The Phillies continue to keep on spending a bunch of money to make this year a success. They signed Zack Wheeler to a three-year extension, which means he will be in Philly until the end of the 2027 season. He will be 37 years old at that time. I am also anxious about how many innings Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler have pitched in their careers. I hope they can stay healthy this season. This year is playoffs or bust.
The Phillies better get a decent start to stay ahead of the Atlanta Braves and New New York Mets in the division. It is key for Kyle Schwarber to have a much more consistent season in terms of hitting for a better average than last year. Somehow he was able to hit 47 home runs while only hitting .197. This average for the entire season is not sustainable over multiple years.
Next week in the world of golf is the 50th anniversary of the Players Championship, which has become the de facto fifth major on the PGA Tour. It has been played for the past 41 years at the TPC Sawgrass course in Jacksonville, Fla. This is basically the PGA's version of the Masters, and the headquarters for the tour are also at Sawgrass. As a kid, I remember playing the Tiger Woods video game on this course all the time. The last three holes have become among the most famous closing holes in the world right now. I hope the weather holds up next week in the sunshine state. The coverage will be on the Golf Channel and NBC starting next Thursday.
March Madness is about to start for men’s and women’s college basketball. On the men's side, everyone is saying the University of Connecticut has a real chance to repeat as champions for the first time since Florida did it in 2007 and 2008. The University of Houston is still very good from last year as well. On the women’s side, I’ll be cheering for Iowa in the tournament again this year, but South Carolina is undefeated for the season and will be tough to beat. I don’t think LSU has a chance to repeat champions, but you never know.
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
