Even 17 consecutive losing seasons couldn't ruin today. Opening Day in baseball is like a national holiday, and that certainly is the case even in Pittsburgh where a winning season -- let alone a playoff appearance -- seems more elusive than finding a job in this economy.After enumerating four people in Findlay Township this morning, I returned to my house to polish off some paperwork and sit down in front of the television to watch the game. Expectations couldn't be lower coming out of spring training, but it was exciting nonetheless. Then Garrett "The Legend" Jones crushed a couple of homers to lead a 11-5 rout against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are now a game above .500 and lead their division. It probably won't last longer than the end of the week, but we can dream, right? That's what makes Opening Day special.
Glad to see the Bucs win, but I still think this is a team that will struggle to score runs. And until the late three-run homer, I had this nagging feeling that the Pirates would find a way to piss away the game. But for one day, they're on top of the standings.
ReplyDeleteI'm most interested in seeing if Garrett Jones can sustain his power numbers through a full season. If so, he might be one of the best minor league free agents the Pirates have ever picked up (Clemente was a Rule 5-type pick when the Pirates selected him '54). But Jones has the ability to carry this offense on his back, and he probably will have to do just that.
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