Opening Day

This blogging thing is tough. My goal was to post every day, but life gets in the way. In any event, today is my "New Year's Day": the opening of the baseball season. Yeah, the Braves and Phillies played last night in ESPN's made-for-TV opener, but any self-respecting baseball fan knows that the season officially begins in Cincinnati, when the Reds, baseball's first team, throw the first pitch.

The weather is typically grey and unpredictable here in the Queen City. It may rain, it may even snow. Nobody knows whether they'll get the game in. Even so, the city is alive. As I type this, the Findlay Market parade is gearing up, and hope springs eternal (if not cautiously so) for the Reds to finally make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, or at least finish above .500 for the first time in 8 years.

They have the pitching, maybe. Can Harang and Arroyo stay healthy? Can Volquez repeat his success of last year? Is this Cueto's breakout year? These are all big questions to be answered, but at least we're not saying, "Who's the 5th starter? I thought he retired three years ago."

The real question marks are on offense, where a group of young stars will be depended on to provide the pop. Gone are Griffey and Dunn. Votto, Bruce, and Phillips will be expected to produce the runs. It would appear that the days of the Reds resembling a beer league softball team are in the past. We should see some actual baseball down at GABP this season, replete with stolen bases, hit and runs, and maybe even a sacrifice bunt or squeeze play thrown in.

I don't really know whether this young Reds team will have enough steam to overcome the evil "store bought" Cubs team. I do know that I will enjoy watching this young team develop. Finally, the Reds seem to be going about the baseball business the right way: drafting and developing home-grown talent and filling holes with strategic free agent signings. This is the only approach for the Reds, who will never be in a Manny Ramirez or CC Sabathia sweepstakes. Trying to depend on free agency has only netted the Reds bloated contracts for players past their prime (see Eric Milton). This team will be young, energetic, and play an exciting brand of baseball. That much I'm sure of.

But hey, it's Opening Day. This is the day where everyone believes "this could be our year."

Play Ball!