An Ode to Baseball on Opening Day

Is there anything better than Opening Day baseball?

There's just something about the smell of the grass, the blinding hue of your team's home whites, the wonderful sound when your favorite player really connects on a swing, and you just know that ball is going to leave the yard...

Baseball is beautiful, but random. Every time you tune in for a game, you might get to see something that's never happened before.

Maybe you'll see a pitcher's duel, a no-hitter, a perfect game.

Perhaps you'll be treated to a slugfest, in which prodigious hitters wallop towering home runs, and the final score would look more appropriate following a football game.

But even if that particular game doesn't make history, when you watch a Major League Baseball game you'll watch some of the most talented athletes in the world display their skills on the hunt for victory. Young phenoms and aging legends taking the field together in pursuit of a common goal.

Anything can happen when you watch a baseball game; the possibilities are truly endless, as unpredictable as the trajectory of a knuckleball.

And here we are, together on Opening Day: the cleanest of slates, with the summer months looming tantalizingly in front of us. Will your team make a run for the pennant? Will that promising rookie fulfill his potential? Will your favorite player be the MVP or Cy Young winner?

Or will things turn sour? Perhaps untimely injuries, ill-timed bullpen implosions, or clubhouse drama might derail your baseball hopes and dreams?

One lucky club might float through 2018 without issue, staking out first place on Opening Day and never relinquishing it. Some might lose five straight out of the gate, then stay in the cellar before selling off any useful pieces by July.

Most teams will spend the season in between, fighting it out over 162 game for a single coveted playoff spot.

I hope your team is successful this season (unless they're playing against mine). But even if your team is terrible, mired in a "rebuild," or taken down by injuries, I hope you find the wonder in baseball's small moments, in fan interactions and incredible defensive plays.

No matter the trajectory of your team in 2018, I hope you find time to step back during the long season and reflect on the beauty of baseball.

How lucky we are that we get to watch it, and debate it, and whine about it.

How lucky we are to have our hopes built up every year on Opening Day, even if the odds of coming out on top by October might be slim.

How lucky we are to have baseball. 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Source

 They say hope springs eternal, and nowhere is that phrase more embraced than in baseball. When the calendar rolls to April, all thirty MLB teams start anew with a clean slate. Some, this year the Giants, hoist a Championship flag to celebrate last season's achievements, while the rest will heave a sigh of relief that 2014 is officially in the baseball history books.

But whether you cheer for the defending champs or one of the twenty-nine clubs that came up short, Opening Day is a magical time. It marks the beginning of spring, a slate of (mostly) day games to remind us that those warm summer nights will come again, and that the best things in life come without a clock (pace of play initiatives notwithstanding).

Anything is possible on Opening Day: veterans will return to their stomping grounds, or make debuts for new teams and in new leagues; rookies will set foot on the lush grass of big league fields for the first time. Home runs will jump off of bats with the most satisfying crack you've ever heard, and catcher's gloves will pop with the sound of strikeouts.

Little kids will eat hot dogs and sing about cracker jacks, while their parents buy overpriced beer and whatever weird food their home ballpark is debuting this season.

I've never been to an Opening Day persay, but I did go to Opening Night in 2010, when Pedro Martinez emerged from the Green Monster to throw out the first pitch. Then in 2013, I attended the Red Sox Home Opener. Both were amazing, particularly since the Red Sox won both games, but there's just something indescribable about the atmosphere when the offseason finally comes to an end.

Today is that singular day for everyone outside of Cubs and Cardinals fans - they got their special time on national television last night. After today's slate of fourteen games, we'll be back to business as usual. But for today, all is right with the world: baseball is back again.

Big things for Jackie Bradley Jr.

A simple glance at the box score wouldn't leave you with a ton of confidence about Jackie Bradley Jr.'s performance yesterday afternoon - but a simple glance wouldn't be doing him justice. After one game, Bradley has a batting average of zero, but with three walks (one after falling behind in the count to CC Sabathia, 0-2) his OBP is .600.

I'm perfectly aware that statistics like that are totally meaningless with a minuscule  one-game sample size, but a three walk game is a success no matter the context. It's easy to forget with all of the hype surrounding this rookie, but Bradley has never even played a game in AAA, or spent any time in left field. But obviously he was equal to the hype, since he waltzed right into Yankee Stadium on Opening Day, and scored two of the Red Sox runs with an RBI of his own, in addition to some great play in the field (pictured).

