Baseball Season

The 2006 Major League Baseball season is upon us. The first game of the year is on ESPN this Sunday night. The official opening day is Monday, when President Bush throws out the first pitch at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. This year will be interesting, and as usual, there are multiple sub-plots as well as surprises in store. Some things to look for include: Will the Bobby Cox and the Braves add to their professional sports record and win their 15th consecutive division title? Will the Red Sox or the White Sox win it all again, or will they wait another 90 years or so? What about the Cubbies? Will they reverse their curse like the White Sox and Red Sox have the past few years? Did I just here a goat say, "Nah!"? Can the Yankees, Mets, or Dodgers spend their way into the World Series this year? Will Barry Bonds set a new home run record, passing Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, or will he be indicted? Will Rocketman Roger Clemens play this year, and if so, for whom? Will Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Andruw Jones continue to put up staggering numbers? Will Greg Maddux win 15 games and break the record for most gold gloves? I could go on and on. One of the great things about MLB is keeping up with statistics, which provides the basis for Fantasy Baseball. Again this year, my friends Johnny, Rob, and Tom will be joined by my sons David, Joe, and I in the Blue-Gray League. Will second-year manager Joe lead Joe's Braves to another title or will he suffer the proverbial sophomore jinx? Can the Mesocyclones take the next step and win it all? Don't forget Rob's Redbirds. They always finish strong and have won several titles in the past. Can the San Juan Roughriders maintain their typical fast start and cruise to the pennant, or will they wilt like a flower in the heat of September as usual? Never count out David's Cubs or the Bama Tide. Well, if you go by the name "Cubs" you might want to go ahead count out David's Cubs! Sorry son! I'm looking for lots of fun and intrigue this season. Play ball! Go Atlanta Braves and Go Mike's Mesocyclones!