Thoughts on the First Few Days of the New Season

The first few days of the 2009 MLB season is in the books, and it's been an interesting few days indeed. A lot has already happened, but, obviously, it's hard to tell much of anything when most teams have still only played one game. You wouldn't judge a football team for the season six minutes into the first quarter, would you? Didn't think so. But still ...

I don't understand what the big deal about booing Mark Teixeira is. Peter Gammons was all sorts of upset about it on ESPN Monday night, and it was the subject of multiple articles in newspapers around the country (Two are here and here. Read the comments on the first if you like to hate on either Yankees or Orioles fans.). "Scum!" "Sellout!" "Corporate whore!" yell angry Baltimore fans. "I like money" whimpers a defeated Teixeira back. Look, I understand Teixeira's decision. To sign with the Orioles, he was going to give up playing for a bona fide contender, as well as sacrificing over $4 mil a year for seven years. 

But that being said, if you're not an Oriole fan, put yourself in one's shoes. The team you support has a proud history, but for the past ten years, has been on Royals-Pirates level. Every year you have to play the Yankees for 19 games, and every year you lose most of them. When you play the Yankees in Baltimore, there's usually about 75% Yankees fans in the crowd. But it's opening day. You saw the Rays go from last to first last year, why not you this year? There's a renewed interest in the team from the exciting young hitters they have, and the exciting young pitchers that probably won't appear until August or September. There's reason - albeit very little - for optimism. And up first is the hometown guy who spurned your team's offer to play for the most hated of all teams. If I were there, I would have booed him until I was hoarse, too. ESPN needs to get over itself. 

Now that that rant is over ... Johan Santana (pictured, right) is going to win a lot of games this year. Not that that's unusual, but when I say a lot, I mean 20+. If he gets decent run support and is throwing his stuff at an average level for him, the Mets are going to be virtually unbeatable. Putz in the 8th and K-Rod in the 9th is an absolutely nasty back end. It won't matter unless starts 2-5 of the Mets rotation step up, but you can virtually pencil in a "W" every time Santana takes the mound. 

Keeping it in the NL East, the Braves should take a lot more out of beating the Phillies 8-1 in the first two games than the Phillies should. The Braves want to believe they're a contender in the NL East this year, and theres no better way to bolster their confidence than by running over the defending champs in the first two games, holding that vaunted lineup to only one run in 18 innings. The Phillies and their fans have no reason to fret, though. They know they're going to hit this year; there's too much talent there to deny that. The starting pitching has been poor, but the bullpen has pitched admirably. It would have been nice to keep the momentum from last October going, but it's no reason for alarm. 

And just a few quick hits ...

Ouch, Tyler. The Nats begin the season at 0-3, losing all three games to the Marlins, the only team in the division they had a chance to finish above. 

Ken Griffey, Jr., in a Mariners uniform again, is awesome. How could his home run not remind you of the old days? It's good for Griffey, good for the M's, and good for baseball. 

(Photo Credit: AP)