It's always fun (and ridiculous) to take Opening Day statistics and stretch them out over a 162 game season: for instance, the Sox would be on pace to go 162-0. If you averaged Bradley's Opening Day performance over an entire season, he would have no hits, 486 walks, 324 runs scored, and 162 RBIs. Certainly that would be an altogether absurd full season stat line, but I do see big things for the rookie this year.

In fact, I'm so confident that I added Jackie Bradley Jr. to my fantasy team last night. I had to sacrifice Lorenzo Cain, but I know it'll be worth it over the full season. There may not be any Red Sox baseball today, but I'm happily throwing myself into the euphoric and plentiful baseball-is-back coverage all over the internet. After all, if I survived six months of reflection about the worst Red Sox season in decades, I can certainly last one day on the sweet memories of beating New York on Opening Day in their house.

Opening Day optimism

I'm guessing that most of you, like me, are on the redsox.com mailing list, and you also woke up to the above picture in your email.  It's a beautiful photo (and really just makes me want to sneak into Fenway in the early morning with a camera) to start off Opening Day - here's hoping at that time tomorrow the Sox will have kicked off a winning streak.

By chance, I was at the final home game of last season, and like most of September, the day ended in a loss (to the Orioles, no less).  At the time, I wasn't too worried, since there six games still to play and I figured they would clinch soon enough. I won't rehash it now, on the morning of a fresh start, but you all know how that worked out.

I know that there are mixed feelings about the movie Fever Pitch, but there's one scene from it in particular that encompasses how I feel today (and on all Home Openers): the main character's season tickets have arrived, and after he's embraced the delivery guy, he and his friends open the box, touching and smelling and caressing the tickets.  "A new season," says one of them with awe, "a clean slate." The main character smells his sheet of tickets and declares that "this smells like the year."

From all the way in Connecticut, this smells like the year. Soon enough we'll have forgotten this 1-5 start, the bullpen will shake out the kinks, and the field players will find their groove.  Opening Day is about unbridled optimism, and since I won't be able to watch this year (I have to commentate Trinity baseball this afternoon), I'm broadcasting my good feelings now.

I'm predicting Josh Beckett will go out there looking to prove himself after an abysmal start last week in Detroit, and pitch deep into the game.  The lineup will rise to the occasion of performing in front of the Fenway crowd, and those who have been struggling (I'm looking at you Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis) will get in in gear.

Sox take Opening Day, and for my final prediction, Dustin Pedroia goes yard - because that's just what he does on Opening Day.

I'm missing everything!

This photo almost made me cry.

This is harder than I had initially imagined… Before I embarked on this semester abroad, I calculated just how many Red Sox games would be played during my absence, and while I understood on some level that I would really be missing a lot of baseball, I had it in my head that I would be able to keep up somehow, and maybe even watch a game here and there.

At this point, that seems pretty unlikely. My homestay here in Dakar, Senegal, does not have internet, and the games are broadcast at times when I am certainly expected to be home. Next week, I leave for Spring Break, and the resort presumably has WiFi, but most likely not enough to stream games. The one light at the end of the tunnel might be Buenos Aires. We arrive in Argentina April 17^th, and because the time difference there is just one hour (!), it’s possible that I might be able to watch the occasional Red Sox game, whether or not my Argentinian homestay has internet.

When I’m at home, the only times I wake up without knowing how he Sox did the night before are when I fall asleep watching them on the West Coast… and I just missed Opening Day (which, apparently, was not the triumphant return we had all imagined) and Game #2. Every morning when I get to someplace with internet, I immediately check the scores, but it’s not the same.

I feel like there’s a physical hole in my life: Opening Day is about renewal and new beginnings, and I missed out completely. My own personal Opening Day will be May 23^rd, when I return stateside, and you better believe the first thing I’m going to do is watch the Sox.

Let's Burst his Bubble: CJ Wilson and Opening day

Despite the fact that Texas starter CJ Wilson is seemingly unimpressed with the 2011 Boston Red Sox, I have a good feeling about today (plus, I have Wilson and Neftali Feliz on my fantasy team, so if all goes awry for the Sox, at least I'll get something out of it).

I'm a pretty big Wilson fan, but with all due respect, his comments sounded like overcompensation - perhaps for nerves? Obviously, the lefthander is an elite talent, and he's only saying what any pitcher would say. You can't expect him to publicly cower from the almighty Red Sox - that would hardly inspire his teammates to give him much run support. The fact is, the Red Sox did only make 2 additions to their lineup, but they're two of the best players in the game. Sure, the fact that both Crawford and Gonzalez are lefthanded, and Wilson has been absolute DEATH on lefties, but I still think the Sox will pull this one out.

