Look outside the window. Grimace. Then realize that somewhere, in a magical land known as Florida, spring is only one day away. Pitchers and Catchers Day is almost here, which means that spring is creeping closer to our frozen city. Ballplayers will be ready to welcome in the season when they finally get back to Fenway. The journey just happens to take them to Florida, Japan, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Toronto before spring finally reaches us. Why do we live in New England again?

Given his love of half-season baseball, Roger Clemens has probably forgotten the giddiness over P-and-C Day, but the guy does admittedly have more pressing concerns on his mind. Clemens and Brian McNamee will face off today before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for a cagematch battle to the death. With spears and flaming torches.

Or at least that's what we wish was happening. Instead, we're going to hear more of what we've been hearing for weeks -- did-so-did-nots that will go back and forth over and over again. The only thing that's different today is that one of these guys will be lying under oath when it happens. Our money's on the guy relying on Jose Canseco to vouch for him, but that's just us.

Here in Boston, the Bruins battled back after the Carolina Hurricanes took an early 3-0 lead at the TDBN Garden, but couldn't quite mount the comeback. The Bs fell, 3-2, despite a two-goal effort by Shawn Thornton (two goals scored in 27 seconds, no less); the loss was the Bruins' fourth in five games.

The Celtics, however, fared much better out in Indy. Boston's fourth win in a row came despite the absences of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins; to balance things out, the Pacers determined that starters Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley were also too injured to play (how kind of them!). Paul Pierce found the basket for 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Bostonist Little Nine Award for Tuesday night goes to Leon Powe, who contributed with a 16-point, 9-rebound effort.

Photo by flickr user Lodigs