Why I Hate the Cubs
By DeMark

I am a man that loves baseball.

I have spent a significant portion of my life enjoying the “Titanic struggles” (to borrow a phrase from Hall of Famer Marty Brennamen) of my beloved Cincinnati Reds. In total, I estimate that I have been to more than 600 home games in my short life.

When I was seven, Paul O’Neill beaned my little brother in the head with a foul ball from 350 feet away. He must have known he was bothering me at the time, but needless to say, I was hooked. And I think the Reds needed me as much as I wanted them. For a number of years, the Reds amassed a considerable winning record when I attended games, though those were of course better years for the ol’ Redlegs. I like to think they need me even today.

When I left for a summer in Africa a few years ago, I left the Reds in first place. I wasn’t in a locale with running water let alone Internet access for two weeks, and when I finally hitched a ride to the nearest computer, I found the Reds had been so heartbroken at losing their biggest fan that they had refused to win a game since I left. I took their descent from first to near cellar (thank God for the Pirates) as a quiet vote of confidence.

But this is why I am conflicted. As a new resident of Chicago’s north side (or North Side as they insist it be spelled, as if it were a separate state of the Union), I was as enamored as anyone with my first Wrigley Field experience. In my first full season, I made it to about a dozen games despite never having cared for the team.

And there’s the rub.

I don't like the Cubs team itself, but I don't hate them either. I don't see them as a threat either to winning the division or perverting baseball with "bought championships." My disdain for their fans, though, has continued to grow in me since the Cubs "magical summer" of a few years back when only a billy goat's curse and a dork named BartMan could stop the inevitable and all of a sudden everybody was from Wrigleyville.

I’ll first state my defense: true Cubs fans DO exist. As I left a rain-soaked, freezing game two nights ago at Wrigley for two teams I could care less about, the fans that stayed to lambaste me as I exited at the end of the 7th with the Cubs down 4-0 were Cubs fans. Even good baseball teams in good baseball towns of considerable size do not fill the seats daily. But there is no question that the 15,000-25,000 people at the Cardinals stadium live and breathe their team. Like me, I am sure they ache with pain at every mid-May blown hold that costs their team the game.

Unfortunately, there is half a stadium and half a Cubs Nation that actually prefers to see the Cubs near-miss. They think pro sports are about the camaraderie. That’s what little league is for. The big leagues are about winning, entertainment and carrying the hopes and dreams of an entire city, state, region or nation on your back. “Winning isn’t everything”… but you better at least be on your way to winning.

And so I ache. Baseball truly is America’s pastime. It embodies everything that is good and right not just about our country, but about humanity. As I am fond of saying, sports are the perfect microcosm of life. Of all baseball havens I have ever set foot in during my life, Wrigley Field is the closest to heaven. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why before. A friend noted that the miraculous thing in this day and age is when you go to Wrigley, you’re not bombarded with advertisements (I’ll give the Wrigley brand a pass on this, though when the team is sold, we might find ourselves with something like “Viagra Field,” which I guess would be perfect. “Viagra Field: Home of the Chicago Cubs. We play hard, but if we play hard for more than 4 hours, consult a doctor immediately.”).

But I think the real beauty of Wrigley is that the ivy is a metaphor for how baseball just grows out of the city, like entertainment in this fashion is a natural extension of what it means to be human.

It really is beautiful, and I understand why the casual fan might be induced to regularly attending games. Yet instead of using this unique position shared by only a few cities and a few stadiums around the country to force true fans to really show their allegiance and ensure that casual fans either don’t make it into the stadium or pay a hefty price to do so (which would go towards better talent and more winning), the Cubs embrace the “lovable losers” tag and embrace the fan base. The White Sox have not been having trouble getting people to their games either, yet all over the city are phrases from Jim Thome and the like such as, “I didn’t come to HEAR about championships.”

Baseball still occupies a fairly unique position amongst major sports in America that embraces market capitalism in running the team. More money generally translates to more championships. If you’re not winning with that kind of money, you ought to at least have a pet project in mind (see the Anaheim Angels’ goal of creating the first all-Latino baseball team in America). I hate the Yankees, but I know that it’s at least in part due to jealousy.

I hate Cubs fan because half of them are apathetic about the team and the other are apathetic about excluding them.

What's Wrong with the Yankees?
By Joe

I hate to talk about teams or players struggling in April because there's still 135 games to play in the regular season. Players are still finding their swing or getting comfortable on the mound. For example, Manny Ramirez is hitting .192. David Wright hasn't homered yet. Johan Santana has lost two in a row at home. These things won't keep up for much longer. Ramirez is going to clobber his 40 home runs, Wright will be close to a 30-30 threat and Santana will win 18 games with a low ERA and WHIP.

That said, if I'm a realistic Yankees fan I'm officially worried. My team has lost five of six games in the past week and a half to rival Boston and now trail the division leader by 6.5 games, has a patched-up starting rotation, a struggling bullpen and is dead last in the A.L. East. Sure, it's only April and the Yankees have the best offense in baseball. But we've already seen that hitting won't carry this team against decent competition. They're going to outhit some teams, no doubt. But when they face a Boston or Cleveland or Anaheim, teams with good pitching staffs, the Yankees can't counter.

Before Greg writes me a nasty email, let me say that I understand Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano are injured, that Chien-Ming Wang has just come off the DL and that right now if Brian Cashman looks out his window and sees you throwing a decent fastball outside Yankee Stadium, there's a 50/50 chance you could be in the rotation.

I get it. The rotation will get better. How much better is up for debate.

The biggest problem is that even a fully healthy New York staff isn't that impressive. It's ok, maybe even decent on a good day. But it's not going to be good enough for a seven-game playoff series. It's not good enough to matchup with a whole bunch of teams in either league and it's not good enough to beat Boston or Minnesota. Mark it down, this pitching staff will keep New York from making the playoffs.

In the past five years Mussina has been either very good or very average. In 2006, he recorded a 3.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, both outstanding numbers for any pitcher, especially a pitcher his age. But the two previous years Mussina had ERAs in the mid-4s. In 2003, he had a 3.40 ERA.

The point -- when Mussina comes back from the DL he could very well be an anchor for the Yankees staff. Or he could be the most overpaid 4.50 ERA-pitcher in the American League. At 38, Mussina is by no way a lock to put up great numbers like in 2006. I actually hope he does because he's my no. 4 starter on my fantasy baseball team.