And even if they don't? There are 161 games coming after today, and these Red Sox are built for the long haul. Assuming they can avoid another Parade of Carnage like last year, it's easy to imagine baseball in Boston well into October. It's hard not to look at the first few games of the season under a microscope: if the team goes 0-2 or 1-3, well, there goes the season. Likewise, if the team starts off hot, it's tempting to start designing those World Series rings in April.

But it's just so pretty.

The checked-in fan does neither. Yes, the games happening in April count for exactly as much as the games that will happen in late September, but they also count only as much as those lazy June afternoon games that so many of us miss while we're at work. A little perspective goes a long way in baseball.

CJ Wilson's perspective is that he needn't worry about the Sox this Opening Day - I say we give him a reality check.

We made it!

It's here! Finally, Opening Day 2011 is upon us, and though the Red Sox don't actually play until tomorrow, THERE'S BASEBALL AGAIN! Despite the fact that I will struggle mightily to keep up with MLB in the coming months (though the internet situation in Argentina is unknown - maybe that will be easier), I cannot remember ever being this excited to start a season.

Sure, we say something to this effect every year, but I honestly think this is different, at least for me. Like every year, Opening Day is a clean slate (let's forget the 89 wins of yesteryear right now, ok?), but this year it means even more, for some reason.

I think partially because I've been hitting a wall lately on my study abroad program, but I really need baseball to keep my sanity intact, now more than ever. I absolutely cannot wait to throw all of my energy and my free time into repeatedly checking and rechecking stats and standings and replays, and if I ever have enough bandwidth, I will hopefully be able to stream a game or two.

I'll put up a more Sox specific post later, but I really needed to get this out there first thing in the morning: Happy New Year, Red Sox Nation - we made it!

Around the Horn; Opening Day 2010

Last year on Opening Day, I went down the Red Sox batting order, listing my favorite moment for each player. This year is a little different: because I was actually present at the game, some of the greatest moments weren't manufactured by the players, so I'll do my players list first, and then give you the best non-baseball moments at the end:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, LF: I know it might seem less than spectacular to some of you, but I was blown away by the patience Ells displayed during his at-bats last night. He struck out twice, and didn't reach base in any of his five plate appearances, but at one point I saw him take five straight pitches. I see an improved OBP in his future, and I like it.

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B: Yesterday marked the second time in as many years that Pedey went deep on Opening Day. Last year, it gave the Sox the lead, as it came on the first pitch he saw all season, but this years was even more inspiring, tying up a game that had seemed out of reach. However, I also enjoyed the dive he took into first base, despite the fact that he was erroneously called out. I thought he was going to go all Mike Tyson on umpire Angel Hernandez.

Clearly, he was safe. Also, Sabathia is a large, large, GIANT man. How do you even get that big?

3. Victor Martinez, C: Ignoring the awkwardness in being the only person not named Jason Varitek to start behind the plate on Opening Day in many years, VMart did a good job, stroking a double in the sixth inning, and scoring the Red Sox' 4th run of the game.

4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B: YOUKKK went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, 2 doubles, and a triple. Honestly, the triple was my favorite, mostly because it's likely the only one he'll have all year, and watching the Greek God of Sweat hustle around the bases is entertaining, to say the least.

Run, Kevin, RUNNN!!

5. David Ortiz, DH: Not a particularly impressive night for Papi, who has something to prove coming into the season. Theo is going to tolerate far fewer 0-for -3 lines this year than he has in the past. On the bright side, Ortiz managed to draw a walk.

6. Adrian Beltre, 3B: Tied things up the first time, in the bottom of the fifth. With two men on, he drilled the first pitch of the at-bat into center for a 2 RBI single. Also, made some verrry nice rabs in the field.

7. JD Drew, RF: First, let me say that it's absolutely disgusting that the home town fans were booing Drew, before he even had an appearance. For the record, he did have a hit, and I'm so over how underrated he is, especially in a town that claims to be so enlightened about baseball matters.

8. Mike Cameron, CF: They promised us a fan favorite, and I'm seeing one. Apart from snagging every ball that came near him in center field, Cameron went 2-for-3 with a walk, and a run scored. He's also rumored to be hilarious.

9. Marco Scuataro, SS: Scoots (that's what I've decided to call him) had an almost identical line to Cameron's, but with an RBI. A shortstop who can hit the ball AND catch it? Somebody pinch me.

