The weather is warmer. The sun is coming out longer. People are finally out of hibernation. This can only mean one thing. Baseball is back!!! America’s favorite past time is finally back on television and it is being kicked off with a great matchup.
The reigning World Series Champions are in Miami to play in the brand new Miami Marlins stadium. However, both of these teams look much different from a year ago. The champs are with out a very key member of their squad. Who could that be? The one and only Albert Pujols who signed an obnoxiously large contract with the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason.
That is clearly a huge blow for the Cardinals who really cannot replace all that Pujols did for that team. However, the home team looks like a whole new group of guys. The biggest change is that former New York Mets favorite, Jose Reyes, signed with the Marlins after not being given an offer by his former team. This is probably around the time that the fan’s hatred for the Wilpons was at its greatest. This huge signing forced the Marlins’ former shortstop Hanley Ramirez over to third base. Other notable signings for the Marlins include pitcher Mark Burhle, reliever Heath Bell, and of course new manager the ever unpredictable Ozzie Guillen.
As I sit and watch the Marlins play for the first time together, I have to be honest, they appeared to be better without all the bells and fancy names. They are making mental errors that go back to knowing the fundamentals of the game. Hopefully, it is just a case of jitters and will not be a problem all season because they are in a tough division with some serious competition.
