Spring Training

Off the field, it's hard to catch three Dodgers standing still at the same time. But on a recent day in their locker room, Rick Honeycutt, Mariano Duncan and Matt Young were game to try new styles for spring. Honeycutt leaned toward khakis and classics. Duncan went for bright colors and trim fit. Young, lately traded from the Seattle Mariners, liked just about everything--including a sample of sunglasses between takes--but liked his new uniform best.

Zack Greinke returned to the Dodgers' rotation this week, recovering from surgery on his left shoulder in five weeks, three ahead of schedule. Hanley Ramirez came back last month from a broken thumb two weeks earlier than expected. But head trainer Sue Falsone has little time to celebrate how cutting-edge procedures and rehabilitation methods accelerated Ramirez's and Greinke's recoveries. The Dodgers are in last place not only in the standings, but also in injury prevention.

The $90 seat is out at Camelback Ranch this spring, and free parking is in. The Dodgers have quietly eliminated the 198-seat VIP section at their spring home, in which fans were offered such perks as preferred parking, food coupons, sunscreen and "cool, scented towels." "Based on fan feedback, we determined that premium seating in spring training wasn't necessary," Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said Wednesday. Those VIP seats were sold for $90 last spring, the highest price in the Cactus or Grapefruit leagues.

The Angels' training room is so crowded the team sent shortstop Erick Aybar and relievers Kevin Jepsen and Ryan Madson to its extended spring-training facility in Arizona on Wednesday to continue rehabbing the injuries that put them on the disabled list. The Angels have seven players on the DL and several active players, including Albert Pujols , who require daily treatment for nagging injuries. That has taxed the medical staff so much that the team decided some players might benefit from more focused attention in minor league camp.

Sweeping in a windfall of more than $300 million annually, Cactus League baseball, including revenue generated by the Dodgers and Angels spring training facilities, may be the biggest reason March is the most popular month to visit Arizona. That's not lost on area hotels and resorts, which are offering a plethora of spring training specials. The Wigwam Resort, at 300 Wigwam Blvd., has been in its same location for more than 75 years. The soaring and stately palm trees are testament to the resort's history, and the serene surroundings are reminiscent of what resort properties were before their own popularity turned many of them into 24-hour party palaces.

The sunshine is plentiful. The smiles are genuine. The beers are cold. Ah, spring training, where the losses don't count and hope runneth over. As the Angels enjoy their first six weeks of the Albert Pujols era, and as the Dodgers count down the final six weeks until owner Frank McCourt selects his successor, here are other places of interest around the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues: JUPITER, FLA. — The St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins train here, but the team generating all the excitement is not the team that won the World Series last fall.

Staff writer Mike DiGiovanna takes a look at the Angels heading into spring training: Who's new: OF Bobby Abreu, LHP Brian Fuentes. Who's gone: 1B Mark Teixeira, P Francisco Rodriguez, LF Garret Anderson, P Jon Garland. Biggest question: Is first baseman Kendry Morales ready to be a starter in the big leagues? The Angels traded Casey Kotchman to Atlanta for free-agent-to-be Mark Teixeira last July knowing they had Morales as a fallback should Teixeira not re-sign.

Reporting from Phoenix ? Clayton Kershaw , who is scheduled to be the Dodgers' starter on opening day of the regular season, arrived at Camelback Ranch Tuesday for his fourth start of the spring having not given up an earned run in his previous 11 1/3 innings. Then he ran into the Texas Rangers. The defending American League champions roughed up Kershaw for 11 hits and six runs ? five earned ? in 5 2/3 innings before Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly lifted the 23-year-old left-hander.

Sometime soon, Phil Niekro plans to make his way from his home outside Atlanta to the Braves' spring-training site near Orlando, Florida, where he'll watch a little baseball, play a lot of golf and, as he does every year, throw some batting practice. Niekro is 72, but he can still lob it in there. Besides, age doesn't really matter since anybody who has ever picked up a baseball feels young again when spring training rolls around. Even a man who reported to his first camp more than half a century ago. "I think everyone enjoys spring training," the Hall of Fame member said.

For several years now, your paper has given scant coverage of preseason baseball. Meanwhile, it appears you have to fill space by playing up women's basketball, the senior golf tour and other events that must appeal to a small minority of readers. If you feel the preseason activities of a sport is not worthy of coverage, why cover the Lakers' 82-game preseason? Spring training is a time for romance, intrigue and fun. Finding out whether a Greg Brock can hold off the challenge of a Franklin Stubbs or if a Rick Burleson can come back after a two-year layoff has the makings of interesting, exciting journalism.

