Beautiful tea sweets in the shape of camellia blossoms, handmade by a traditional sweet maker in Kagawa prefecture. They were sent by an old friend in Kyoto, who grew up in Kagawa, which is on the island of Shikoku. The first worrisome news from spring training came Sunday, when it was revealed that Chase Utley has patella tendinitis in his right knee. I feel for you, Chase. And I do wish you were trying homeopathics to treat it. Maybe some Arnica Montana or Rhus Toxicodendron? Joe Blantom, meanwhile, looked fine on Sunday and Roy Halladay like his old self on Monday.
Speaking of Halladay, the man he credits for much of his pitching success died on Monday at age 75. Harvey Dorfman, a sports psychologist, wrote The Mental ABC's of Pitching, a book that Halladay swears by. At the minor league pitching camp held early this year in Clearwater, he bought a copy of the book for all 33 minor leaguers in attendance.
On Sunday, Duke Snider, centerfielder with The Boys of Summer, died at the age of 84.