I've already discussed the "ace" Wang, who I believe will regress this year. Usually pitchers don't do as well in their second full season because of more film, better scouting and opposing hitters recognizing tendencies. Let's say this: The Yankees MUST have Wang as good or better than last year if they want a chance to make the playoffs. If he struggles, the Yankees are cooked.

Andy Pettitte is similar to Mussina in that you're not sure what you're going to get. Two years ago Pettitte had an incredible 2.39 ERA and 1.03 WHIP on his way to a 17-9 record for Houston. But last year Pettitte struggled to a 4.20 ERA and 1.44 WHIP and finished just 14-13. At 35, the Yanks can't be certain how well their newly signed pitcher will fare. Looking at his career stats, Pettitte's 2005 season seems like more of an aberration than the norm. His ERA usually hovers around 4.00.

After those three, the Yankees rotation gets really murky. There are two spots left and zero good options. The choices are Pavano, rookie Phil Hughes (who may be sent back to Triple-A after his next start), Kei Igawa (yikes), and Jeff Karstens (who?).

That's your 2007 New York Yankees starting pitching staff. Does that look like a strong enough rotation to oust Boston, Cleveland, Minnesota, Anaheim, Detroit, Chicago or Oakland? Nope. What happens if Mussina, Wang and/or Pettitte struggle? What if all three regress from their 2006 seasons? As I mentioned, that's not an unlikely scenario looking at all three of their career stats. And you probably forgot that Pavano has had all of ONE good season, in 2004, under his belt. What if he stinks too?

With all those question marks, this staff is not only expected to help the Yankees make the playoffs, but also bring them out of the huge hole they are digging each day they lose.That's asking a lot of any pitching staff, especially one as average as New York's. (Just ask Philly fans how tough it is to recover from a poor start. Philadelphia has stunk out of the gate for three straight years.)

Even in an ideal situation, I don't like the Yankees chances. Assume Mussina, Wang and Pettitte combine for 48 wins (HUGE if). Hughes is a stud, much like Anaheim's Jered Weaver a year ago and wins 13. Pavano doesn't get injured and wins around 14. And Igawa or Karstens somehow gets them 12 wins too. They make the playoffs. Exactly who are they going to beat in the first round?

Not Minnesota, the Twins pitching is too good. Not Cleveland, the Indians pitching and hitting is too good. Not Anaheim or Detroit, each team has better pitching and bullpens. And certainly not Boston, who is the best team in the A.L.

Bottom line is that you can't win the World Series with an average pitching staff. The Yankees have a great, great lineup. But their staff is weak and has too many question marks.

Best-case scenario: the Yanks make the playoffs and lose in the Division Series. Worst-case scenario: the Yanks fail to make the playoffs, George Steinbrenner fires Cashman and A-Rod walks to free agency. Say what you want, but a starting rotation of Mussina, Wang, Pettitte, Pavano and Karsten/Hughes/Igawa isn't cutting it in October.

But Yankees fans needn't worry about their postseason rotation. Not because it's April, but because their team won't make it that far.

This n' That
By Joe

Cleveland's Fausto Carmona beat Minnesota at the Metrodome Tuesday night to record his first win in more than a year. Surprisingly, the victory came against reigning Cy Young winner Johan Santana. It was Santana's second straight loss at home, a place he normally dominates. But no one in Minnesota should be concerned. Santana always starts the season slow before finding his groove in mid-May.

I think Carmona has a shot to be a very reliable fifth starter for Cleveland. Not sure where he fits in once Cliff Lee returns from the DL next week, but I hope they find a spot in the rotation for him. Most Indians' fans are feeling fortunate that we're getting any profit at all out of Carmona after his atrocious 2006 season, where he posted a 1-10 record, 5.42 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. I think we can all agree he's not considered an ace.

I'm rarely right, but so far Alex Rodriguez is making me look like a genius. Like I posted a few weeks ago after his game-winning home run against Baltimore, A-Rod is much more relaxed and it shows in his ridiculous start to the season. He's still got until next Tuesday to break the single-season home run record for April. I've been trying to think of another player that was in this kind of zone and the only one who comes to mind is Carlos Beltran during Houston's playoff run in 2004. That year Beltran connected for eight home runs in just 12 playoff games. This year, A-Rod blew that away with 12 home runs in his first 15 games. That's hard to do on video games.

Where in the world did Chicago's Rich Hill come from? Good Lord, he is throwing well right now. In his first 22 innings, before losing to Milwaukee Tuesday night, Hill allowed ONE earned run. His ERA was 0.41. Just imagine if the Cubs had a healthy Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and Hill in the rotation. Obviously that's like saying just imagine if Drew Updike acted like a normal human being or just imagine if working for The Observer and Leprechuan Legion in college made you cool. It's a pretty big 'if.'

Speaking of Prior, how can you not feel bad for the guy? Another season-ending surgery? He's still just 26, but this has to be wearing him down mentally. You can only take so many setbacks.

This happened little while back but still is worth noting. What was Cleveland manager Eric Wedge thinking last week when he let closer Joe Borowski pitch to A-Rod in the bottom of the ninth of a two-run game with two on and first base open? First, I can't fathom how Wedge justifies pitching to A-Rod rather than walking him to face Jason Giambi. Second, isn't this the reason we have bench coaches? Shouldn't Cleveland's bench coach have said, "Hey, Eric, you do know A-Rod has more home runs than some teams right? And he's hitting almost .400? And Jason Giambi is on deck? You sure still want to pitch to him? Ok, just checking."

Cole Hamels struck out 15 against the Reds in a complete game win. God, I love Cole. Have I mentioned this before? I can't wait until Matt and I start the Chicago Chapter of the Cole Hamels Fan Club and get our own authentic Cole Hamels jersey to wear whenever he pitches. This is officially a man crush.

I looked at the Giants' lineup a couple days ago and noticed that Rich Aurilla was hitting third and Ray Durham cleanup. How does this happen in a real major league baseball game? I know Barry Bonds had the day off, but can't we find someone better than Rich Aurilla and Ray Durham to hit 3-4? Is Edgardo Alfonzo available? What about bringing Marquis Grissom out of retirement? And yet, the Giants have won seven straight.

Hopefully, I'll have time later today to write about Cole's start against the Nationals as well as Yankee prospect Phil Hughes' first major league appearance.

Ace in the Hole
By Joe

Throughout the baseball season we always hear players, managers, commentators and fans talking about the importance of having a truly dominant pitcher, a guy who simply controls the opposition nearly every time on the mound. A kind of player who stops losing streaks and wins playoff series. A special pitcher otherwise known as an ace.