NON-GAME FAVORITES:
Mikey Lowell got the longest ovation of anyone not named Johnny Pesky last night, and when he tipped his cap, it was obvious that he was touched. It's nice that the fans can appreciate what Mikey's done for us, and even if he's gone by May, he'll always have a place in my heart.

Pedro embracing Johnny Pesky brought tears to my eyes. Okay, Pedro's appearance in general brought tears to my eyes, but when he knelt down next to #6, I couldn't contain them. Johnny looked, well, old... and I have to admit it scared me a little, but he lit right up when Pedro was there.

Minor leaguer Ryan Westmoreland was in the house last night, and since the last thing we heard was that his brain surgery had been successful, I was thrilled to see he was healthy enough to come to Fenway Park. Westmoreland is not only one of the most talented prospects, he's younger than me, so it's nice to see him healthy.

This:

36,000 of my closest friends...

This morning, I went to the dining hall to get a quick brunch before I head off to Boston for the game, and I managed to become best friends with half of the workers, and mortal enemies with the rest.

I was sporting my "Fenway is Where I Pray" shirt, and one of them told me he liked it: "You should wear that every day," he said. I replied that it was, after all, Easter, which was good for a hearty laugh. Now, being in Connecticut means that I'm smack in the middle of the divide between Red Sox and Yankee Country, so there are a fair amount of fans on both sides working at and attending Trinity College.


At this point, one of the Yankee fans chimed in. "You'll be crying tonight," he told me with a grin. I decided not to get into CC Sabathia's April statistics, or the fact that Mark Teixeira is a notoriously slow starter. Instead, I went with something short and sweet:


"Nope. I'll be at Fenway Park, on my feet cheering with 36,000 of my closest friends."

See you there!

What [Not?] to Wear.

As most of you know by now, I'm going to Opening Day tomorrow night (what a strange sentence...). I'm having a bit of a struggle deciding which of many Red Sox shirts to wear, and I thought you guys could help me out. (Don't worry, I'll do a pitching preview tomorrow before I go!)


This one always makes me laugh. Beyond its obvious double-entendre, the shirt says "I never forget my fandom," which is certainly true of me.
I don't think I'll go with this one, mostly because I'll be in the presence of the actual Green Monster (though, alas, not atop it), and it seems strange to wear it while at Fenway Park.

My version of this shirt has "PEDROIA" and #15 on the back, so it has the wonderful duality of being a shirt that represents my favorite player and a sentiment I support.

This is the frontrunner so far, it being Easter Sunday and all. I don't want to offend anyone's religious sensibilities, though.
I bought this one for my mom last Mother's Day, and it says "MOM" #1 on the back. I know it meant a lot to her, and it's one of my favorite things to remember her by.

This one is great because it (a) rhymes and (b) it's about Dustin Pedroia. As you know, I LOVE HIM.


Again, about Dustin Pedroia. Also, I wore this to ALDS Game 4 (clincher!) and ALCS Game 5 (epic comeback) in 2008, so it's known to be lucky.Self explanitory. Opening Day is all about renewed hope and belief that your team will be playing deep into October, and I'm all for that.

So what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments, or via Facebook, Twitter, or email if you prefer. I'll take tons of pictures tomorrow, so never fear.

Happy New Year, Red Sox Nation!

I've spent much of the last week and a half screaming intermittently. Before you get all worked up, they have been screams of excitement: a few times every day, I remember that not only is Opening Day so close, I'm actually going to be there, and I simply have to vocally express my happiness.

Of course, I told all of my friends that I had tickets to Opening Day as soon as it happened, and they were happy for me, but they didn't really understand. They think they know the extent of my fandom - it's hard to ignore the constant wearing of Red Sox paraphenalia - but it's hard to truly express what this team means to me in terms that can be understood by those outside of Red Sox Nation.

My religion on Facebook is "Boston Red Sox." To put that in perspective, Merriam-Webster defines religion as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." The beliefs? That the Red Sox are the best. Devotional and ritual observances? Buying hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise and tickets, and making the six-hour round trip to Fenway at a moment's notice. Moral code? Yankees suck. And voila! You've got yourself a religion!

In all seriousness, I spend more time thinking about the Red Sox than anything else: when I'm bored in class, I doodle field diagrams and possible lineups on my notebook.

My computer background is a rotating set of 20-something Red Sox pictures, including one of my favorites, which is especially fitting for today:

So, for those of you out there like me, who worship at the foot of the Green Monster, draw baseball doodles on your work, and scream intermittently (and increasingly frequently): HAPPY NEW YEAR! The wait is almost over!

