March 3rd, 1975 - Spring Training and 1974 Recap

Spring Training

As the Reds' 1975 spring training kicks off in Tampa, there is optimism in camp. Last year's squad won 98 games, but couldn't match the Dodgers' 102 win season. Reds' skipper Sparky Anderson is all fired up, telling people that there's no way his team, which won pennants in 1970 and 1972, will stand for failure this year. The Reds, however, have made no significant roster moves, and will be fielding the same team this year as last.

The defending NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers will also be fielding largely the same team, with one important exception. Starting pitcher Tommy John will miss the entire 1975 season after undergoing a radical operation after an injury in the 1974 season that replaced the tendon in his pitching arm with a ligament from his other arm, a procedure now widely copied and call "Tommy John surgery."

In the NL East, Pittsburgh narrowly beat out St. Louis, while losing to LA in the playoffs. They are expected to contend again, with Philadelphia and Montreal possibly contending as well.

In the AL, defending AL East division champ Baltimore will need to contend with New York and Boston, while World Series champion Oakland, which is beginning to show some signs of aging, will need to hold off Taxes, Minnesota and possibly Chicago in the AL West.