There’s a buzz in the air, that certain je ne sais quoi that signals spring has arrived. Sure, the record breaking temperatures might have something to do with it (okay, probably a lot) but the fact that today marks the first day of the regular season for Major League Baseball can’t merely be a coincidence.
Update
The A’s host Seattle tonight Friday — first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (Looks like I was so excited for the A’s to start that I sped up their home opener by a day. Apologies.) The Giants opened on the road, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1.
The Once and Future Athletics
As much as the entire Bay Area seemed to go berzerk for the Giants last year, much of the pre-season prognostics have been about the A’s. Remember them? The team that seemed to slide into oblivion last year (if you count being the subject of a movie staring Brad Pitt “oblivion”).
Many folks are pointing to the strength of the A’s starting rotation and the addition of designated hitter Hideki Matsui as key components to getting the A’s back on the winning track. Some folks even go beyond calling the A’s a team to watch, and peg them as likely playoff participants. ESPN’s Baseball Tonight got cheeky and declared that the A’s will be the Giants of 2011. They even employ the term “cast offs.” Does that mean green will be the new orange? Watch below: