Pre-Opening Day, Opening Day, Whatever....

April 4, 2016. The first Monday in April. Baseball is back. The Void is over. Opening Day. Except it isn't. There were 3 games yesterday. Do we call Sunday Pre-Opening Day or Opening Day Eve? Or is Opening Day now the first Sunday in April? I have embraced Sunday Night Baseball, even the Pre-Opening Day Eve game. But make the season stretching stop!! ALL teams should be in first place on Opening Day.

Today, on the REAL Opening Day, I will watch all the games on tv. I will wear my Joey Votto jersey. I will dream of being at the ball park. I will remember the sun on my face, the taste of frozen lemonade, the 7th inning stretch, the joy of keeping score. I will recall some of my favorite calls: Back, back, back, back...Gone. -Chris Berman; It's deep and I don't think it's playable. -Keith Olberman; Stick a fork in him, he's done. -Leo Durocher. And my favorite: And this one belongs to the Reds. -Marty Brennaman.

During the season, I'll watch Sunday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, and Baseball Tonight. I'll miss Jon Miller and Joe Morgan calling the games on Sunday evening. I'll laugh at and with Dallas Braden. I'll anticipate hearing Jessica Mendoza in the booth often. Hear that ESPN? More Jessica Mendoza!! I'll admire double plays and home runs, power pitchers and strike-outs, finesse pitchers hitting the corners, a perfect sacrifice bunt. I'll keep score at the College World Series, hopefully rooting for the Arizona State Sun Devils. I'll watch the Reds at The Great American Ball Park in July. I'll pray to the Baseball Gods that the absolutely stupid idea of bring the DH to the National League is buried. Forever. I'll check box scores and standings. I'll wonder if my Reds will ever make the play-offs again. I'll watch the play-offs and the World Series no matter who plays. Baseball is back and I'm a fan.

"Sure, opening day is baseball's bandwagon. Pundits and politicians and every prose poet on the continent jumps on board for a few days. But they're gone soon, off in search of some other windy event worthy of their attention. Then, once more, all those long, slow months of baseball are left to us. And our time can begin again." -Thomas Boswell (Why Time Begins on Opening Day)

Opening Day Should Be in April

Friday? March? Really? The season isn't long enough already? Let's not wait for the first Monday in April. Next thing you know, they'll introduce some stupid rule to let another player hit for the pitcher. Oh. Yeah. That stupid DH rule.

Well. At least the Reds are playing at home. Some traditions haven't been throw out. Yet. Versus the Brewers. Not a made-for-tv matchup. I realize that. And the game isn't on ESPN. ESPN, you suck! Who cares about drawing a large audience? I'm a REDS FAN! And like the other five Reds fans in Nebraska, I can't see a Reds game on tv. EXCEPT ON OPENING DAY! Thanks, ESPN, for screwing up the entire start of the season for me. You suck!
I'm going to drown my baseball sorrows by watching a triple-header. And while I watch, I'm going to work on my Baseball Bucket List. The baseball Fan's Bucket List, 162 Things You Must See, Do, Get & Experience Before You Die, by Robert Santelli & Jenna Santelli. I know I can check off a bunch of them. I've seen Major League and The Natural, collected baseball cards, kept score, owned a glove. And more from the list. And today, I'm going to document those. I'm going to remember Pacific Coast League games and learning to keep score in high school. I'm going to make some plans to read some baseball books. I'm going to wallow in baseball, since I can't watch my beloved Reds play.

Play Ball!

This Is Going To Be A Long Season

Opening Day, 2010. St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 6. This is going to be a long season.

I did everything right. I wore my Reds jersey. My Cincy flag flew, as it does every day that the Reds play on tv (not very often), and every day they are in first place (not very often). This is going to be a long season.

Ok, so it is Cincinnati tradition for Adam Harang to start on Opening Day. Please! In this case, tradition sucks! The guy went 6-14 last year and struggled in spring training. (In his defense, he didn't have any run support in 2009). Is he really the best the Reds have to throw out there? Was there anyone on the Reds roster who was better in spring training? Maybe Bronson Arroyo deserved the start. At least he had a winning record in 2009 (15-13). Call up Chapman! This is going to be a long season.

Bullpen meltdown: Cards score 7 runs off Cincinnati relievers. Ugly. I love the name Yadier Molina. I wish he played for the Reds so I could walk around saying "Yeah!! Yadier went 2 for 4! Yadier hit a home run yesterday!" Instead, I have to say "Yadier hit a Grand Slam in the NINTH inning". :( This is going to be a long season.

ESPN broadcasters Brent Musburger and Rick Sutcliffe called the Reds the NL Central Dark Horse. From Merriam-Webster: dark horse: an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed. This is going to be a long season.

Why does ANYONE pitch to Albert Pujols? Two home runs on Opening Day. First inning, two down, you pitch to the guy. 7th inning, one on. Dusty Baker, I love you, but please! Why didn't you give Lincoln the four finger salute - IBB! This is going to be a long season.

Reds vs Cards on Wednesday. Johnny Cueto. 2009: 11-11, ERA 4.41. At least the Reds don't play the Cardinals every day, or This. Would. Be. A. Long. Season.

Bright spot: The Reds did have some offense, hitting two home runs, a third stolen when Colby Rasmus reached over the center field fence to catch what would have been Scott Rolen's 2nd home run of the game. I am Forever Optimistic. But it is going to be a long season.

Why Time Begins on Opening Day

People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. -- ­Rogers Hornsby

Opening Day - the two most beautiful words in the English language. -- Tim Kirkjian

I've re-read Thomas Boswell's collection of baseball essays and I'm ready to watch the Reds first game of the season on ESPN. Spring has officially arrived.

Play ball!

One reason NOT to celebrate today: The introduction of the Designated Hitter (DH) on this day in 1973. I'm Old School - pitchers should go to the plate!

Opening Day

It is the end of The Void, the beginning of a new season. The Boys Of Summer are back. The Reds are in first place. Oh, I can dream! My afternoon will be spent watching my Cincinnati Reds take a whupping stick to the Chicago Cubs. Oh, I can dream!

Reasons why Opening Day is one of my favorite days of the year:
-- My playoff fantasies are still realistic.
-- The Reds game is always on tv.
-- I get to sing my version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame (and it's root, root, root for Cincinnati, if they don't win it's a shame!) during the 7th inning stretch for the first of many times this year.
-- I will take calls from my sisters (Margery & Patience) who are celebrating Opening Day at Coors Field.
-- I will win the first of many squares in my baseball swap.
-- Winter is truly over (I hate snow!).

The day could only be better if I were actually at the ballpark. Play ball!