Spring is on its way

We still have to get through the Super Bowl and some more cold weather, but there are some signs of spring today - 67 days before opening day.

Most notably is the fact that several of the SoxandPhils media have features on young players poised for a bigger role in 2010 or prospects who are a bit further away.

The Daily News took the first in-depth look at Phillippe Aumont, who will be compared with Cliff Lee and Kyle Drabek for the rest of his career. Also acquired with Aumont was Tyson Gillies - how did we not know before that he was deaf? Good human interest story. But Gillies isn't the top outfield prospect on the Phillies - it's still Domonic Brown, who told CSNPhilly.com that this will be the biggest year of his career.

For the Red Sox, Daniel Bard also has big aspirations, but he's glad to serve another year of apprenticeship under Jonathan Papelbon. And he knows the way to a Red Sox fan's heart is by a subtle-but-gratuitous shot at the Yankees:

Papelbon's crazed alter ego is known as "Cinco Ocho." Bard has one, too, but he's not sharing the name. Besides, his mound demeanor probably trends more toward the Mariano Rivera, keep-it-cool end of the spectrum.

"I don't show a ton of emotion," Bard said. "It's more of a focused intensity; not so much Joba Chamberlain-esque. Whatever works for you."

I bet Christine points out that he's also taking a shot at Papelbon.