Winter is behind us and those drives to Comerica Park are on the horizon. The previews have been written in the papers highlighting those new players that will become household names of joy and frustration over the coming months. The players have seen enough of Florida’s minor league facilities for the rich confines of major league facilities. Opening Day is here!
Baseball season reminds us again of a late afternoon in October in a Minnesotan dome when the Tigers were unable to finish the season on top. It reminds us that a rookie unable to drink can still throw like an ace. It reminds us that this team is capable of reaching unbelievable heights. It reminds us that with April begins a refresh of baseball’s annual race. Opening Day is here!
Opening Day 2010 brings us back to the park where it all began. It was four years ago at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium where Joel Zumaya made a fantastic debut and the team was on its way. It was at this ballpark where a young Andrew Miller threw the final pitch that clinched a playoff spot in 2006. This ballfield, surrounded by its fountains, has great memories – some the Tigers hope to revisit again. Opening Day is here!
This season reminds us that our country likes a comeback story. We like to see that a pitcher always able to smile, but unable to find his previous form, can still have a chance to delight the fans. We like to see that a pitcher who started that incredible ALCS Game 4 can have a life-threatening condition remidied and come back to shine again. We want to hope that a first baseman with so much promise can get his life in order and recognize what he threw away in 2009. Opening Day is here!
For those who will be in Kansas City on Monday, to those who will watch Mario and Rod on the TV or listen to Dan and Jim on the radio, to those who will follow it closely on the Internet or just watch the highlights later – this is your day. Here’s to 2010 and here’s to Opening Day!