Lockout gets real: MLB’s spring showcase goes silent

By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The calendar has hit mid-February, which is usually a fine time to be a Major League Baseball fan. Not this year. The sounds of spring — from the crack of wooden bats, to music blaring from stadium speakers, to shouted requests from autograph seekers — were muted or completely missing in on Wednesday, which was supposed to be the day that pitchers and catchers began workouts in preparation for the upcoming season. Instead, it’s Day 77 of a lockout that’s become the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history. If an agreement isn’t reached soon, the sport’s March 31 opening day for the regular season is also in peril.