New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine gets an early introduction to the fierce rivalry with the Yankees. After the Sox tie a spring training game, 4 – 4, on a squeeze bunt by Jason Repko in the bottom of the 9th inning, Valentine has reliever Clayton Mortensen on the mound ready to pitch the 10th when rival manager Joe Girardi announces that his team is leaving Fort Myers, FL immediately, taking a bus back to their base in Tampa, FL. Girardi later justifies his last-minute decision by the fact that he has used all of the pitchers he had planned to bring into the game, but Valentine is still irked.

Major League Baseball announces it is setting up a new league for amateur players in the Dominican Republic, in order to give them an opportunity to perform against top competition without having to commit to a professional contract at a very young age. The lack of high school or equivalent competition has hampered the development of the game in the D.R., whose national teams have performed poorly in international competitions in spite of the large number of professional players born in the country.

Jeff Moorad announces he is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Padres, but will remain a Vice-President in charge of developing the team’s relationship with the Fox Sports San Diego network.

Braves 3B Chipper Jones, one of the greatest switch-hitters of all time, announces that he will retire after this season. Jones, who will turn 40 next month, hopes to remain with the Braves – the only team he has played for – in some capacity after hanging up his spikes.