NEW YORK - Chad Billingsley will sit out the remainder of this season, as well as part of the next, as he is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday for a partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow. The Dodgers expect Billingsley to return to competition in 12 months. "Obviously, we're disappointed, knowing it's not a start, it's the year," Manager Don Mattingly said. BOX SCORE: Dodgers 7, New York Mets 2 Before the Dodgers' 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday at Citi Field, the 28-year-old right-hander was examined by team physician Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

MINNEAPOLIS - Maybe it was a desert mirage, that 2.37 earned-run average in four spring starts, the 13 strikeouts and no walks in 19 innings, but somewhere between Arizona and the regular season, Joe Blanton lost his pinpoint command and ability to put hitters away. The Angels right-hander was pounded again Monday night, allowing four runs and nine hits - including two home runs - in 42/3 innings of an 8-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins in Target Field. Solo homers by Peter Bourjos in the first inning and Brendan Harris in the third provided hope for the Angels on a chilly 38-degree night, but the offense went into a deep freeze and went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, dropping them to a major league-worst .129 (12 for 93)

MINNEAPOLIS - Ryan Madson took the most significant step yet in his return from Tommy John surgery, completing a 40-pitch bullpen session Tuesday in which he said he threw all three of his pitches "with conviction, with extension and without one bit of pain. " The right-hander, who missed all of spring training because of a sore elbow, is scheduled to throw to hitters Friday. He expects to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week and hopes to be activated by May 1. "This is the closest I've felt to being normal," said Madson, who had a 4-2 record and 2.37 earned run average and 32 saves for Philadelphia in 2011.

PHOENIX - Chris Capuano will replace injured Zack Greinke in the Dodgers' rotation and is scheduled to start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. "It was a blow losing Zack for a little while here, but it's our job to come together and fill in and keep us moving in the right direction," Capuano said. Greinke suffered a fracture of the collarbone in his left, non-throwing shoulder Thursday when Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin charged the mound after being hit by a pitch. Greinke underwent a 90-minute procedure Saturday to stabilize the fracture and is expected to be sidelined for eight weeks.

The Angels came out of spring training with what they thought was a pretty stable roster. But as with so many things involving the Angels this season, reality has fallen far short of expectations. So Saturday the Angels made five transactions, finishing a five-day blitz that included them making nine personnel moves - two of which involved outfielder J.B. Shuck , who was optioned to the minors Friday afternoon then recalled the following morning. And that doesn't even include Saturday's signing of former major leaguer Kip Wells to a minor league contract.

The Angels closed their clubhouse to make final roster trims early Saturday afternoon. And that meant good news for catcher Hank Conger , outfielder J.B. Shuck and infielder Brendan Harris , who were selected to join infielder Andrew Romine on the team's opening-day roster. For Shuck and Romine, it marked the first time they've made a big league team out of spring training and Conger had to overcome some throwing problems to beat out Chris Snyder and John Hester for the backup catcher's job. Also making the team was reliever Mark Lowe , a seven-year veteran who signed with the Angels four days ago. Manager Mike Scioscia said the competition for the final spots was keen, something that will help the team going forward.

Major league umpires, angry because they were not consulted about the revised regular-season schedule, said Friday they would protest by not working spring training games. Richie Phillips, head of the umpires' union, called it "a very, very symbolic protest." He said its intent was to prod owners to resolve differences over compensation for canceled exhibition games and other matters arising from the 32-day lockout.

Ryan Madson said he's making progress in his return from elbow surgery but there's still no timetable for when he will pitch in the regular season. "I'm not certain of that," the right-handed reliever said Thursday, but he added, "I'm definitely feeling better. " Madson, 32, underwent the surgery nearly a year ago and has struggled this spring to resume throwing consistently without pain or tightness. But the former Philadelphia Phillies closer, signed by the Angels in November, said he was cautiously encouraged after throwing 40 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday.

Seattle 10, Dodgers 7. AT THE PLATE: Ted Lilly had a two-run triple against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. Unfortunately for Lilly, his day at the plate was better than his day on the mound. He was charged with seven runs in 21/3 innings. Lilly had off-season shoulder surgery and his spring throwing program was interrupted by illness and bad weather. Asked by Manager Don Mattingly if he would consider starting the season on the disabled list, Lilly replied, "I'm not really sure.