Winter storm and a Rogers Hornsby quote

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." __— Rogers Hornsby, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame infielder__

The words of Rogers Hornsby rang true this week during an ice storm that blanketed much of Southeast Missouri. More wintry precipitation could be on the way, too. It almost doesn't seem fair. After the Super Bowl, it's baseball time. Bring on the warm weather and fresh-cut grass. But baseball is coming, and on Wednesday, St. Louis Cardinals fans will hear those precious words: pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

Much like a blanket of snow, spring training is a blank slate. A full season awaits and everyone has a fresh opportunity.

For Cardinals fans this offseason was a slow burn -- until recent weeks. After no substantial moves early on and both Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina still free agents after the holidays, the offseason "hot stove," as it's known in baseball lingo, started to warm. First, the Redbirds resigned Wainwright to a one-year deal. Then this past week the 38-year-old Molina, a future Hall of Famer, also signed a one-year contract to remain with St. Louis. These moves alone would have been enough to appease a sentimental fan base hoping to provide a proper sendoff to both players. But in between these signings, the Cardinals front office made a splash few saw coming.

The St. Louis Cardinals now have arguably the best third baseman in Major League Baseball in Nolan Arenado.

For those not familiar with Arenado, he's spent his first eight Big League seasons with the Colorado Rockies where he's done nothing but hit and make dazzling, highlight reel defensive plays. It's equal parts brain, brawn and ballet watching him at the hot corner.

Looking at his last full season of 2019 (I'm excluding the abbreviated 60-game schedule of 2020 that was anything but normal), Arenado had a 6.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) -- a metric used to compare players to a replacement level alternative. Suffice to say a 6 WAR player is excellent, ranking him in the Top 20 of all Major League Baseball Players that season. Then there are the more traditional statistics (also 2019): .315 average, .583 slugging, 41 home runs and 118 RBI.

Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman in his own right, recently said Arenado is "three or four of his normal years away from being the greatest third baseman of all-time."

Cardinals fans have a lot to be excited about.

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The SEMO Redhawks baseball team, like so many programs, had its season cut short last spring due to the pandemic.

Shortly before the season began, I wrote a story for B Magazine about the Redhawks' new metric-driven equipment designed to help pitchers and hitters improve their game. We didn't get the chance to see how the new investments played out over a full season, so it will be fun to see Andy Sawyers' team back in action over a full 50-plus game schedule.

The season gets underway Friday, Feb. 19, at home when the Redhawks host Milwaukee for a four-game series that includes a doubleheader on Saturday.

Southeast will host 25 home games this year, and admission will be ticketed. More information is available at gosoutheast.com.

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The Cape Catfish of the Prospect League also announced their summer schedule recently. After a tremendous first season, the team was sidelined last summer when the league shutdown due to COVID-19.

The 2019 West Division Champions will open their season on the road May 27 at Alton River, Illinois.

The following day, the O'Fallon, Missouri, Hoots will visit Capaha Field for the Catfish home opener.

The team did a tremendous job two years ago not only on the field but in creating a fun experience for fans to enjoy summer baseball.

Like Hornsby, there's another baseball quote from the movie "Field of Dreams" when James Earl Jones tells Kevin Costner to build the baseball field in the corn fields of Iowa.

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."

There's something special about this game. Despite the challenges of the day, there's a rhythm to it. It's been the activity for fathers and their children to bond over and "have a catch." It's connected generations -- old school or new school, designated hitter or National League purist, turf or real grass. It's baseball -- and it's back, once the snow clears.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.

The Southeast Missouri State University baseball team takes part in practice Jan. 27, 2017, at Capaha Field.Southeast Missourian file