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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories UO students offered antibiotics after death of acrobatics athlete 10 things to know for Wednesday Emergency services, Feb. 18 'We knew we were going to die' Josephine County to approve Southern Oregon business recruiting contract Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, Feb. 18 Emergency Services, Feb. 17 Emergency services, Feb. 16 Medford porch fire appears intentional, investigators say Emergency services, Feb. 15 Politics and Elections Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Community leaders saddened by governor's departure Education Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Logos to receive a slice of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park Medford School Board OKs full-day kindergarten Former superintendent sues district, board member Environment Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow Company fined for illegally dumping asbestos in White City Solar pavilion going up at Coyote Trails GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban State News Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Oregon Senate advances low-carbon fuel law Brown says inauguration speech will focus on restoring trust in government Oregon chub first fish to be officially taken off endangered list Day of transition in Oregon Legislature as Kitzhaber's exit nears Nation - World Obituaries Arthur �Art� S. Backlund Death Notices Lynn Ann Latham McCoy Lane Itol A. Downing Grant Edward Cochran Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Karl introduced as 3rd Kings coach of season Crater rally denies EP North Medford girls hold off Cavers Kentucky defense keys win over Vols LOCAL REPORT Varsity 541 College Sports Kentucky defense keys win over Vols W. Virginia squeaks by Kansas, 62-61 Senior's swan song Afengus, Champion to coach soccer, women's wrestling Harrison, Hendrix homer in OSU loss Pro Sports Karl introduced as 3rd Kings coach of season Pitchers, catchers will report this week Questions surround top quarterback prospects Teams mull options as trade deadline nears Blazers content at the halfway point Community Sports Business Latest Stories Blog: Alaska Airline, brimming with confidence, adding six extended-range Boeing 737s by 2016 Josephine County to approve Southern Oregon business recruiting contract Blog: An empire built on a plastic-block foundation Ride & Drive: 2015 Nissan GT-R Oregon Retina Specialists will expand into new building Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: People In Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record The heart of Brammo will remain Agriculture 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Islamic State's atrocities demand ... what? Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Editorials Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Our View: A sad end to a historic career Our View: Time to end the vaccine exemption Our View: Hemp hemp, hooray — old crop is new again Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 15 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 13 Columns Islamic State's atrocities demand ... what? Michael Gerson: A call for 'patient pluralism' Kathleen Parker: No excuse for juicing the story Dana Milbank: Remembering the remarkable Kayla Mueller George Will: Curb your pessimism about terrorism Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune Page H. Onorato: Food items help define the South Debbie Snyder: Fleas annoy you and your pet Brent St. Germain: King cake is my kryptonite Food Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Page H. Onorato: Food items help define the South There's a whole universe of chili outside Texas Citrus sensations Community blog: It's time to lavish love on heart-healthy lentils Home and Garden Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Home Help: DIY home upkeep projects for every season Health Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines Community blog: Your Brain on Love Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Community blog: Are You Losing or Gaining on Your Investment in Health? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Religion briefs Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Milestones and Achievements New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'Much Ado About Nothing' kicks off OSF's 2015 season Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra 'Broadway's Next Hit Musical' Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'Much Ado About Nothing' kicks off OSF's 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' Music Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra 'Broadway's Next Hit Musical' Live Music in Local Clubs Roy Zimmerman's 'The Faucet's on Fire" Community Events Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Dining The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor ... UO students offered antibiotics after death of acrobatics athlete ... 'We knew we were going to die' ... Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor ... UO students offered antibiotics after death of acrobatics athlete ... 