Mets-Marlins: Opening Day Ruminations

I titled this article after Major League Baseball's Opening Day, yet I have to concede, I no longer have any clear idea when Opening Day is.  Baseball's schedule-makers have finally succeeded in their years-long quest to confuse me, possibly en route to killing me.  Does time begin when we open in Japan, when we open on ESPN, or when the great majority of MLB teams actually start play?  Can we get Roger Angell's opinion?

Nevertheless, by any measure of the three, the 2008 baseball season is now upon us, and after just one day of watching my handy Extra Innings package, I have developed the following thoughts-- record time when you consider how long it took Shakespeare to produce sports journalism, such as his award-winning play about poison-tipped fencing, Hamlet.

1. That ball Josh Willingham hit off Johan Santana in the fourth inning yesterday sure did go far, dinnit?  I guess it's like putting the first dent in a new car; intellectually, as a Mets fan, I was prepared for the idea that hitters were going to do some damage to the mighty Santana at some point this season.  I just didn't expect a National League hitter to do that kind of damage, so soon.  The rest of Santana's start was highly impressive, and he many remain The Next Big Thing for as long as one season before following the grand Mets' tradition and getting hurt or sucking.

2. Angel Pagan and Ryan Church at the corner outfield spots?  That's how we're going into the season?  And there are really people in the Mets' front office who are okay with this?  No offense to either gentleman, but it's not exactly Straw and McReynolds, is it?

3. Any minute now, Florida Marlins' manager Fredi Gonzalez will be going to the bullpen in the fourth last night.  I can only speculate his thoughts were something like this: "Look, I'm already starting Mark Hendrickson on Opening Day.  My staff is... a little thin.  If I start going to the Pen before the fifth inning of the first game, it's going to be a long season."  So he postponed, and... it's going to be a long season.

4. I also caught great chunks of the Tigers-Royals game yesterday.  Imagine my surprise when I found the rest of the Florida Marlins' roster hiding there, incognito.  (Go home, Dontrelle Willis.  I think you'll find all is forgiven.)  It was a surprisingly fun game, although anytime the parade of sons of people I used to watch play wants to stop making me feel old, that'd be great.  I'm looking at you, Tony Pena Jr..

5. I finished up yesterday's viewing by checking in on the Braves and Pirates, although apparently both teams scored many extraneous runs at some point after I turned the channel.  It was a nice, orderly, quiet 4-4 game when I left.  Incidentally, as a new resident of Indiana, I'm told my local pro team is the Pittsburgh-affiliated AAA Indianapolis Indians.  Now, I don't mind a AAA team-- they have a long and storied tradition-- but a AAA affiliate of the Pirates?  Isn't that like having a AA team?

Maybe I'll tell people I'm from Iowa, and my local team lives in the cornfield.