Major League Baseball's Spring Training is underway. For the Giants, that means playing Cactus League exhibition games down in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I know the wins and losses don't mean much at this point in the year, but the Giants have a winning record so far (3-1). That's with a clubhouse suffering from a bad case of the flu. Just imagine how well they'd be doing if they were healthy. (Okay, they'd probably be 0-3, but work with me here.)

I listened to part of the Giants/Mariners game on the radio yesterday and one of the broadcasters said roughly 25 guys on the 63-man roster were sick or recovering, including Barry Bonds and Ray Durham. Both were told to stay home so no one else would get infected.

For veterans like Bonds and Durham, the flu might cost them a few days away from the field, but for young prospects hoping to make a good impression, being sick might cost them a spot on the team. I can't imagine the stress they must be going through - wanting to show off their stuff, but at the same time wanting to drink a bottle of Robitussin, curl up in a ball, and sleep. (An alternative line I considered using was "wanting to hack away at the plate without hacking up a lung", but my better judgment intervened.)

Luckily, the regular season doesn't begin until April, which means players will hopefully have enough time to recover and prove themselves worthy of a spot on the 25-man roster.

The Giants are playing Arizona today. Barry Zito is making his second start. (How nice it is to see him in black and orange.) He pitched two scoreless innings in his first outing. Let's hope he can repeat that performance today. Maybe they'll let him test his endurance by pitching an entire third inning.

The 2007 season is just 29 days away. I can't wait for baseball to start again.