Opening Day

Although the season "officially" started Sunday night when the Yankees dismantled the Red Sox behind Randy Johnson and what was in essence, flawless baseball, yesterday was more the officially Opening Day for everyone who isn't a member of the Rivalry That Ate Baseball.

1. Both Chicago sides win: The Cubs did it with a powerful offense explosion of 23 hits and 16 runs, defeated the Diamondbacks, 16-6. And the White Sox did it the exciting, nail biting way defeating the Indians 1-0.

2. In New York, faced with the chance to match Chicago with two wins for the city on Opening Day, the Mets took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th in Cincinnati before, as Archie Bunker's Army put it, the Looper Pooper killed all hope and the Mets lost 7-6.

3. Around the Beltway, although it wasn't in their new "home" of RFK Stadium, the Washington Nats opened their first-ever season with a loss to the Phillies 8-4. Their Evil Brethren in Baltimore however, defeated the A's 4-0 before the largest Opening Day crowd ever at Camden Yards. Just shows you what a little Sosa can do. Sammy had two hits but no homers and made his trademark sprint out to rightfield to the delight of the fans. Amazing what a little change of scenery can do.

4. The Sausage Belt showed us what a little power can do against two of the worst teams in baseball when the Brewers pounded Pittsburgh 9-2 and The Tigers roared 11-2 over KC behind Dmitri Young's 3 Opening Day Homers.

5. Pair of Surprises Over Divisional Favourites as the AL Central and the NL West Sports Amnesia favourites lost their season openers on the road. The biggest question on everyone's lips that weren't attached to a can of crappy beer was Clint Barmes WHO? as the Rockies surprised my AL West favourite Padres with a walk off homer at Coors Field. And another shocking defeat saw the Mariners hammer Minnesota behind two Richie Sexson homeruns.

Oh yeah, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Devil Rays in the game that time forgot, by a 5-2 margin. This game probably interested about a thousand people in Toronto and Tampa combined and more likely sparked interest only in roto baseball followers who had the misfortune of having Jays or Rays in their lineup.

Just to make sure SOMEBODY in Chicago would be unhappy, the Illini lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Mens Basketball Championship giving the Tar Heels their 4th national title, ho hum.