By Anthony Pino, DT Lead Sports Columnist
Today is a great day in every kid’s school year. The fact that it’s a snow day here and a lot of kids got the day off just makes it even better. Is there anything really better or more American than Red Sox Opening Day.
Baseball in and of itself is a great institution. Just listen to Terrence Mann’s speech from the end of Field of Dreams…
and if you don’t get goose bumps, give me a call and I’ll stop by your house with some guys from the Army’s favorite JAG officer so we can revoke your American Citizenship.
This year Sox fans have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. I have a few questions about the team, but today is just a day to “dip yourself in the magic waters, and the memories will be so thick, you’ll have to brush them away from your face”.
The Sox lineup is one that should be legendary. Two of the best base stealers in the league and a former AL MVP are the first three batters in the lineup. If guys like Dustin Pedroia and Carl Crawford don’t make you think of the greats of the past then you aren’t watching close enough. The tough and intense way they play the game reminds me of the stories I heard as a kid about guys who we can only see statues and grainy videos of today.
Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis should be able to crush the ball all year. Will it be reminiscent of Manny and Ortiz from 04? Probably not, but it will be great to watch against an aging Yankee team with a questionable rotation, and a depleted Rays team whose all time best player is now roaming the same Left Field once occupied by Manny, the Gator, Yaz, and the Splendid Splinter. Come to think of it Crawford needs a nickname.
The rest of the lineup is just as good or better than last year as well, and the pitching rotation is devastating. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz will both contend for the Cy Young this year, and with less pressure on them to be the aces John Lackey and Josh Beckett should have bounce back seasons. Not to mention they are going to be facing off against opposing teams 3 and 4 starters for the beginning of the season, so they’ll probably be pitching with a lead quite a bit.
Fenway Park is calling us all home this year. Screw the pink hats, screw “Red Sox Nation”, screw the Sox marketing department, and NESN. This is the year the real baseball fans take our team back. Red Sox baseball was once ours and it can be again. This team is filled with the kind of players who have substance over flash, skill over showmanship, and winning over dating game shows.
So our team would make a crummy reality show if cameras followed them this year, fine by me, because they are going to win the damn World Series. The reality show is the game, it’s on pretty much every night at 7:05. We don’t need stars, we need batting average, ERA, and winning percentage. Come Home Stat Geeks. Come Home Baseball Historians. Come Home guys who keep score in the back of the program. Come Home Dads who want to teach their kids about the game. The phonies are all gone after last year. Fenway Park is ours again, folks.
Let’s get down to business. We’re changing Dodging Traffic, and for the better.
By Anthony Pino, DT Lead Sports Columnist
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