Baseball's almost back.

One of the surest signs came yesterday when, after weeks of annoying the receptionist down at the Yankees minor league complex, the minor league spring training schedule (along with the system's complete list of coaching and baseball operations staffs) was released.

Despite my pestiness, the receptionist faxed the schedule up to our office. Here are all the details.

Minor League Players Report -- March 3
First Full Workout -- March 5
First Game -- March 17
Break Camp -- April 1 (after a morning workout)

THUNDER SCHEDULE 

(if Thunder are home, so is Scranton, which means the lower levels are away against the same opponent)

March 17 - against Reading at Clearwater

March 18 - against Altoona at Tampa

March 19 - against New Hampshire at Dunedin

March 20 - against New Hampshire at Tampa

March 21 - against Reading at Clearwater

March 22 - against Reading at Tampa

March 23 - against Altoona at Bradenton

March 24 - against Altoona at Tampa

March 25 - CAMP DAY -- all players at Tampa

March 26 - against Reading at Clearwater

March 27 - against Reading at Tampa

March 28 - CAMP DAY -- all players at Tampa

March 29 - against New Hampshire at Tampa 

March 30 - against Altoona at Tampa

March 31 - against New Hampshire at Dunedin

April 1 - CAMP DAY -- all players at Tampa

Additionally, I found a few other surprises when I perused the list of various front-office and minor league staffs.

- Tim Lentych, the Thunder's former trainer who will be replaced this season by Scott DiFrancesco, has been promoted to the organization's Head Athletic Trainer

- P.J. Pilittere, a well-traveled former Trenton catcher, is now a coach with the GCL Yankees, where he will work with former teammate Edwar Gonzalez