The Surest Sign of Spring

It is the surest sign that spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner.

Sure it might be a bit cool in New York, Washington or Philadelphia but that’s okay because there’s a warmth that comes with opening day of the baseball season that will add a few degrees to the outside temperature.

If spring is a time of optimism then so is opening day when all 30 teams start undefeated and with dreams that 7 months from now they will celebrate a World Series championship.  Of course there are realistic hopes for at the most a dozen teams while others likely had a better chance of winning the Powerball last night.

By the way there was one winning ticket which was purchased in Wisconsin…I wonder if the Brewers had an office pool.

As they so often are the Yankees open the season as favorites to win the World Series. Following them according to the William Hill Sportsbook are the Astros, Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies who really improved their lineup and that was even before they signed Bryce Harper who makes his Citizens Bank Park debut this afternoon.

The Yankees and the Mets come into the season chasing a bit of New York baseball history.  Going back to 1921 when the New York Giants beat the Yankees to win the World Series there has never been a 10-year stretch when a team from the Big Apple did not win the Fall Classic.

However if neither the Yankees or longshot Mets win it this year that will be the case as the last New York team to win it all was the Yankees in 2009. (Thanks to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post for this historic tidbit).

Here’s another one.  There is not a single active baseball player left from the 20^th century.  Major League Baseball becomes the first of the four major sports without someone still around who played in the 1990s. That is unless someone signs soon-to-be 46 year old Bartolo Colon who still wants to pitch.

While today might be more appropriate for a hot cup of coffee then a cold beer the return of baseball means the long winter is over.  As a Mets fan I am cautiously optimistic and will be watching their opener against the Nationals in my office.

I only ask for a season in which we’re playing meaningful games through the end of summer.  I also hope for Yankee heartbreak because after all I root for the Mets and everyone who plays the Yankees and yes the Phillies.