Monday, April 05, 2010

Opening Day

Well, wrestlemaniacs, I'll be doing a first for yours truly, today. After following this baseball thing since 1983 or so, I'm heading down to Atlanta for my first Opening Day. Thanks to the Well of Infinite Consternation that is the Major League schedule since the advent of Expansion, Interleague Play, and the car salesman ostensibly in charge of our game, the Cubs come down to an easily driven distance once a year, and in 2010, the lone visit to anywhere near my neck of the woods is Opening Day.

There are doings a'transpiring at the jobplace, and those doings (which include, among other things, another manager's vacation) make April a minefield of Botardism, and it seemed to place the trip in jeopardy. It wasn't until the middle of last week that it looked like I would indeed get to head down for the game. Luck (and at least 10 straight days of work, after today) was on my side.

It's the true first Day of Spring, you know.

Like I said, I've been doing this baseball thing since the early 80's, now. It'll be my first trip to an Opening Day.

I'm ready for the 2010 season.

Maybe it sounds odd...but 2008 was a kick in the balls, as this Cubs fan went. That was the best Cubs team in years, and the World Title was theirs to take, as I saw it. And to curl up into the fetal position against the Dodgers, like they did in the playoffs, was painful and embarrassing. 2009, I kept my distance. I still cared, but I didn't hoot and holler, win or lose. Not much, anyway. Not as much as in years past. Ready to get back at this thing for 2010.

Enthusiastic for their chances? You know, nobody's so great in the Central. If the Cubs can stay healthy (big if), they can be the offensive machine they were 2 years ago, and if Zambrano & company can keep their heads about them, there no reason the Cubs can't be a 90-95 win team.

The subtraction of Milton Bradley is huge. Absolutely huge. Call it addition by subtraction, or what you will. You can scream about his fire and his left-handed bat all you want...I'd rather have a guy who understands what a situation is, and who isn't branded a complete psycho by the rest of the league, who can play in 120 games WITHOUT it being called the third most games he's ever played in a season.

Not that I'm all that psyched by Carlos Silva. If I can look at your physical shape and say "you need to lose a bit of weight," without a ridiculous amount of "pot calling the kettle black" rhetoric shot back in return.

Anyway. Gotta go get cleaned up. Y'all take it easy....

2 Comments:

Blogger Teresa said...

Have a terrific time at opening day!!! I hope the Cubs win cause that would make it an all around win-win for you! LOL.

1:37 PM  
Blogger The Maximum Leader said...

Do you think that the Cubs are well-matched against the Cards? I get the feeling that the Cards are a stronger team.

Of course, the season is long and anything can happen...

And I am a Nationals fan, so what the hell do I know anyway?

2:23 PM  

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