"
The Saints are in the Super Bowl for the first time. In case you're wondering what active Major League teams never have been in the World Series, there are now only three: Mariners, Rangers and Nationals (formerly the Expos). Could one of those three break through in 2010? We'll be watching this game along with Rangers manager Ron Washington, and we'll ask him.
The handoff becomes complete after the Vince Lombardi Trophy is conferred upon tonight's winners. On Monday, amid the final analysis of the best Super Bowl commercials and some Monday Morning quarterbacking, baseball talk will heat up. Fantasy owners start to converge and map out their drafts, and you may be happy to know that MLB.com will launch its 2010 Fantasy Preview package complete with the ever-popular player rankings -- and also the Fantasy games that will become a way of life for so many fans in the coming months.
Many Major League players and prospects also are tweeting about the Super Bowl. You can follow @MLB/players on Twitter and see their real-time commentary -- at least from those who are immersed in it. Pirates pitcher Daniel McCutchen, one of them, predicted a 34-24 Colts victory and added: "Note to self ... don't ever go to the grocery store again on Super Bowl Sunday."
Justin Upton of the D-backs: "Saints 31- Colts 24- MVP is Drew Breeeeeeeeees."
Twins outfielder Denard Span could blossom into a star in 2010, having played such a key role for the team in its big comeback to get into the last postseason. For now, though, his attention is fixed on this game. Span is from Tampa and has been across the state this week to take in the Super Bowl festivities himself.
"I want the Saints to win for the city, but they got lucky against the Vikes so I think they will lose by a modest margin of two TDs," Span said.
It's Super Bowl time. The parties are under way. Baseball players, managers, coaches and fans are football fans. And everyone knows what is coming next. Baseball time as a center of sports attention is four quarters away. Finally.
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