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Spring in TheAir
As David Price prepares to fan the competition for Tampa Bay this season, checkout SI.com for the latest news and notes from spring training 2009, includingpreviews of all 30 teams and Tom Verducci on how the health of startingpitchers determines a team's wins and losses. Plus ...
• Daily Scoop from Jon Heyman
• Photo galleries of key players and classic spring training moments

FOR MORE BASEBALLCOMMENTARY FROM AROUND THE MAJORS, GO TO SI.COM/MLB.

FEATUREDWRITERS

JEFF PEARLMAN
Pearls of Wisdom
Barry Bonds has hit the jackpot with loyal trainer Greg Anderson
SI.com/pearlman

CHRIS MANNIX
Inside the NBA
Can Shawn Marion revive his flagging career in Toronto?
SI.com/mannix

ANDY STAPLES
Inside Recruiting
How some college football coaches play the oversigning game
SI.com/staples

COLLEGEBASKETBALL

Dance Cards
Can Kentucky's Jodie Meeks lead the jittery Wildcats (21--8) to an at-large bidin the NCAA tournament? This week SI.com has everything you need to know aboutcollege basketball as the regular season winds down and teams from around thecountry prepare for conference tournament play, including which schools are onthe bubble for the Big Dance, Seth Davis's Hoops Thoughts and Weekly Mailbag,and Andy Glockner's weekly projected NCAA tournament bracket.
> Check out SI.com's games-of-the-week gallery at SI.com/cbk.

SI VAULT
YOUR LINK TO SPORTS HISTORY

FROM SPORTSILLUSTRATED
FEBRUARY 2, 1976

SI writer GeorgePlimpton quoted an NFL scout describing his daily routine as he scoured thecountry for that rare combination of size, strength, acceleration and speedthat would give a college star a shot at making a difference in the pros.

THERE'S always atape measure. We are always measuring people. I carry an architect's plasticdrafting angle to use against the wall and get the kid's height exactly rightwhen he's standing up there, because a lot of them strain to get an extramillimeter or so, tilting their noses back, thinking that's going to heft themup a bit. In fact, it does just the opposite. You have to watch their feet,making sure they don't curl their toes under to push themselves up. HarleySewell, who scouts for the Rams, told me that he always calls out, "O.K.,let's curl those toes up, son." That stops 'em. But kids these days are sodamn big that you need to climb a ladder to measure them.

> Check outthe latest classic SI story at SI.com/classic.

> For yourfavorite stories and covers, go to SI.com/vault.

Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID WALBERG
INSET PHOTO: ELIZABETH KREUTZ

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SI Extra
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PHOTO

GARY BOGDON (PRICE)

PHOTO

GREG NELSON (MEEKS)

RIGHT PRICE? The lefty aims to keep the Rays atop the AL East.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

SAUL LAMBERT (VAULT PHOTO ILLUSTRATION)

THREE PHOTOS