'We knew we were going to die' ... MAJOR LEAGUES Pitchers, catchers will report this week Comment By Jay Cohen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jay Cohen The Associated Press Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 7:15 pm By Jay Cohen The Associated Press Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 7:15 pm » Social News Washington's star-studded rotation reports to Florida. Matt Harvey continues his comeback with the New York Mets. Joe Maddon takes over the Chicago Cubs, and Russell Martin gets a closer look at Toronto's pitching staff. While much of the Northeast and Midwest navigates bitter cold and piles of snow, spring training begins in earnest this week when pitchers and catchers file into camps in Florida and Arizona. World Champion San Francisco is one of four National League teams slated to begin on Thursday, and most of the majors' pitchers and backstops will be in place by this weekend. Following several massive free-agent deals and blockbuster trades, there are plenty of compelling story lines heading into baseball's first spring training since Rob Manfred took over as commissioner in January. The Nationals strengthened their already solid rotation by signing free agent Max Scherzer to a $210 million, seven-year contract. Now the pressure is on Scherzer to deliver on that big deal and help the reigning NL East champions advance deep into the playoffs for the first time since the franchise moved to Washington. While Scherzer will attract plenty of attention this spring, it looks as if Tanner Roark will have to adjust to a bullpen role after he had a breakout season a year ago, winning 15 games with a sparking 2.85 ERA. The right-hander is a nice insurance policy for manager Matt Williams should any of the starters get hurt. Harvey missed all of last season for his recovery from elbow ligament-replacement surgery, and got an early start on spring training by reporting to New York's facility about two weeks before the first scheduled workout. He is hoping to be ready for opening day, but the Mets could decide on a slow and steady approach for the ace right-hander. It's a brand new day for the Cubs when they report to Arizona after a banner offseason that included the addition of Maddon, who had a 754-705 record during his successful nine-year run with Tampa Bay. Cubs President Theo Epstein pounced on the quirky skipper after he opted out of his contract with the Rays, dumping Rick Renteria after just one season. Epstein is counting on Maddon to ease the transition of the organization's impressive stable of prospects to the rigors of the majors. The Cubs were one of baseball's most active teams over the winter. Same goes for Toronto, which is seeking its first playoff appearance since it won the World Series in 1993. Martin was one of the majors' most prized free agents over the winter, and he opted for an $82 million, five-year contract with the Blue Jays. The three-time All-Star, who was born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, hit .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs with Pittsburgh last season, helping the Pirates to a second straight playoff berth. Here are a few more things to watch heading into spring training: HERE COME THE CHAMPS The last team to win consecutive World Series was the New York Yankees from 1998-2000. The next team to take a crack that feat is San Francisco, which beat Kansas City in seven games for the title last fall. The good news for the Giants is they have plenty of experience when it comes to defending the title, having also won the World Series in 2010 and 2012. But they failed to make the playoffs following each of their previous two championships, slipping to a 76-86 record in 2013. One spot to watch this spring is third base, where Casey McGehee replaces Pablo Sandoval after the slugger signed a $95 million, five-year deal with Boston over the winter. Madison Bumgarner returns after throwing a whopping 270 innings last year, and Matt Cain is back after he had surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow. MANY HAPPY RETURNS The comeback capital of the majors is New York, which has Harvey hoping to return to form, and three intriguing situations with the Yankees. Left-hander CC Sabathia is back after he missed much of last season with a degenerative cartilage problem in his right knee, and Masahiro Tanaka is looking for a healthy second season after he was limited to 20 mostly impressive starts last year due to an elbow injury. But one of spring training's biggest stories is the return of Alex Rodriguez after the three-time AL MVP was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract. Rodriguez's last major league game was Sept. 25, 2013, against Tampa Bay, so no one really knows what to expect from the 39-year-old slugger. Reds first baseman Joey Votto (left knee), Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder (neck surgery), Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (right knee surgery) and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left hip surgery) are among the other noteworthy comebacks to watch this spring. NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES Maddon gets to give the ball to Jon Lester every fifth day after the lefty signed a $155 million, six-year contract with the Cubs. Lester went 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA with Oakland and Boston last year. The Cubs also traded for catcher Miguel Montero and brought back right-hander Jason Hammel with a $20 million, two-year contract. The crosstown White Sox have a completely different look this spring. Jeff Samardzija joins the rotation after a trade with Oakland, and closer David Robertson should stabilize the bullpen after agreeing to a $46 million, four-year deal in free agency. The Red Sox, with Sandoval and slugger Hanley Ramirez ($88 million, four-year contract), and the Padres, with right-hander James Shields ($75 million, four-year deal) and a brand new outfield, are two more teams who bring big expectations to camp following an active offseason. By Jay Cohen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jay Cohen The Associated Press Posted Feb. 17, 2015 @ 7:15 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football 2015 Fantasy Football Outlook for Vikings Stars Feb. 13, 2015 at 6:47 am Fantasy Football Outlook for Jets Stars Feb. 7, 2015 at 4:30 am Super Bowl Fantasy Review and Highlights Feb. 2, 2015 at 10:00 am Top Fantasy Players, Projections for Patriots vs. Seahawks Jan. 31, 2015 at 8:39 am Fantasy Football Outlook for Titans Stars Jan. 30, 2015 at 10:37 am 2015 Fantasy Football Outlook for Buccaneers Stars Jan. 28, 2015 at 7:00 am calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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