But what makes a pitcher an ace? What criteria should we set to determine this answer? These are two critical questions to ask because being considered an ace is extremely important for a pitcher. When you're the ace, you command a higher salary and better trade value. You are expected to produce every time out. You are, for all intents and purposes, "The Man."

If we are going to figure out just who is an ace and who isn't, we need a test sample. I can't think of anyone better than New York Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, who won 19 games in 2006 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He also finished the season with 51 votes in the Cy Young voting, good enough for a second-place finish.

Now that we have our sample, we need criteria for determining an ace. Which are the most important numbers to analyze and which aren't?

From participating in fantasy baseball, I have learned how unimportant wins are in assessing a pitcher's ability. A great example of the deficiencies of the win category occurred this afternoon when Kansas City played Detroit. The Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman threw seven innings, walked zero, allowed just four hits and one earned run. He left the game with a 3-1 lead and turned it over to the Tigers' bullpen. For all intents and purposes, he threw a gem. But when Detroit's closer, Todd Jones, yielded two runs in the top of the ninth, Bonderman's win went down the toilet.

If we are judging pitchers on their ability to win, Bonderman isn't very good. He's 0-0 through four starts. But in reality, he could win the Cy Young if it was given out today. He has four quality starts (defined by going at least six innings and allowing three runs or less), his ERA is 2.25 and his WHIP is under 1.00. Bonderman is a top five pitcher in the majors so far this season.

Another great example is Philadelphia's Cole Hamels. In his first two starts, Hamels went 13 innings, allowed just 10 hits, two earned runs, walked four and struck out 15. For his efforts, he earned zero victories thanks to a horrendous Phillies bullpen.

In his last start, Hamels wasn't very good at all. He got smoked for five earned in just six innings. But he also got something else from that start -- a win.

As you can see, Bonderman and Hamels prove that wins are overrated. Too many outside factors affect whether a pitcher gets a win or not. If a team has an excellent offense, there is a higher chance a pitcher's poor performance will be offset. If a team has a stellar defense, it will make fewer errors and thus increase the chances for a pitcher to gain victory.

In 2006, Wang was tied with Johan Santana for the Major League lead in wins. This tells us that Wang was, at the least, a good, consistent pitcher. You don't win 19 games in the first few months of the season. You must earns Ws in August and September to reach such a high mark. Wang obviously did many things well. But wins alone doesn't convince me he's an ace.

A better indication of a pitcher's performance is his ERA. Generally, an ERA under 4.00 is considered good and an ERA between 3.25 and 3.00 is excellent. Obviously, a pitcher with a good ERA has been effective in limiting runners from scoring. It also proves the pitcher stays out of the dreaded "big inning."

But ERA can also be misleading. For example, if a pitcher leaves a game with a man on third base and two outs, he is still responsible for that runner. If the ensuing relief pitcher yields a single and the runner from third scores, the starter is tagged with the earned run. Therefore, a pitcher's ERA is very much a product of the effectiveness of his team's bullpen. A team with a bad bullpen could cost a pitcher half a run on his ERA by season's end, maybe more.

There are several pitchers in the league who are generally considered aces without much debate and coincidentally have very solid ERAs. In 2006 Santana (2.77), Houston's Roy Oswalt (2.89), Toronto's Roy Halladay (3.19), St. Louis' Chris Carpenter (3.09) and Roger Clemens' (2.30). You could throw in a couple others, like Arizona's Brandon Webb or Chicago's Carlos Zambrano (although I think he's on the very edge of this discussion). Either way, its obvious that to be considered an ace, you need an ERA well below 3.50, and closer to the 3.25 to 3.00 range discussed earlier.

Wang's ERA was a very respectable 3.63. He is not yet in the low 3.00 range, but he is far above the league average. Staying around this mark will ensure a productive career and makes him a strong no. 2 starter on almost every team. However, Wang's ERA is still nearly half a run away from being deemed a "dominant" pitcher and in the same company as the very best starters in the league.

For me, the best indicator of pitching performance is walks plus hits per innings pitched or WHIP. A pitcher's WHIP is the best choice to determine whether a pitcher is an ace because it eliminates the outside variables that factored into wins and ERA. A team's offensive ability is completely independent of a pitcher's WHIP. A team's bullpen is a non-factor in determining WHIP. And a team's defense has only minimal impact on WHIP.

Therefore, I argue that a pitcher with a low WHIP and high ERA is better than a pitcher with a high WHIP and low ERA. This is why I feel guys like Chicago's Carlos Zambrano and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia aren't aces. They are good, front-end starters, but they don't belong in the same category as Oswalt, Santana or Carpenter. Zambrano has a career WHIP of 1.29, while Sabathia's is 1.28. I'm not saying these two aren't good ,but I wouldn't consider them aces.

To compare, Randy Johnson, a definite ace during most of his career, has a lifetime WHIP of 1.16. Santana's is 1.09, John Smoltz's is 1.17 and Oswalt's is 1.18. You get the point.

Perhaps my criteria is high, but shouldn't there be just a few aces in the league each year? If we start saying that everyone with an ERA under 4.00 and 17 wins is considered an ace, doesn't that dilute the title? Shouldn't an ace be known as one of the very best at his job?

Let's go back to our buddy, Mr. Wang. His 19 wins definitely put him in the ace category. His 3.63 ERA is good, but well past the threshold of 3.25 and his WHIP is a commendable 1.31, but again not within the 1.19-1.10 range.

From this analysis, I certainly don't consider Wang an ace for the Yankees. In addition to wins, ERA and WHIP, ace pitchers usually have high strikeout numbers so they rely less on defense and more on themselves. Wang is quite the opposite, striking out just 76 in 218 innings of work. This likely means he doesn't have a dominant pitch to rely on when he needs that third strike. Hitters have little trouble getting wood on the ball against Wang (pun?). With hitters getting a second chance to face Wang this season, I believe they will convert many of those putouts to hits.

Wang allows opponents' to bat .277 against him. This is also too high to put him in the ace category. In contrast, Oswalt's career BAA is .253 and Halladay's is .255. For Wang to be in Oswalt and Halladay's level, he'll need to significantly drop his BAA number. Again, I think you'll see that be about the same, if not higher in 2007 because hitters have more tape and experience against him.

So, what have we learned? To determine a pitcher's worth, wins don't mean much, ERA helps and WHIP is critical. Winning 18 games doesn't mean you're an ace or a Cy Young candidate.

