"You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all." - Earl Wynn
"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come." -James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams
The day has finally arrived. That void in a baseball fan's heart is about to be filled once again. The dreaded dead period from the moment the Super Bowl ends until MLB Opening Day has been survived another year. There is once again reason for hope. The popcorn poppers, cotton candy makers and hot dog cookers are being fired up. The mound is being adjusted for the home pitcher, either beating it down or building it up to his advantage. The bases are being securely placed in the basepath. The players are getting their lockers perfect with their good luck trinkets and lists of their goals for the year. Tailgaters are firing up their grills, many skipping work to take part in the tradition of Opening Day. The ushers are reacquainting themselves with their familiar section. The fighter jets are preparing for their flyovers. Even the mascots have their butterflies.
Opening day represents one of the greatest days of the year for baseball fans all around the country. It represents hope. Hope for a playoff birth, for a chance at glory, for a turnaround season. Every fan of every team, from the Royals to the Yankees, enters opening day with thoughts of October dancing in their heads. Writer Thomas Boswell even wrote a book about it, Why Time Begins on Opening Day, a great read for any devout baseball fan.
While opening day victories usually don't mean much as a forecast for how a team will perform throughout the season, the excitement and aura of the baseball diamond cannot be downplayed on this day of days. So take a sick day this Monday, tell your wife you'll mow the lawn or clean out the garage tomorrow, grab a 6-pack, sit in the easy chair and soak up the magic of Opening Day. Because on Tuesday, you might just be another Pittsburg/Kansas City/Tampa Bay/Florida fan talking about next season.
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