With Cleveland’s Browns and Cavs both playing as cold as the outside temperature, at least the city’s Indians play the bulk of their games in the warm rays of the summer sun. So I hope this image of a fiberglass Slider warms the cockles of your sporting heart.

No, Slider’s not waiting for the season to start, but the photo is just a reminder that pitchers and catchers for most MLB teams report to camp two months from tomorrow.

Oh, and somebody in the American League scheduling office evidently has a sense of humor. Cleveland opens its 2011 season at home vs. the Chicago White Sox on … April Fool’s Day – Friday, April 1, 2011.

Play (snow)Ball!

(Photo taken Oct. 4, 2007, during opening game of Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees AL Division Series)