Just ask Jon Garland.

N.L. East Preview
By Joe

The National League East is an intriguing division. Four of the five teams could legitimately contend for playoff spots. There is exciting, young pitching (see John Maine and Cole Hamels), great young bats (David Wright, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Miguel Cabrera to name a few) and excellent rivalries (Braves vs. Mets, Mets vs. Phillies, Braves vs. Phillies). Here's a look at all five teams in this hotly contested division.

Washington Nationals (2006 record: 71-91, 5th place N.L. East)

I look at the Washington Nationals lineup and starting rotation and I wonder how this team will win 60 games. They start Dimitri Young at first base, Chris Snelling in left field and Ronnie Belliard at second. Their "ace" is John Patterson, who's coming off of a major arm injury in 2006 and the rest of their rotation (Hill, Williams, Chico and Bergmann) sounds like a law firm in the D.C. area. They have a first-year manager and lost their only star, Alfonso Soriano, to the Cubs. Perhaps the best hitter on the team, Nick Johnson, is out with a broken leg and they're stuck playing the Mets 20 times.

How will this team not lose a 100 games?

Well, for starters, they'll need Patterson to return to his 2005 form when he went 9-7 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Aside from Patterson, look for rookie Shawn Hill to have a respectable season. He's been the best starter thus far, going 1-2 in 18.2 innings with a 2.89 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

Chad Cordero is a more than adequate closer, but he'll get fewer chances save chances with the team being so pitiful. Getting Ray King back from injury should help the bullpen and Washington is optimistic that newly-acquired Ryan Wagner will be tough on righties.

The National's lineup is easily the worst in baseball and there is little hope of it improving. Felipe Lopez has lost his power from two years ago and playing at a pitcher-friendly park doesn't help. Ryan Church and Ryan Zimmerman will be the only two true threats at the plate and both could have very good years. But they'll have little help. I'm not creative enough to figure out how a lineup with Belliard, Robert Fick, Austin Kearns and Young will average more than 2.5 runs per game.

Florida Marlins (2006 record: 78-84, 4th place N.L. East)

Florida supposedly sold the farm after their last championship in 2003, but they've already restocked the lineup with a slew of outstanding talents. Miguel Cabrera is one of the top five hitters in baseball and probably the most consistent. For his career Cabrera hits .313 versus righties, .307 against lefties, .316 pre-All Star break, .307 post-All Star break, .309 at home and .315 on the road.

Unlike the past few years, Cabrera has plenty of support around him. Speedy shortstop Hanley Ramirez has emerged as a prolific basestealer, first baseman Mike Jacobs, outfielder Josh Willingham and second baseman Dan Uggla each hit at least 20 home runs in 2006 and Alejandro De Aza has shown signs of being a terrific centerfielder.

The pitching staff is anchored, once again, by Dontrelle Willis who finished last season with a 12-12 record, 3.87 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. I've never been a huge fan of Willis, who's career 1.30 WHIP is far too high for me to tag him an "ace." Behind Willis, Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez and Sergio Mitre are all solid, young pitchers that had respectable 2006 campaigns and should continue improving as the year progresses.

Florida's biggest weakness is its bullpen, which can be summed up in one simple statement -- Henry Owens is the team's closer. HENRY OWENS!?! By the way, he wears no. 77, went to a college named Barry and logged four innings in his MLB career before 2007. I'm going to guess he's not worth picking up in fantasy leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies (2006 record: 85-77, 2nd place N.L. East)

Jimmy Rollins bragged to the media in spring training that he thought the Phillies were ready to do some damage in the N.L. East in 2007. So far, the exact opposite has happened.

For the third straight year, Philadelphia has stumbled out of the gate and fallen flat on its face. Through 12 games, the Phillies are 3-9 and have dropped to dead last in the division. I know its very early, but it's still a bad sign when a team starting Robert Fick (Washington) is ahead of you in the standings.

The offense has plenty of weapons. Ryan Howard was the MVP last season and should continue to put up astronomical numbers. Chase Utley is the best second baseman in baseball, the shortstop Rollins is off to a torrid start at the plate, left fielder Pat Burrell has plenty of power, centerfielder Aaron Rowand is a defensive stud and youngster Shane Victorino should surprise people with his combination of speed and hitting.

Brett Myers has taken break from beating his wife to struggle in the first two weeks of the season. This should concern Philly fans. Remember, this is the same guy who has a career ERA of 4.43 and WHIP of 1.36. Yikes.

My boy, Cole Hamels, has been impressive in two of his first three starts. I've already written about him, but the kid has really shown good control in the early going and that's a great sign. He walked far too many last year and he wasn't challenging hitters in deep counts. It's obvious he has the tools. He just needs to learn how to pitch to Major League hitters.

Adam Eaton, Freddy Garcia and Jamie Moyer round out the rotation. Let's breakdown these three. Eaton has the exact same career ERA and WHIP as Myers, which we've already established as bad. Garcia's ERA in two of the past three seasons has hovered around 4.50. Moyer is married to Digger Phelps' daughter and just turned 63 years old. Not a stellar group.

All that aside, the biggest road block to Philadelphia making the playoffs is its bullpen. They've already managed to blow several games this season, including two of Hamels' starts. Tom Gordon is an average closer who will be 40 in Novemeber. Antonio Alfonseco has six fingers on his pitching hand and hasn't been an effective reliever since 2004. And Ryan Madsen has been tagged in almost every appearance he's made. Even if the the Phillies' offense comes together and the starting pitching meshes, this bullpen could be the fatal flaw for any playoff hopes.

Atlanta Braves (2006 record: 79-83, 3rd place N.L. East)

After missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, the Braves are aiming to take back their place at the top of the N.L. East. So far, so good.

The biggest surprise this spring, and the most important piece of Atlanta's success this season, is Tim Hudson. Hudson was atrocious in 2006, recording a 4.86 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. He was much worse than his winning record of 13-12. But Hudson vowed to return to his old form in the offseason and hasn't disappointed through three starts, logging 21 innings, a minuscule 0.86 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. If Hudson has a great year, the Braves will have one of the best 1-2 starters in the game.

The other part of that duo, John Smoltz, has been defying age for the past two seasons, posting ERAs in the mid-to-low 3.00s while beating guys half his age. But he's also tallied 461 innings since the start of 2005. I know the guy hasn't had a major injury in his career but at one month short of 40 those high inning marks scare me.

