Spring is in the air . . . and so is sports! Opening Day of baseball is just around the corner. Decent weather is hanging out there too. While we're waiting, here are the answers to this week's sports questions.

“It seems like every season there's more and more talk about OPS. It's clearly become a major stat, but I'm not convinced that the methodology is valid. Are on-base percentage and slugging percentage really that compatible? Seems a little like apples and oranges to me. What’s your opinion?”

-Sam Hudachko, Clearwater, Florida

A: Me? I prefer oranges.

“Everyone is calling Woods, Mickelson, Els, and Singh 'The Big Four.' Are those guys that much better than the rest of the PGA, or is it just a marketing gimmick?”

-Angel Prieto, American Fork, Utah

A: Truthfully, four doesn’t seem that big to me. I saw a movie called “The Big 16” once. More of a film clip, really. In any case, if it’s a marketing gimmick, it’s a crappy one. Everyone is too savvy for crappy marketing gimmicks these days, except maybe Quiznos, so those Big Four guys must be much, much better than everyone else. Maybe even a different species.

“You asked me to send you a question that combined spring cleaning with sports: What the hell for? Christ, I haven’t even seen you since college. That's a strange fucking request.”

-Rusty Berge, Oneonta, New York

A: Dude, shut up. The readers can't be allowed to see the Wizard behind the curtain, if you know what I’m saying. Also, do you still have my Abnormal Psych textbook? There's something in there I want to reread.

“Who is the best young player in the NBA?”

–Leah Cutler, Kelowna, B.C., Canada

A: You know the one who’s on all those commercials? That one. I think his name is Sprite.

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Michael Northrop is a writer and editor living in New York. There may be others. Send your sports-related questions to michael@supermasterpiece.com.

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