MLB 2011: What Opening Day Taught Us About Each Team, Including New York Yankees
Opening Day in Major League Baseball marks the start of new life.
Winter is turning into spring, "cold" is changing to "warm", and baseball is coming out of hibernation.
The early stages of the season can tell us a lot about a team: strengths, weaknesses and if they have the potential to make a run at the postseason.
Game No. 1 of 162 has been played for each team, and we take a look at what we learned about each team on Opening Weekend 2011.
Baltimore Orioles
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We learned: They still have a team in Baltimore.
Lost in the doldrums of mediocrity, the Baltimore Orioles have long been forgotten by most of baseball's casual observers. Fans usually don't think about the Orioles, unless their team is playing them. But 1983 was a long time ago.
Hopefully this year Baltimore will remind us all that they have a team in orange and black. They did win their season opener, after all.
Boston Red Sox
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We learned: They aren't the team to beat...yet.
Boston is as dangerous a team as any. But it may take some time for their new pieces to gel.
Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez will bring talent and leadership to the team favored to win the toughest division in baseball: the AL East.
They lost to the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers in Arlington.
New York Yankees
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We learned: Do your damage early or you probably won't beat them after the sixth inning.
The Bronx Bombers are their usual selves. They can put up a lot of runs. It's a good sign to Mark Teixeira get off to a good start (last year was nearly unbearable for NY fans).
But the Yanks brought in Rafael Soriano (Tampa Bays closer last year who earned 45 saves) to pitch the eighth inning. They're paying him a ton of money to be a setup man and get the ball to Mo. The only question is: can the starting rotation consistently pitch into the sixth and seventh innings?
CC Sabathia did it on Opening Day and they won.
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Tampa Bay Rays
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We learned: Manny is still being Manny.
The Rays have a talented team, but the "Manny/Damon Experiment" is going to have its ups and downs.
Unfortunately, after an Opening Day loss to Baltimore it looks like there will be more downs than ups.
Toronto Blue Jays
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We learned: Jose Bautista is for real.
The Blue Jays 3B is the 2010 home run king. Most people thought 54 home runs might be a fluke.
It's not.
Bautista went 3-4 with a home run on Opening Day as Toronto destroyed the Twins, 13-3.
Chicago White Sox
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We learned: This year could be a wild one.
They have the bats they need to score runs, but will their bullpen function in close games?
Chicago built a 14-0 lead in the fourth inning, and then hung on to win 15-10 on Opening Day.
Cleveland Indians
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We learned: The Tribe won't be as bad as the Cleveland Cavaliers...or will they?
Cleveland hasn't won a World Series since 1948. That won't change this year.
They have a lot of young talent, and could have some promising moments...but I wouldn't go so far as to say their "word is their bond."
They lost 15-10 on Opening Day against the ChiSox.
Detroit Tigers
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We learned: The bullpen has issues.
The Tigers tied the game at three in the fifth inning, but the 'pen couldn't stop the Bronx Bombers from scoring three more runs.
This is a trend Detroit will be unable to avoid this season. Too bad.
Kansas City Royals
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We learned: We still don't know anyone on that team. But Bo knows.
The Royals' bunch of no-namers will try to erase the fact that we don't know who they are. (Maybe they should move to Anaheim with their long lost brothers: the Sacramento Kings.)
I'm guessing Mike Aviles will be the key name to watch this year...mostly because it's so fun to say.
Aviles. A-vi-les. A-vi-les. Aviles.
Minnesota Twins
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We learned: Justin Morneau is back...physically, at least.
The mental fatigue for Justin and the Twins after losing him last year to a concussion had to have been overwhelming.
Having him back in the lineup should ease a lot of anxiety for the Twins. Morneau went 0-4 and they lost to Toronto 13-3 on Opening Day.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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We learned: As long as Jared Weaver is pitching, the Angels have a good chance to win.
Weaver allowed only two hits and struck out six in 6.1 innings before being replaced. The Angels then hung on to win 4-2.
Too bad he only starts once every five days.
Oakland Athletics
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We learned: Like Jerry Seinfeld, they always break even.
The Oakland Athletics enter the 2011 MLB season having finished at or below .500 in each of the past four seasons.
They could surprise some people this year...and disappoint others. I'm guessing they'll do both.
The A's dropped their opener against King Felix and the Seattle Mariners.
Seattle Mariners
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We learned: Felix is still King.
Returning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez pitched a five-hit, two-run complete game in their opener against the Oakland Athletics.
Now if only that offense could produce more than three runs per game. Maybe Felix should be the DH on the days he doesn't pitch.
Texas Rangers
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We learned: Why they're the defending AL Champs.
They can hit, run, pitch and defend. This is the team to beat in the AL.
As long as the Rangers stay healthy, I see no reason why they won't end up with a shot at winning the 2011 World Series.
They beat the AL favorite Boston Red Sox 9-5 on Opening Day.
