Last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas for MLB fans

It's the bottom of the ninth, and you're at the plate with two outs. Your team is losing by three runs, and the bases are loaded. Full count.

Down to your last strike, you come to the sober realization: This high-stakes scenario is simply a figment of your imagination. In fact, the dilemma you're facing is much more grave: Valentine's Day is less than 48 hours away and you still haven't bought your loved one a gift.

We're here to help.

Whether you're on a shoestring budget or working with a Dodger-like payroll, we've come up with essential Valentine's Day gift ideas for that special baseball someone in your life.

For the romantic fan

The classic dinner and movie date is always a safe bet on Valentine's Day, but even this trusted and tried strategy can backfire if you haven't secured that all-important reservation. If you've at least made it that far, then everything's in place for you to hit a home run on this couples' holiday. Enjoy a nice meal at your favorite restaurant with a pair of Triple-A top sirloin baseball cuts before retiring back home for an evening of "Fever Pitch." Earn extra points by reading some romantic Chicago White Sox Valentine's Day cards set against the backdrop ambiance of World Baseball Classic qualifying games on MLB Network.

Deals, deals, deals

With just one week to go before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, there are plenty of great gift ideas to help prepare baseball fans for the upcoming season. For the book lover, Amazon has some great deals on hallmark items for fanatics of all ages: Baseball Prospectus recently released its indispensable guide to the 2016 season at a ridiculously reasonable price of $15.51 (paperback), while this illustrated history of Ken Burns' "Tenth Inning" documentary is a must-have for fans of the critically-acclaimed PBS series. Other new titles (under $25) to look out for include The Bill James Handbook: 2016 and Ron Shandler's 2016 Baseball Forecaster for fantasy gurus.

Spring gear

What better way to get in the spring spirit then to get decked out in the latest threads your favorite teams have to offer. Over at the MLB.com store, New Era and Majestic just unveiled their colorful new spring training line of apparel, and some of the items are even on sale. Hurry up, though, Friday is the last day to receive up to 30 percent off and free shipping.

For the techie

Nothing says love more than spending Valentine's Day on your phone, and fortunately for all the techies out there, the baseball world offers plenty of goodies to keep you antisocial on the most romantic holiday of the year. Here are just a few of the tech gifts you can download to your loved one's device this weekend: MLB At Bat is now offering 2016 subscriptions for $20 cheaper than last year; MLB Advanced Media is allowing fans to purchase single-team subscriptions this season; and for gamers, you can now pre-order "MLB The Show 16: MVP Edition" (release date March 29).

The Grand Slam

So you've struck out on a dinner reservation, time's running out to hit a shopping mall, and Amazon won't deliver anything until it's too late. Sounds like you might have to pull a Steinbrenner just to keep the critics off your back. If you can afford to make a major splash this weekend, consider treating your significant other to a week-long fantasy camp with their favorite baseball team this November. Packages range from $2,200 to upwards of $5,000, and there's still room left to sign up for the 2016 offseason. It's the walk-off gift every baseball fan dreams of.