Opening Day

Today is one of the best days of my life. At about 1:10 this afternoon, I got a phone call from my mother.

"We got them," she said.

I screamed. Loudly. Then I ran out into the common room of my dorm and I screamed at my roommates. They knew exactly what had happened, and I'm guessing that most of you do, too.

I am going to Opening Day. And I really couldn't be more excited if I tried.


Not only have I never been to an Opening Day, this year, we're playing against New York, and it's an 8pm game. This means that I will be missing my 9am class the next morning, but the last time I missed that professor's class for a baseball game, he said "God bless you," so I don't see it being an issue.

Around the Horn; Opening Day Edition

My favorite moments from yesterday's game, in [batting] order:

1.) Ellsbury, CF: Not a great place to start, as Pink-Hatted Nation's favorite poster boy was the only Sox starter to go hitless.  Nevertheless, I read over at Toeing the Rubber that a fan actually tried to hug Ellsbury as he made his way to the field during introductions... Three guesses as to the color of the besotted fan's headwear.

2.) Pedroia, 2B: Boston's biggest mouth took the second offering from Ray's starter James Shields over the Green Monster to put the Sox up, 1-0.  To all those who wondered how much the MVP would regress this year: he heard you, and he begs to differ.

3.) Ortiz, DH: One of the question marks heading into the season, Papi followed Pedroia's homer with a hit of his own, albeit a less dramatic one.  Still, an Ortiz who looks comfortable at the plate is something we can all look forward to.

4.) Youkilis, 1B: Youk was the only Sox player to notch two hits yesterday, with a single and a double.  That guy down in the Bronx we were all so anxious to sign four months ago?  Still hitless on the season... against the Orioles.  I'm trying to contain my glee.  On a related note, Youk was offended that the home town writers had picked the Sox to fall to the Cubs in the Fall Classic.  Now that's confidence.

5.) Drew, RF: Our good [and fragile] friend JD, beyond a single and an RBI, safely made it down to the field.  According to boston.com, #7 felt "like a gorilla at the zoo."  Personally, I'm just happy he didn't manage to get a splinter on the way down and end up on the 15-day disabled list.

6.) Bay, LF: In the first Opening Day since 2001 with someone not named Ramirez manning left field, the resident Canadian had a productive game: a hit, an RBI, and a run scored.  And he didn't even trip Jack McCormick during pregame introductions.  I don't know about anyone else, but I'll take it.

7.) Lowell, 3B:  The worry with Lowell coming in was that he might not have the necessary speed on the basepaths (apparently that's part of the reason he's batting seventh, the other being that Tito likes to alternate left/right).  However, Lowell hit a stand up double out towards left-center field yesterday: he doesn't need to be Jacoby Ellsbury (in fact, Ellsbury doesn't need to be Ellsbury, the way he played yesterday) if he keeps hitting "rockets." [term trademarked by Dustin Pedroia]

8.) Lowrie, SS: The newest farm system product to start an Opening Day, Lowrie only went 1-for-4, but he did make a nice pick on a tricky play and get the ball over to Youk for the out, a maneuver I'll believe Lugo can make only if I see it.

9.) Varitek, C:  El Capitan started his ninth straight Opening Day in a Sox uniform, a team record for a catcher.  Tek did his best to silence those who have been predicting another abysmal offensive season by going deep in the sixth.  To the catcher's credit, when asked about the homerun after the game, he declined to comment, saying that "three-fourths" of his job is behind the plate.  If there's one thing we can count on Varitek for, it's class.

SP: Beckett:  Facing off against "Big Game" James, Josh Beckett showed the Rays what a real gamer pitches like.  Beckett struck out ten while pitching seven innings of two-hit ball, and dropped at least one F-bomb that was visible on NESN's camera's.

RP: Okajima: Oki hit a batsman and walked another before striking out the third batter he faced.  Apparently, Francona put him in for the righty-lefty-lefty trio coming up, as he can be affective against both... just not yesterday, but that's alright because...

RP: Masterson: The 6'6" sinkerballer came in and allowed a double steal on his very first pitch, then surrendered a hit that allowed both inherited runners to score.  However, he emerged from the inning without further damage, preserving a 5-3 Sox lead for Paps in the ninth.

Save: Papelbon: After an offseason during which he set a record for arbitration eligible closers and made several questionable comments during interviews, Paps settled right back in to his actual job, striking out two of the three batters he faced and earning the save.  And as for the questionable quotes he offers? Well, that's just Paps being Paps.