The sounds of spring used to include taking the storm windows off. I haven't had to do that for many years. I don't miss it but it was one of those things that signaled the end of ice and snow and wearing a stocking cap .
My dad would take down the storm windows and tell us..."Yes, it won't be long and we can complain about the Cubs". Those days, like the windows, are long gone. I have seen 4 preseason baseball articles and all have the Cubs as the number one team in MLB. What? Just because they won a World Series? This is horrible news. If these predictions hold, Chicagoans won't feel sorry for themselves for another 106 years. Of course, the Sox fans hope it isn't true either. They last beat the Astros to win it all. That will never happen again unless THE COMMISH comes to his senses and puts Houston back where they belong. The National League.
Predictions include the Astros being the number 5 team. Not bad at all. THE LOCALS have added some new players and even a really old one, Carlos Beltran. The team has re configured center field and made the backstop bigger and safer. In the world of social media you can now text or talk and not get hit in the face with a foul. That is if you have the less than cheap seats any where behind the plate. The new training camp is in full swing and pretty soon you can spend hours at work listening or watching pretend games from Florida. By April you will have almost forgotten the TEXANS.
As for predictions in general? My favorite involves Leo Durocher. He was taking over a Cubs team that had finished 7th the season before. He said "There is no way this is a 7th place team". He was right. They finished 8th.