Play ball: MLB spring training games begin today

Baseball season has moved beyond batting practice and pitchers covering first. Today, actual games - well, Cactus and Grapefruit league exhibitions - will be contested.

Six games are on the slate today, beginning with four 1:05 p.m. ET starts from the Grapefruit League, perhaps highlighted by the New York Yankees' game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Three of the Yankees' major off-season acquisitions - Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann - are in the lineup.

The entire schedule:

• Detroit Tigers vs. Atlanta Braves at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 1:05 p.m. ET
• New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m. ET
• Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Clearwater, Fla,, 1:05 p.m. ET
• Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Indians at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. ET
• Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamodnbacks at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. ET