Atlanta Braves
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We learned: You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you can get your old dog to sit, lay down and roll over every once in a while.
Chipper Jones and Derek Lowe proved that veterans can have worth.
Chipper (who is turning 39 this season) went 2-4 with a double and Lowe (37 years old) struck out six over 5.2 innings in their opening 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
Florida Marlins
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We learned: This could be their year...like 1997 or 2003.
The Fish have an extremely talented team and can compete with any team in the league.
Josh Johnson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the young bats made some major noise as they beat the New York Mets 6-2.
But seriously though...Go Fish!
New York Mets
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We learned: Injuries hurt.
The Mets were once one of the premier teams in the NL.
But with Jason Bay, Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran all nursing injuries, I don't see how the Mets can compete this year. Not to mention being in the same division as the Phillies, Braves and Marlins.
Philadelphia Phillies
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We learned: They have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball, but even when their pitching is sub-par, they can win games with their bats.
Philadelphia has been toted as the preseason favorites coming out of the NL. That's mostly because of the names found in their starting rotation: Halladay, Oswalt, Lee, Hamels.
They're going to be tough to beat every single day. They rallied from three down against Houston to get their first W of the season.
Washington Nationals
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We learned: We miss Stephen Strasburg.
We're still not sure if Jason Werth is worth it. He is probably over-hyped and overpaid. But he will most likely be the best player on the worst team.
The Nats will compete, but they won't win much. And without Strasburg to dazzle us like he did last year, there won't be much reason to watch Washington this season.
Oh, they opened their season with a 2-0 loss to the Braves.
Chicago Cubs
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We learned: 1908 keeps getting further and further away.
There are a lot of ways to open a season. But you never want to open the season with a loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It may as well rain all season at Wrigley Field, because after a 6-3 loss to the Pirates, it doesn't look like the Cubs season will get any brighter.
Cincinnati Reds
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We learned: The Big Red Machine is exactly that.
Like Justin Bieber, the Cincinnati Reds "Never Say Never."
Their no-quit attitude led them to the playoffs last year, and an Opening Day walk-off win against the Brewers.
Houston Astros
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We learned: Last year's season-ending hot-streak was so last year.
The Astros have some good pieces, but an incomplete team will cause a lot of growing pains.
I'm sure they're still hurting after losing Lance Berkman, and an Opening Day meltdown against the Phillies.
Milwaukee Brewers
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We learned: This year looks a lot like last year.
In 2010 the Brewers blew a lot of close games and lost games they should have won.
In their opener in 2011 the Brewers lost a close game, one that they should have won.
Coincidence? I think not.
Pittsburgh Pirates
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We learned: They're not as bad as we think.
Lets face it...they stunk last year.
But 2011 is a new year. A new season. A new chance to not be terrible.
Shiver-me-timbers and a row-ho-hum.
St. Louis Cardinals
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We learned: So goes Pujols, so goes the Cardinals.
Arguably the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols has to perform for the Cards to be successful.
But injuries to Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday could put a damper on what was to be a very anticipated 2011 campaign.
Pujols goes 0-5 as the Cards lose 5-3.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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We learned: Life is like a box of DBacks, you never know...(tsssssss...) son-uva!!!
Arizona is the type of team that always provides the unexpected. They'll either play really well, or they won't. You never know which team will show up to the ballpark.
The key is to not open the box. If you do, you might get bitten by a snake with venomous fangs and die an agonizing and painful death.
Maybe they should let Kirk Gibson pinch-hit for them every once in a while.
Colorado Rockies
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We learned: Cool nicknames. Tulo and CarGo.
Troy Tulowitski and Carlos Gonzalez are household names. Legends in the making.
The Rockies always seem to make a run at the end of the season.
After losing to Arizona on Opening Day, they may have to do it again this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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We learned: They can beat the defending World Series champions.
The Dodgers are tough to beat every year.
Playing in 80 degree weather on March 31st helps.
I think that's why were all secretly Dodgers fans. If the World Series is going to be played in November, it had better be somewhere warm.
San Diego Padres
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We learned: Heath Bell is probably the best closer in baseball.
If the Padres can somehow find a way to get him the ball with the lead in the ninth inning, they're going to win a lot of ball games.
But someone will have to step up each game offensively, and it will probably be someone different every night.
It's kinda like they have their own little Justice League. Every day a different superhero saves the day.
(They probably wish Heath Bell really was a superhero...with x-ray vision...although I'm not sure how that helps him pitch?)
San Francisco Giants
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We learned: It'll be nearly impossible to repeat.
The Champs aren't going to surprise anyone this year. The whole MLB will be gunning for them.
An Opening Day beat down at the hand of their arch-rival LA Dodgers proved that. But their pitching will give them a chance to win every night.
Lets just hope they don't lose grip of what's really important. (Like a baseball bat, for example.)
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