In the morning, Russell Martin singled in his first at-bat wearing pinstripes, later stole third and then scored the Yankees’ first run of 2011.
In the early afternoon, I looked up and saw the Padres, whom most predict will fall back to also-ran status, going spike-to-spike with the Cardinals, 2-2 in the eighth inning, two runners on. As a bystander said, with the ESPN daytime coverage and the full-house crowd, it seemed like a playoff game.
Down in the Dodger dugout, three hours before gametime, players in blue pregame shirts file in and out, sweating and hydrating even as their day has shifted into gear. This is a speculation-free zone. After six months of “what should we do, where will we finish,” it’s almost like an alarm waking up a groggy sleeper. These people are going to work. It’s all about the bottom line, a line that hasn’t been written.
Baseball fans love their past and live for their team’s future. But Opening Day is the present: 0-0. We’re not living on borrowed time – we’re just living.
It’s a fine thing. Here’s to a great day.
* * *
- Matt Kemp is trying to homer in his sixth straight game.
- Dodger clubhouse manager Mitch Poole gets his day in the sun, or more accurately, his day in the CNN.
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