The two had dinner together during winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

WSJ: Teheran strikes out 7 as Braves beat Mets 2-1

He did play winter ball until a week before spring training.

WSJ: Upton, Johnson homer to lead Braves over Mets

If the casual observer were to take a personal inventory of the New York Yankees at the close of business on the first day of the 2012 Winter Meetings, they would see a ball club that is saddled with burdens and difficulties that some might deem insurmountable.

FORBES: Connect

The Falcons went up a gear and Tom May popped a pass to Russell Winter and the big number eight surged away before slipping the ball to Parling to score in the corner, Wilkinson thumping over the conversion for a 10-7 lead.

BBC: Newcastle 13-20 Gloucester

After the longtime .300 hitter saw his average fall into the .240's this past season, he spent the winter working hard in the batting cage and re-learning how to hit the ball to the opposite field.

WSJ: The Yankees Battle a Shifting Tide

Some people may wonder why we in the Northern Hemisphere have our spring and summer when our planet is far away from the sun. (Equally confusing: our fall and winter come when we are near to the sun.) Shouldn't proximity to that nice warm ball of sunshine predict our seasons?

NPR: Not All Seasons Are Created Equal