Jimmying Square Pegs Into Round Holes

his week Spring Training ended and managers and general managers around baseball had to decide who to keep with the big club, who to send down and who to "designate for assignment", baseball's euphemism for getting canned.

The Yankees' Justin Maxwell, 28, hit .310 this spring, but because of the number of outfielders the Yanks already have, he got cut. Francisco Cervelli, 26, the Yankees' backup catcher the last few years got sent down to AAA after the club traded for another catcher who's older, has less experience and isn't as familiar with the club (probably as an insurance policy against the smattering of concussions that Cervelli's had the last few years). And then the Washington Nationals sent down John Lannan to AAA after being their Opening Day starter the last two years and having a good spring. Who knows what that was all about?

One of the hardest parts about writing is tossing out material. Last summer I outlined 10-12 pieces for a collection of baseball short stories. Each story had its own angle and its own cast of characters.  I liked all of it. Now that I've decided to make the collection of short stories into The Boston Squeeze, the brief history of a team, I have to admit that some of the stories and their characters won't make the cut.

I've been racking my brain how to make them all fit, but it just ends up being like jimmying square pegs into round holes. Sure, I could break out some sandpaper or a chisel, but they'll still wobble. They're not a good fit.

But like Cervelli, I know where to reach them when I need them. And hopefully they'll be back with the club soon.