Why Opening Day Rules

“Ladies and Gentlemen…Welcome to Fenway Park.”

It’s that time again. Dust off the mitt. Getcha cap out. Open a beer. Crack a peanut.

I can smell the Italian sausage and caramel Cracker Jacks from here.

It’s everyone’s favorite holiday: Opening Day. And for the first time in a while, we open at Fenway (which probably explains the 40-degree temperatures and freezing rains. Cool.)

I won’t get hyperbolic today because it’s a bit too cliché, but I will say this: Opening Day still rules. Here are five reasons why:

5) Day Games: Like it or not, baseball is made to be played in the day. Having games start at 1 or 2 is good not only to kill your work productivity, but it’s also an excuse to take the day off, or get the kids out to a game. Day games let you starting watching baseball from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. if you live on the East Coast. And you can’t complain about that.

4) Aces Wild: You have tons of aces going on the first day of the year. Today we have Beckett, Shields, Sabathia, Santana, Lee, Webb, Oswalt, Zambrano, Peavy, Halladay, Liriano, Hernandez, and Verlander. Wooo.

3) Fantasy baseball: You’d had your draft(s) weeks ago by now. You’ve made a few trades, scoured the waivers and set and reset your lineups until you got your team just right. You’re gonna win the championship. How could you not with this squad?? Today is the first day you get to put your boys to the test.

2) Baseball Tonight: The return to prominence of the greatest sports highlight show in the land begins today. Ravech, Gammons, Kruk, et al, are back and ready to give you web gems, diamond cutters, and most importantly, BOMBS. Get Out.

1) The End of Winter: The best and most important reason we still revere Opening Day. Forget March 21/22, THIS is the official end of winter right here. Once baseball is back, you know green vegetation, sun burns, ice cold drinks, short skirts and great weather are in your immediate future.

Play Ball.

---Nick