Opening Day is more than just the first day of baseball season. March 20th might be the first day of spring but Opening Day represents the true end of the long winter. For fans, it is the first day to truly see their team’s new acquisitions in action. Even teams that had a less than spectacular off-season can rejoice in the fact that Opening Day starts everyone off at square one.
This season is different. Only six games will be played on Opening Day. That means that eighteen of MLB’s thirty clubs will be idle during the kickoff for the 2011 season. What’s up with that?
More games were being played yesterday in Spring Training then will be played today.
There are a few noteworthy teams who will be playing on Opening Day. 2010 World Series Champions San Francisco Giants will be in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. The New York Yankees will be in action against the Detroit Tigers. After that, the games get a little less interesting.
Are baseball fans really supposed to be excited about watching the Angels take on the Royals? Neither team did a whole lot in the off-season nor were they very good last year. The match-up between the Brewers and the Reds will likely be a good game since both are legitimate contenders for the NL Central; neither team is considered a big market team. It seems that the only noteworthy news coming out of the NL Central is the status of Albert Pujols contract, which isn’t going to be figured out until after the season. As of now, who really cares?
Where are the Boston Red Sox? Many analysts have named them as the early favorite for the World Series. Yet on Opening Day they’ll be traveling to face the AL Champion Texas Rangers, who will also be idle today. The Chicago Cubs haven’t won a World Series in over a hundred years. The North Siders will have to wait until later to see if there’s hope for this year.
Will President Obama be excited for Opening Day? Not likely since the White Sox aren’t playing.
Opening Day hardly feels special when so many teams won’t be on the field. Bud Selig needs to reevaluate his decision to only have six games. Many baseball fans will be watching the festivities from home; the players shouldn’t be at home too.
Ian Malone is a staff writer for the BC Observer. He is a member of the Student Free Press Association.
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