April 5: Opening Day

The smell of freshly cut grass. The smell of popcorn and ice cold beer. The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd. Baseball under the sun. Throw in a few more cliches and you've got yourself Opening Day!

It's the beginning of a new season and every fan believes that this is his team's year. It doesn't matter what the experts say. It doesn't matter that his team finished in last place the year before and that the front office didn't improve the club at all in the off season. Every team starts from scratch today. Every team is on the same level today. Every team is tied for first place and every team has the same opportunities to make it to October and a chance at the World Series.

Across the country, people listened to radios and watched television sets as their teams started the 2010 season. Most people had to work and couldn't listen or watch the games live, but snuck peaks at the scores online or caught a glimpse of the ESPN sports ticker. When they had a chance, those who couldn't attend the game and missed the live broadcasts read the game recaps online, heard the highlights on the radio, or watched the summaries on SportsCenter. Game one of one hundred and sixty-two. Summer had arrived.

Opening Day is the new beginning for all thirty clubs. The Yankees are trying to repeat as World Champions. The Rockies are trying to prove that last season wasn't a fluke. Every team has something to prove on Opening Day. Every fan has hope for big things to come in 2010; unless you're a Padres fan.

Two errors and four unearned runs? Fourteen consecutive batters retired? Three baserunners in eight innings?! 2010 is going to be a long and painful summer for myself and any other admitted Padre fan. Good grief!