Watch out for Chuck James. He could be the next great pitcher to come out of the Atlanta system. Already this season, he's 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Mark Redman is a serviceable no. 4 starter and Kyle Davies has potential after seeing extensive innings last season.

The bullpen is held down by Bob Wickman, which should make Atlanta fans cringe. A typical Wickman ninth goes something like this: walk, hit by pitch, fly out to the warning track, walk, fly out to the warning track, fly out to the warning track. Have fun Braves fans. It's always an adventure with Big Bob on the hill.

As usual, the lineup is anchored by the Joneses. The annual question of how long Chipper will last before succumbing to injury is alive and well in Atlanta. I believe the over/under is mid-May. This lineup won't overwhelm you, but its got some upside. Jeff Franceour has a ton of power, Brian McCann is a hitting machine and Edgar Renteria should hit around .290. Offensively, the Braves should be much better than a year ago.

New York Mets (2006 record: 97-65, 1st place N.L. East)

Everyone knows about the Mets ridiculous lineup. From top to bottom it will wear out starters by the second trip through and cause bullpens to shiver. Jose Reyes has dramatically cutback on his strikeouts the past two years and can do it all at the leadoff spot. He's also a triples-machine. Paul Lo Duca is the perfect no. 2 hitter, a guy who sprays the ball to all fields and works the count in nearly every plate appearance. Carlos Beltran and David Wright both have 30-30 potential, while Carlos Delgado and his 407 career home runs is sandwiched in between them.

The bottom half of the lineup isn't to shabby either. Veteran Shawn Green and rookie Lastings Milledge should platoon all season and put up respectable numbers. Moises Alou and Jose Valentin are two veterans who will provide leadership and some decent production to compliment the firepower near the top of the lineup.

The starting staff could definitely use a healthy Pedro Martinez, but so far they've done an admirable job of limiting opponents from scoring. Tom Glavine must be drinking the same stuff Smoltz drinks because he continues to get better as he gets older. He'll need to be especially effective because the rest of the staff is a question. Maine has been a bright spot through the first couple weeks and could be the most important player on this team as the season progresses. The Mets must find a solid no. 2 starter and Maine may just be the guy. The other starters are frightening. If I'm a Mets fan, thinking of Orlando Hernandez gives me heartburn, Mike Pelfry makes me bloated and Oliver Perez causes me diarrhea. Those three could single-handily kill New York this season.

The bullpen should be polished with Billy Wagner closing and Aaron Heilman setting him up. I really liked the acquisition of dependable Scot Schoeneweis and Aaron Sele could be a decent option for long relief or working the 6th and 7th innings. This team will go only as far as its starting pitching carries it. Without Martinez, that might not be very far.

Clarification and Some More
Random Thoughts
By Joe

Wanted to clarify my point in the last post. I probably failed to express this cleanly, but I wasn't trying to say Alex Rodriguez has suddenly become Mr. Clutch. Rather, I simply wanted to point out that he finally got a big hit in a pressure situation and it visibly relaxed him. Now, he seems accepted more by his teammates, looser at the plate and enjoying the game more. Does this mean he will be a stud in October? No, but it's a good start toward improving his post-season performance. As insignificant as it may seem, getting a clutch home run in April may very well allow Rodriguez to begin figuring out how to handle clutch situations. It also doesn't hurt that he feels more at ease with his teammates, several of whom have not shown a liking to the guy in the past (Giambi and Jeter).

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season and possible post-season irons out. Thanks to Matt for bringing up a good point in the comments.

Other thoughts

Travis Hafner hit his first home run of the season Thursday against Anaheim, a game-winner off Scot Shields. Hafner hadn't homered in spring training either, unless you count one in an intrasquad game way back in mid-March. That's pretty remarkable considering how talented the Indians' DH is at the plate. For Cleveland and my fantasy team's sake, I hope he starts getting them in bunches.

I had to do a double take at the box score between Toronto and Detroit last night to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Jeremy Bonderman and Roy Halladay threw two absolute gems, going pitch-for-pitch through nine innings. Halladay eventually won 2-1, with a 10-inning, one-run performance. The two stats lines for both pitchers were eerily similar. Amazingly, neither threw an exorbitant amount of pitches -- Bonderman had just 96, while Halladay threw only 107. In this day in age, it's rare to see this kind of performance by two pitchers in the same game. We are light years past the days when guys like Bob Gibson averaged 20-25 complete games per year.For a variety of reasons -- pitch count, more bullpen 'specialists', increased arm problems among pitchers -- extended outings of nine or 10 innings are unique. That's what makes it so incredible that both starters in this game went pitch-for-pitch for so long.

As Eric alluded to in a previous post, the Yankees have absolutely no pitching. None. Nada. Zip. You know its bad when, in his first start, your Japanese import wears the same sunglasses Corey Hart wore in his 1983 song, "Sunglasses at Night." Yikes. Just look at the starting rotation for the Yankees and the their division rival, the Red Sox.

Yankees vs. Red Sox

Chien-Ming Wang (injured) vs. Curt Schilling (old, but good)
Carl Pavano (injured) vs. Josh Beckett (I don't like him, but he's better than Pavano)
Andy Pettitte (old, but good) vs Dice-K (stud)
Mike Mussina (injured) vs. Wakefield (surprisingly solid)
Kei Igawa (Japan version of Corey Hart) vs. Julian Tavarez (Ok, he's terrible)

Those rotations convince me that the Yankees cannot match-up with the Red Sox. It's not even close.

I went to the Tigers/Orioles game a couple days ago and enjoyed the game, despite cold and rainy conditions. Only 13,000 showed up, so I bought a $9 ticket and had my choice of seating. I watched the first five innings from the right field bleachers, about 10 rows from the field. Then I moved to the right field line for a couple innings before settling behind home plate for the remainder of the game. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a ridiculously nice venue. It's set up a lot like the Jake in Cleveland, and that's probably because the same person designed both fields. It has all kinds of different beers and foods (like Guinness and pork sandwiches) and has an old-time park feel to it. It's really a shame a crappy team like Baltimore plays there. If the Orioles ever become a winner, Oriole Park will be a premier place to watch playoff games. A must-see ballpark if you're in the area.

It's also fun to watch two teams that you don't care about because it gives you a chance to watch other subtleties of the game, without worrying about the score. I made a few mental notes.

