Opening Day

With only slight exaggeration, there is nothing better than your home baseball team's opening day. It is so important, it is called "Opening Day". Of all the sports popular in the United States, including cricket and backgammon, none of the professional leagues have anything resembling the magic of opening day. People get equally excited about the beginning of the season of their preferred sport, but it's just not the same. My biggest shame of the year to this point is that I actually did not realize today was the Tigers' opening day because I always had in my mind that Friday (their home opener) was their season opener, so I almost let the whole game slip by me. That would have been an unacceptable outcome and not deserving of forgiveness.

Opening Day is so important, it was the one thing for which my high school would actually excuse absence. That is huge.

The Tigers were victorious today in what will almost definitely be the first ever undefeated season in the history of modern baseball. Not only did the Tigers win, but they managed the win by slowly pushing Zack Greinke out of the game and then taking charge against the Royals' bullpen. I feel bad for the Royals, but it's hard to feel too bad because Kansas City has what I consider to be the best variety of barbecue in the country. Arthur Bryant's is there - what else needs to be said. My heaven consists of opening day and a pile of Arthur Bryant's pulled pork on a slice or two of Wonder Bread.

Opening Day marks the start of optimal Michigan weather, lazy summer weekend afternoons, and thinking about how much less stressful the new closer is than Fernando Rodney. Today marks the return of happiness and unicorns, the athleticism of Brandon Inge, and explaining to my foreign co-workers what the hell is going on in a baseball game. People who didn't grow up with the sport find it very confusing.

Welcome back, baseball. You were missed. Please don't let the Yankees win anything else.