Opening Day Hijinks

It all began with a screaming liner that bounced off Pesky Pole in the second inning of Sunday's Opening Night game off the bat of Jorge Posada. Fans, both negatively and positively, clamored as the Yankees catcher rounded the bases for the first of surely many times this season. The first game of the 2010 season did not disappoint, as two aces took the mound and were battered around by the Yankees and Red Sox batters, respectively. CC Sabathia seemingly took control early, but those fighting Sox battled back and eventually overcame the reigning World Champions in a thrilling fashion.
Opening Day 2010 is finally here. The echoes of last fall still permeate the walls of ball clubs around both leagues. Hope springs eternal in the clubhouse of the Chicago Cubs, who will face an uphill battle this year against the NL Central favorites, the Cardinals. One thing that the Cubs will have going for them, however, is the depth of the St. Louis Cardinals. While the Cardinals boast some of the most dangerous batters in the National League (Pujols, Holliday and co.), it is absolutely imperative for the Cardinals organization to field these players all season. The holes in the Cardinals lineup can be exploited, but it may take a little bit of misfortune on the side of St. Louis for the Chicago Cubs to have a fighting chance this season. With only two left handed bats in the Cardinals line-up, the level of depth drops significantly if any one of the St. Louis stars misses any part of the season.
However, this axiom rings true for the Cubs as well. With Ramirez constantly on the verge of the DL with one bad grounder to the hot corner, the Cubs must stay healthy all season. They begin the season in less than in one hour against the Atlanta Braves, a perennial NL East contender, and play 4 of their first 6 games against the NL central. A slow start is not an option. One thing to keep an eye on for those few Atlanta Braves fans out there, is the exciting Jason Heyward (OF). Many have said that this young outfielder possesses great Major League potential. For this reason, he is my pick for the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year.
Without further ado, these are my picks for the 2010 playoff picture:

American League

East: New York Yankees
Central: Minnesota Twins
West: Seattle Mariners

Wild Card: Boston Red Sox

National League

East: Philadelphia Phillies
Central: Chicago Cubs
West: Los Angeles Dodgers

Wild Card: St. Louis Cardinals

Out of the 5 games on television today, I'm going to keep close eye on the Chicago Cubs- Atlanta Braves Opening Day game. In a rather surprising choice for Opening Day starter, Derek Lowe squares off against Carlos Zambrano, at 3:10 pm Central Time. There you have it, baseball fans. PLAY BALL!