First, Gary Sheffield looks like he's swinging a tree trunk at the plate. His bat speed is pedestrian slow. As someone who owns Sheff in a fantasy league, this is a major concern, considering he's hitting all of .136 this season. During his at-bats, the Oriole pitchers pelted the outside third of the plate and Sheff either dropped his back shoulder and popped the ball up, or was late in his swing and missed the ball altogether. If they weren't hitting the outside corner, the Orioles worked inside and forced Sheff to turn on a pitch and knock it into foul territory for a harmless strike.

Nick Markakis is a beast. Just a really strong, muscular guy. I don't know much about him, except that he is supposed to have a breakout season this year. I can see why after watching him at the plate. He holds his hands down near his belt and then brings them up slightly before unleashing an uppercut on the ball. He has the perfect home run swing. He'll probably strike out more than you'd like, but his build and stance make him a likely candidate to bomb 30 home runs in a season.

In contrast to Markakis, Aubrey Huff has a body identical to Will Ferrell. He has little muscle definition, a pudgy stomach and has an awkward demeanor at the plate. Basically, he looks a large oaf. I think it's safe to say Huff is past his prime.

Fernando Rodney pitched a couple innings in relief and surprised me with his pitch selection. Baltimore had several guys on against Rodney in the eighth inning with one out in a tie game. For six straight pitches, Rodney threw change-ups between 81-83 miles per hour. And each time, the Oriole hitters swung way out in front, missing the ball. I find this interesting for two reasons. One, I didn't know major league pitchers could rely on a change-up that often and be successful. And two, wouldn't this make you nervous as a Tigers fan, knowing your star set-up man is lobbing up 80 mile per hour pitches to major league hitters on a consistent basis? Don't you think eventually someone's going to sit on a change-up and blast it out of the park? Ironically, Rodney got the loss in that Bonderman-Halladay duel Friday night.

You know your team isn't making the playoffs when the five through nine hitters have the following names: Huff, Gibbons, Millar, Patterson and Bako. It's almost as if the Orioles front office said, "Who are the most washed-up, average ballplayers we can find? Let's put them all on the same team. That'll motivate our fan base to attend games." I think you'd see better lineups in the Little League World Series.

I love Curtis Granderson. He's cutting back on his strikeouts and shortening his swing when he's behind in the count. The guy has speed, some pop and plays good defense in center. Jim Leyland can hit him first, second, or ninth in the lineup. I think Granderson is going to be a stud this season.

Looking forward to seeing how King Cole does this afternoon against Houston. Another good start and I'm officially starting the Cole Hamels fan club. I love this kid. Hopefully the bullpen won't blow it for him again today.

The Real A-Rod

By Joe

The great New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra was known for his share of quizzical remarks. Some of his more famous included, "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore," "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true" and "I never said most of the things I said." These are just a few of the many Yogi-isms.

As silly as Berra has been throughout the years, his most famous quote actually rings true for a current Yankee.

On Thursday, third baseman Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning versus Tampa Bay. With the Devil Rays clinging to a 7-6 lead, Rodriguez had yet another pressure-packed opportunity to earn the respect and praise of New York fans he so desperately wants. But as usual Rodriguez pressed too hard, harmlessly popping out amid the expected boos.

If Rodriguez is a Shakespearean character, his fatal flaw is a deep desire to impress and be accepted by the Yankee faithful. All the money and fame has failed to fill this void in A-Rod's life and, ultimately, his career. Every time he faces an opportunity to collect that clutch hit, to bring home that key run, Rodriguez tightens up faster than your uncle getting a colonoscopy. He chokes because he's not mentally strong enough to handle the pressure situation.

That may changed Saturday. With the bases loaded, two outs and New York trailing 7-6, Rodriguez strolled to the plate with another chance to be the hero. To win over Yankee fans. To send his team to victory.

And, for the first time in a long time, that's exactly what the $250 million dollar man did. One swing sent the Yankees to a 10-7 victory as a estatic Rodriguez danced around the bases like a kid who just won the Little League World Series. Rodriguez actually enjoyed himself on the baseball field. He savored the moment. He cracked a genuine smile.

For all his incredible abilities and physical gifts, Rodriguez hasn't relaxed or had fun since becoming a Yankee. It's affected his fielding skills, affected his at-bats and affected his demeanor. Every time he failed, Rodriguez knew he had not only failed himself, but the Yankee organization and the fans.

But now that Rodriguez hammered the monkey off his back with that grand slam, he seems poised to turn the corner and silence his critics. After hitting that game-winner, Rodriguez cranked round-trippers in his next two games. He's more relaxed and it shows.

The question remains whether Rodriguez will bottle this feeling and translate short-term success in a pressure situation into long-term consistency. Will he learn how to deal with pressure now that he's had success under it? Or will he revert back to being uptight and tense during the most important moments of games? If Rodriguez can overcome his struggles in the clutch on a daily basis, we will look back to April 8 as the day he turned it all around.

Maybe Yogi was right. Half this game is 90 percent mental.

East Coast Bias
By Eric

So I’m out here in New Jersey immersed in the New York media market, and needless to say, my first week of the baseball season has been heavily influenced by it. Thanks to Bud Selig and the evil sports empire that DirectTV seems bent on becoming, my viewing options have so far been limited to Yankees games on YES, Mets games on SNY, and whatever national games are shown on ESPN and ESPN2 (which this week has consisted of several Mets and Yankees games…of course). And then the other day I came across this bit of news:

MLB Reaches Deal with Cable Companies for Extra Innings

It seems the good folks at MLB finally came to their senses and realized, "Hey, maybe we shouldn’t isolate a huge section of our fan base just to make a few measly bucks." Brilliant! Marketing genius! Chalk one up for the little guy. Of course I’m stuck here in the grips of Cablevision, and I would not be at all surprised to see them screw this up and refuse to carry the MLB channel in 2009. If that happens, it could very well be the last straw for me. I may just have to go Tyler Durden on them.

Ok, on to some baseball. I had the "privilege" of attending the Yankees-Devil Rays game last night, an event I was much more excited about until I saw the weather forecast. It was absolutely the coldest game I have ever been to, completely freezing. It even started snowing in the later innings. But while the weather was miserable, the game was exciting, especially for a Yankee-hater like myself.

Here’s what the game featured: Derek Jeter making not one, but two errors at shortstop in what turned out to be a one-run game, Andy Pettitte getting pulled in the top of 5th with no outs and two men on in what was an auspicious return to the Yankees rotation and the Devil Rays scoring two runs on passed balls, including the go ahead. All in all, minus the frozen toes, it was a hell of a game.

