Opening Day means ‘all is right in the world again’

Chris Mangan

Chris Mangan

Baseball Opening Day is special. To me, it is completely different than any other professional sports opening day. Sure, I get excited about the football opening weekend but not like I get when baseball starts. People say that Opening Day is the greatest phrase in the English language, and I have to completely agree. Everyone has a chance at the beginning of the season; everyone is in first place and have identical records. When I was growing up, my dad used to tell me that on opening day, “All is right in the world again.”

Another thing that made April 6 special was that it was also the night of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.

One of the best things about college is having a group of friends that I can watch sporting events with and just hang out and have fun, and that’s what I did. I was able to bring in the new baseball season, as well as the NCAA Championship, with my friends Steino, Rusty, Matty, Chuck, Josh and Colby. Here is the blog from the events that took place.

7:11 p.m. The game was supposed to start at 7:10. They are already running behind. Good job, Twins.

7:12 Chuck: “It’s easy to drink during baseball because you don’t have to pay attention.”

7:18 Josh: “Was Oklahoma the one that had the hot coach?”

Rusty: “No, that’s Pat Summit.”

7:23 First pitch from the Franchise, Francisco Liriano, is a ball. The 2009 season is underway.

Chuck: “Seattle will not win more than 50 games this year.”

7:27 Liriano punctuates a one-two-three first with a strikeout.

7:34 Michael Cuddyer proves how good he is by chasing a slider out of the zone for his first of many strikeouts like that on the year.

7:35 Justin Morneau just got robbed, which would have loaded the bases with one out.

7:38 King Felix Hernandez just rolled his ankle but is staying in the game.

7:40 Jason Kubel just strikes out to end the inning, leaving runners on first and second.

7:43 While making fun of Sweaty Pits and the kid he MIGHT have someday: “Daddy, I shave my eyebrows to be like you.”

8:08 Cuddyer strikes out again, this time with a runner on third. Twins down 1-0 entering the fourth.

8:22 NCAA Men’s Championship about to start, occupying the second TV at the house.

8:25 Basketball game just tipped; North Carolina is up 2-0 early.

8:26 Ken Griffey, Jr., just went deep; Mariners up 2.

8:33 “I still think we should start studying his (Mike Redmond’s) body for science. We could cure cancer in a week,” Chuck.

8:36 North Carolina is starting to run away with it, up 21-7 with 14 minutes left in the half.

8:38 Cuddyer gets his first hit against Hernandez, and the Twins cut the lead in half to 2-1. Morneau kills the rally by hitting into a double play.

8:50 The Mariners get two more on a home run from Franklin Guitterez, and the basketball game is ugly, Carolina is up 20.

9:06 Top of eighth Mariners up 4-1 and just under five minutes left in the basketball game, Tar Heels up 21.

9:18 Josh: “(UNC) is going to score 100 this half.” They had 53 with 1:18 left in the half.

9:21 UNC is up 21 at half; it’s pretty much over.

9:24 Josh takes a cherry bomb for a pop up, he’s getting desperate.

9:30 Matty: “If the Twins lose to the Mariners again this series, they deserve to be slapped more than Barney Stinson.”

9:34 Two-run single for the Mariners and this game is all but over.

9:35 Josh and Chuck just did cherry bombs because the drunk fan just caught a busted bat.

9:44 Final Mariners 6, Twins 1.

9:50 Josh is lining up the cherry bombs; Michigan State has it to 18.

9:56 How I Met your Mother has taken over the big TV, with the basketball game up on the small screen. Tar Heels are up 19.

10:07 Michigan State has it within 17 with just over 10 minutes left, but no one is paying attention; all focused on How I Met Your Mother.

10:14 Chuck: “Men need to suit up more often.”

10:16 Chuck: “North Carolina is like Carlos Mencia, a lot of people hate them but they have to respect them for putting butts in the seats.”

10:21 Chuck: “Rooting for Michigan State in the National Championship is like voting for the Green Party, you are doing it to try to make a statement, but you know it’s not going to make a difference.” Michigan State is down 17.

10:24 North Carolina’s lead is bigger now, which draws a “that’s what she said” from Josh.

10:30 Chuck: “Michigan State is like Paul Walker in the first Fast and the Furious movie. It’s a big name that people recognize, but when push comes to shove, they are vastly overrated. I’m going to get hate mail from Paul Walker in the next week.”

In the basketball game, UNC is up 15.

10:35 Josh just thought the number 34 was for Joe Nathan and not Kirby Puckett. He’s not smart. This kid also thinks Carlos Gomez is going to finish third in the MVP voting.

10:36 Colby is very upset about his MCOM 225 class filming on this night, instead of some other night. He should have argued that, but he failed.

10:44 UNC up 17 with 1:22 left, 2009 National Champions will be the Tar Heels.

10:47 Final: North Carolina 89, Michigan State 72.

10:50 Josh throws out, “North Carolina team was the best team in the last five years, and Connecticut was the best women’s team in the last 20 years.”

Sure the Twins lost, but like my dad always says, all is right in the world again because baseball is back, and I, for one, could not be happier.