Conversation around the ImpactWeather espresso machine these days is dominated by the return of Major League Baseball, and with opening day less than two weeks away the timing couldn’t be more perfect to bring you two pictures that landed in my Inbox yesterday.

The first photo is the grounds crew at Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals. Following a weekend storm that delivered upwards of six inches of snow in many areas across the Plains and Midwest, the crew is struggling to keep the infield free of snow. Could a new Pacific storm bring more snow to the Plains mid-week next week? We’ll have to wait and see.

In Kansas City, the Kauffman Stadium grounds crew removes snow from the tarp covering the infield. Photo: MLBlogs Network.

The second photo came from my brother, Bob. At nearly the same time as the grounds workers in KC were clearing snow, Bob and a couple  thousand spectators were enjoying sunshine and 82 degrees (F) while watching a pre-season game in Tempe, AZ at the off-season home of the Los Angeles Angels. Bob’s seats behind the plate were fantastic thanks to nephew and Angels pitcher Kevin Jepsen. Looking at the photo, I couldn’t help but think of summer – the shirt sleeves at the plate, the green grass, the bright colors of summer wear in the stands. Let summer begin!

The California Angels take on the Texas Rangers in a pre-season game in Tempe, AZ. At Bat: Hideki Matsui who was with the World Series-winning Yankees last year, now wearing the Angels uniform. Photo: Bob Gorham.