As a quick sidebar, my day was made when I heard the fan behind me make what had to be one of the stupidest baseball-related statements in the history of the sport. Facing a new pitcher whose fastball was peaking in the mid-to-upper 80s, the fan behind me commented that the Yankees were going to start being more aggressive on the base paths and try to steal more, because this pitcher threw slower. This completely blew my mind.

Now, as a base runner you steal on a number of things, a pitcher’s mechanics or a catcher’s arm, but you certainly don’t make a go-no go decision on a five or six mph difference in fastball speed. I ran some quick math and crunched some numbers. The difference in the amount of time it takes an 85 mph pitch to get to home plate compared to a 90 mph pitch is .03 seconds, an imperceptible amount of time. For some perspective, a blink of an eye is about .5 seconds. So much for Yankees fans being the smartest in the game.

Anyway, back to the game. I know you can’t make conclusive evaluations based off of one game, especially one where the weather conditions were less than ideal, but if I were a Yankee’s fan I would be a little concerned. It’s not possible to overstate Andy Pettitte’s struggles yesterday; he couldn’t place a pitch to save his life. When he was pulled after four innings he had already thrown somewhere around 85 pitches and had given up four runs (only two earned). Against a better team, that run total would have been much higher. Now he’ll have better days, but it took the Yankee’s fans less than three innings to go from giving him a standing ovation to booing him, an ominous sign.

The Yankees relief was extremely shaky too. I know this team is built around a killer lineup, but I wouldn’t pencil them into the playoffs just yet. Those big hitters (cough … A-Rod … cough) failed to come through with men in scoring position a number of times, and that bullpen is going to lose its share of 10-9 ballgames. In a division as tough as the AL East, they’re going to have a hard time keeping up with just their bats. Of course the Torre Yankees are notoriously slow starters and Steinbrenner will get itchy and open up his farm system and wallet to pick up a reliever or two before the trade deadline and change all of this, but even then it might be too late.

On the flip side, the Mets look like the real deal and should live up to expectations as the team to beat in the National League. Granted, the Cardinals are probably not going to be a great team this year, but the Mets controlled all three of those games and did not really show any major weaknesses. John Maine looked great in his start giving up only one hit, walking two and striking out six in seven innings of work. If they get Pedro back at some point this season (and maybe even if they don’t) they are going to be a tough team to beat.

Since I don’t even want to talk about the Cubs, let’s go ahead and wrap this thing up. Barring a bone-headed move by Cablevision, I promise less fluff and more baseball next time (let’s be serious, Joe’s the fantasy stats and analysis guy in this partnership anyway). And if you find out that Cablevision decided against carrying MLB Extra Innings, just remember to tell them that I always seemed a little crazy…

By Joe

I mentioned on Opening Day how much I would have enjoyed watching the pitching dual between Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Oakland's Dan Haren. Neither pitcher yielded an earned run with Hernandez racking up 12 strikeouts en route to a 4-0 victory. For someone who enjoys a low-scoring, well-pitched game, this is about as good as it gets. Luckily, I had a free night Wednesday and sat down to watch highly-touted Cole Hamels make his 2007 debut for Philadelphia against Atlanta in the second game of the series.

I wasn't disappointed.

Hamels looked dominant in his seven innings of work, allowing four hits, one walk and fanning eight. This was the first time I have seen Hamels pitch for more than an inning and my first impression was how well he changed speeds. The 23-year old worked ahead in the count on nearly every hitter, pitched out of a couple jams and even made a nifty put out on a Craig Wilson slow chopper in the seventh. Hamels spotted his fastball on both sides of the plate and then used a hard slider and a change to keep the Braves off balance. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

More surprising than Hamels great pitching was Atlanta's Tim Hudson. Now, I know all about Hudson. I had Huddy on my fantasy team last year and he was downright putrid. I drafted him with high hopes and he was completely worthless for my team. Basically, he stunk. Needless to say, I now despise the guy. But tonight he looked like the Hudson who won 20 games in a season for the A's a few years ago. Sure, he walked too many (four), but he shut down the Phillies offense, besides one bad pitch that Carlos Ruiz belted for a home run. The Braves certainly paid good money to Hudson for outings like tonight's. If he keeps this up, Atlanta could challenge New York for the N.L. East crown.

And as I'm writing this ... Tom Gordon blows the save and costs Hamels a win. That ruined my night. Unbelievable.

I've always wondered what it's like in the dugout after a starting pitcher fires an absolute gem only to watch the closer screw everything up in about four minutes. Does the starter ignore the closer the rest of the night? Does he wait until the closer sits down near him in the dugout, then jumps up and move to the other side of the bench? Does he go up to the closer at the dugout steps, give him a high-five and say sarcastically, "Hey, nice job %&*#ing that up for me. No, really, good work. I mean, I only asked you to get three outs. I took care of the first 21. We all just asked for three. Don't worry, I didn't want the win anyways. A no-decision is way better."

I'd love a dual camera shot with one lens on the starter and one on the closer. Maybe we could even follow them into the clubhouse or after they leave the park. This could be its own reality series. If I just threw seven shutout innings and some chump who's making way more money per pitch than me gives up a gopher ball, I'd probably slap him in the face. I bet this has happened at least a few times.

Couple other things:

Did you SEE Jason Michaels' catch to save the Indians against the White Sox? He looked like a lost Little Leaguer out there, but somehow managed to pull it down. Another nice win for the Tribe. Gotta love taking two in a row on the road from your division rival.

Hey, Florida, how's Jorge Julio working for you? Instead of blowing $3.6 million on a terrible closer, owner Jeffrey Loria should have gotten $20s, gone to a strip club and "made it rain" like Pacman Jones. I'm no math major, but I'm pretty sure you can make a lot of rain with $3.6 million.

And the Phillies' Ryan Madsen gives up another extra-inning home run. At least he's consistent.

Right now, the Pirates are up 5-3 on Houston in the fifth. What were the oddsmakers putting on Pittsburgh to sweep its opening series? My guess is 450,000-1.

The Mets' John Maine is shutting down the Cardinals offense through seven. This is exactly what New York needs with all those question marks in its rotation.

Well, I'm off to watch some of the late games. Will try and post before the night ends.

Opening Day Thoughts
By Joe

It's great that Opening Day finally got here. I had a chance to catch most of the games at some point throughout the day and night. Some random thoughts...

