Opening Day is Here!!!

Major league baseball begins the 2011 season today, and for my money there is no day better on the calendar than today. Opening Day is everything that is good. It inspires thoughts of green grass and warm sun, of hope and optimism, of lively discourse among friends. It is the day when every baseball fan in the world--and who isn't a baseball fan on some level--can say that their team is in first place.

Baseball is America. Football can say what it wants about being our national game, but until it's been around another hundred years or so, it still isn't baseball. Quick, tell me who holds the single season record for homeruns? Who holds the career record? Who held those records before the last time they were broken? And how many homeruns is each record and the one that was broken? Now just as quick, who holds the career record for touchdowns? Whose records did he break? And what are those numbers? More people will be able to tell you about Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Hank Aaron than whoever it is that crossed the goal line the most times.

So here's my question to you, and to the people in Washington--why is Opening Day not a national holiday? Better yet, why don't we take two days--a Thursday and Friday back-to-back would work great--and have all the American League teams play on one day and all the National League teams on the other? We'd have a glorious four-day weekend just as spring is bursting upon us. Mail carriers would get a much-needed break. And we'd all get to watch baseball. In fact if I ever run for President (don't worry, that's not very likely to happen) the number one agenda on my platform will be a national holiday for Opening Day. Can I count on your vote? Oh, I might need a running mate, so if you think an afternoon in the Wrigley bleachers, even when it's only 38 degrees outside, is just this side of heaven, let me know and I'll keep you in mind.

With Opening Day comes hope. And with hope comes predictions. Everyone has thoughts and ideas as to which teams will do well and which will fall flat, and so here are mine. Mind you I predict with the heart much more than the head.

Let's start with the NL East. If anyone picks anyone besides the Phillies I'll just say you're a little nuts. They have five pitchers who are legit front-of-the-rotation guys. FIVE. There will be no long losing streaks in Philly this summer. Behind them we'll have the Braves, Mets, Marlins, and Nationals. The Braves could surprise, but the Phillies are just going to be too tough.

In the NL Central I think there are four teams that could win it, and picking any of them would be sensible. This means, of course, that it will probably be one of the other two teams that sneaks up and takes the flag, but we'll see. I'm going to go with the Cubs. After two straight division titles, they regressed a bit the last couple years. I don't like their depth, but I am a lifelong Cubs fan who picks them to win every year, so I'll pick them again. As Mark Grace once said: "One of these centuries . . ." Closely behind will be the Brewers, mostly because I'm from Wisconsin originally and love to see them get close to beating my Cubs, only to see the season end in frustration. Let's put the Reds third (they did win it last year, right?), and then the Wainwright-less Cardinals. Like I said, any of those four could win it. Bringing up the bottom of this oversized division will be the Astros and Pirates, though I think both will be better than they've been.

On to the West where it's hard to pick against the World Champs, which is exactly why I will therefore do. I'm going to go with Colorado, just because I love runs, followed by the Giants, Padres, Dodgers and D-Backs.

The Giants, I think, will win the Wild Card, the Phillies the NLCS.

On to the American League East. No surprise here I don't think--I'm picking Boston. Gonzalez and Crawford will make that lineup scary from top to bottom, and they have enough pitching to get by. Second will NOT be the pinstripes, but rather the Birds from Baltimore. Why? I like their hats. I'll give the Yankees a fading third, followed by the Rays and Jays.

In the AL Central it will be Detroit, the Sox, and Minnesota in a three team race that goes down to the wire. Let's put them in that order finally, with Cleveland and KC a ways back.

Out west it will be the return of the Athletics. Why not? The Angels will be next, then Texas, with Seattle about 40 games back. I know, I know . . . Texas won the league last year. That was last year, and Cliff Lee is now across town from the Liberty Bell, plus it's hard to repeat, friends. See the NL West above.

The AL Wild Card is going to be the Orioles, but Boston will get to the Series. I see the Phillies winning it in seven. I hope it's seven, as it seems like a long time since we've had a really good series.

So there it is. To re-cap: Opening Day should be two days, and they should be a National Holiday weekend; the Cubs will win someday; no one will beat the Phillies this year.

See you at the All-Star break for an evaluation and update.