Rakes!

Wasn't that beautiful? I mean, aside from Doc's 7th inning aberration (and let's assume that's a blip, shall we?). Lind and Snider look more than ready, I'd say. We said we wanted offense, and offense we got. Rakes!

There were nearly as many good vibes floating around snowy Toronto yesterday as there were during last month's US-Canada love-in, and the home team delivered with 4 (four!) two out runs in the first. Maybe it's a bit early to project a 162 win season, but that's kind of how it felt last night. It was all lovely until a few amateur fans decided to make themselves the story. Stay home, guys. The beer's cheaper.

In the lead up to the big event, I was all a-tingle, ready to celebrate the Secular Christmas Day (er, moreso) in fine fashion. Snacks, drinks, the proper attire... and I had in my head the words of the poet of the Jays blogging community, The Tao of Stieb:

Certainly, if you are focused on the the short term, and the wins and losses in the next six weeks or six months, you may be disappointed by the latest incarnation of the Blue Jays. But for those of us who have been following this narrative word for word, line by line and chapter after chapter, this is an incredibly exciting time.

Now, we watch the next heroes step out of the shadows and into the limelight. And if that is not the fodder for the fondest of dreams, then what is?

Beautiful.

Once Again My Life Has Meaning

Well, thank god that's over. Winter, I mean, though as I write this a crystalline gale whirls above a once again white ground. But baseball starts today (or last night, I suppose, if you want to split hairs), and that means life resumes. Our lengthy and unpleasant stasis has an endpoint: 7:15PM EDT tonight.

So yeah, you can formulate your fancy predictions, even in the face of an organization bent on fostering diminished expectations. Realists? In the front office? But yeah, probably this team regresses to the .500 mark, give or take, before surging in '10, right? Right?

It'll be fun to watch, though, once we're stripped of the illusion of competitiveness. That's a false hope that can only rend hearts asunder, leave them pulpy, squishy messes on the concrete ramps of Rogers Centre. Abandon that fool's dream and instead focus on the meat of this season: the development of our youth. And Halladay, of course. And, once again, can Rios put it all together? And will Vernon budge from CF? And then there's watching Rolen ensnare everything hit his way. Hopefully a full season of Hill. All that and a cuss-word-slingin' manager? Jesus, seems to me there's plenty of reasons to pay attention in '09.

Enjoy Opening Night, those of you headed to the dome. Bellow an "Atta boy, Roy!" for me, and down a $9 beer, won't you? I might make it down later in the week, but tonight it'll be me, a couch, and Jamie Campbell. Or Jamie Campbell on mute with a little Cotton Mather playing over top.


Elsewhere!

• I'll consider buying your t-shirt, Lloyd, if it comes in powder blue, but not black.

• My heart cries! Ichiro's ulcer bleeds! A galactic calamity. No Opening Day start? DL? The Human Awesome bucks in his restraints, needs to play! Cannot be held down! Will return to punish opposition teams, still collect 200 hits, run with swiftness, embody success. Rescue Mariners? Not as yet; his plan requires more time.

• Another dream dies in Ottawa, as the Can-Am League abandons plans to run the newly-minted Voyageurs in the wake of ownership instability in Atlantic City. Too bad; I was looking forward to an evening or two at the park this summer, maybe even watching Oil Can toss. The good news is that with the glacial pace of decisions in Ottawa municipal governance, there will in all likelihood still be a ballpark around next year, should Miles Wolff and the Can-Am folks be successful in reviving the team. Here's hoping.