Grady Sizmore hit under .120 this spring and, I admit, I was a little worried. My worries lasted all of two pitches. That's how long it took Sizemore to smack a home run en route to sending the Indians to a blowout win over Chicago.

Great game all around for the Tribe. Josh Barfield had a key hit early in the game, C.C. threw well and picked up the win, newly-acquired Trot Nixon collected three hits and the Tribe knocked out White Sox starter Jose Contreras after recording just three outs. The only negative was closer Joe Borowski yielding two runs in the ninth.

Looks like Aaron Harang might not be a one-hit wonder. The big fella looked sharp in his seven innings of work. Cincinnati fans should be especially excited that Harang got the win at home, a place where he struggled last season. The Cubs offense was putrid, but it's just the first game.

Griffey looked comfortable in right field. Hard to believe he's only played the position two games in his career. Big Donkey went deep twice. Somewhere, Mike Russell is smiling.

Boston fell on its face, losing to the Royals. Mark this down, Kansas City will be a very competitive team this season. It has several good, young players including David DeJesus, Mark Teahen, Emil Brown and Alex Gordon. The Royals won't contend, but they'll be a pesky team in the tough A.L. Central.

Edgar Renteria is your MLB home run leader. Yikes.

The Yankees may not have much starting pitching, but their offense will have no problem overwhelming average teams. Carl Pavano started Opening Day? In Yankee Stadium? That's disgusting.

Ben Sheets fired an impressive game, allowing just one run against the Dodgers. If Sheets can keep his back healthy, the Brewers can pencil in 15-18 wins from him for sure.

Great, great pitching dual between Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Oakland's Dan Haren. Could you ask for a better Opening Day game than two young pitchers going pitch for pitch with each other? No chance. I wish I could have watched this whole game. This was the King Felix that everyone expected. Maybe Seattle can contend in the West this year? Well, let's not get crazy.

Nice win for the Blue Jays today. Roy Halladay is my pick to win the A.L. Cy Young award.

My boy Brad Lidge blew his first save opportunity against the lowly Pirates. At some point, the Astros have to move him out of the closer role if he continues to struggle. Ever since Albert Pujols homered off him in the NLCS two years ago, Lidge hasn't been the same.

Florida beat Washington behind Miguel Cabrera's three hits, including a home run. How bad is Washington's pitching staff? It might be the worst starting five in baseball history. Look at these names: John Patterson, Shawn Hill, Jerome Williams, Matt Chico, and Jason Bergmann. Did the Nationals have an American Idol-like contest during the offseason to figure out their starting rotation? My Lord, that is just atrocious.

Going to watch the Angels vs Rangers game before bed. John Lackey looks a little rusty early. I'll post again soon.

Note: I haven't updated this blog in awhile for a variety of reasons. But with baseball beginning, my goal is to post something every couple days. I've also asked Eric to add some posts of his own. I guess you could say he'll bring a National League perspective. Anyway, we'll see how long this lasts. Let us know what you think.

Opening Day

By Eric

The snow has melted, the trees are budding and the birds are chirping. Spring is in the air. That can only mean one thing: it’s baseball season. Every year as America wakes from its winter slumber and rubs the sleep from its eyes, players around the country break out their bats and gloves and gear up for another season.

I love everything about baseball. The sight of a homerun jumping from a bat and soaring toward the fence, an umpire punching out a hitter on a called third strike, an outfielder stretched out parallel to the ground for a diving catch. The smell of the field after a summer rainstorm, freshly popped popcorn at a little league concession stand, oil and leather from a newly broken-in glove. The sound of bat hitting ball square in the sweet spot, the pop of leather smacking leather on a crisp throw, the roar of the crowd whether there are 30 fans or 30,000.

The Great American Past Time will forever hold a special place in our public psyche; it’s engrained in us. From those seminal catches with Dad in the back yard to those moments of glory and despair in little league, baseball has played a prominent role in the growth and development of many of us, teaching us about competition, teamwork, and winning and losing. It has provided us with the highs that came with the clutch plays and the lows of the game ending strikeouts. For many of us, baseball is more than just a game, it’s a part of who we are and because of that we’ll always love it.

From the baseball card heroes of our youth to those trips to the game with Dad, the love of baseball transcends our own playing experiences; it is tied to Major League Baseball. The Big Leagues have always stood as the pinnacle of the sport, providing us with teams to root for and players to emulate. Those allegiances forged in childhood can tell you a lot about a person, running the gamut from the part of country they are from to their outlook on life.

Yankees fans project the cool confidence approaching cockiness that comes from winning 26 World Series titles, Cubs fans the often misguided, cautious optimism of “Wait ‘til next year,” and Phillies fans the expect-the-worst pessimism that comes along with losing 10,000 games. The personality of each team’s fans is as much a part of the game as peanuts and Cracker Jack, having evolved over the years to reflect each franchise’s history.

Major League Baseball, more than any other prominent American sport is rooted in its history. Whether it’s the larger-than-life legends of years gone by, the Green Monster at Fenway, or the ivy walls of Wrigley, baseball’s long and storied history casts a cool and welcome shadow over almost every aspect of the game. Nowhere is this more apparent than with baseball’s records. Try finding another a sport where even the casual fan can rattle off the precise statistics of a whole handful of records. Seven hundred fifty-five, 56 and 61* are just some of the many numbers that remain central to the game and its history. Only with baseball could people spend 30 years arguing about an asterisk.

Football may have surpassed baseball in popularity and soccer may dominate the international landscape, but baseball will forever stand as America’s Past Time. Baseball is more than a sport, it’s an institution. This year more than 75,000,000 fans will file through the turnstiles and into the stands at Major League ballparks across the country and more than 2,300,000 kids will play sanctioned little league (with millions more in unsanctioned leagues.) In today’s world of instant communication and constant connectivity, baseball still stands as a welcome respite from hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

As we sit here on Opening Day looking ahead to another season with hope and optimism, let’s take a moment to reflect on all the things that make this game great. We have seven months and more than 2,500 games to argue about which team is the best and which players are earning their multimillion dollar contracts. Save the debate on mid-season trades and specter of steroids for another day. Opening Day is about the good things in baseball, the purity of the game. Today everyone is perfect.

So throw out the opening pitch and let’s get this season started. I for one can’t wait for another season of strikeouts and stolen bases, walk-off homers and diving catches, checked swings and double plays. Today spring officially arrives … its baseball season. In the immortal words of Ernie Banks, “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame… Let’s play two!”