COLUMN: Opening Day at last
One hundred and fifty-four days went by since Tigers third baseman and MVP Miguel Cabrera struck out looking and the San Francisco Giants celebrated their World Series title.
One-hundred fifty-four long, excruciating days and, even though I was greeted by snow on my car as I walked out of my apartment Monday morning, it didn't matter, because baseball was back.
And what a day it was.
The aces were out in full force, and the stars shined brightly, well, most of them, as baseball fans from around the country celebrated the return of our nation's pastime.
The day kicked off with a bang from one of the game's biggest young stars, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.
Harper led the preseason National League favorites to a 2-0 win against the Marlins with back-to-back solo home runs, while team ace Stephen Strasburg went seven innings while allowing just three hits.
The local favorites were on display as the Tigers started the season in frigid Minneapolis against the Twins. However, it was warm at O'Kelly's Bar and Grille as fans clapped after every hit, strikeout, run and out as the occasional "Eat 'em up Tigers" was yelled in the bar.
Fresh off his new contract, Justin Verlander was anything but cold, as he struck out seven in five innings of work, allowing just three hits.
The Tiger's bats were on display as well early as back-to-back singles from Austin Jackson and newcomer Torii Hunter allowed Cabrera, who struggled at the plate, and Prince Fielder to get back-to-back RBIs to put the Tigers up early, 2-0, which they later held onto for the 4-2 win.
My lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs, started the season with a win as Jeff Samardzija had what was probably the second-best day for a pitcher.
He went eight innings while allowing just two hits, one walk and striking out nine Pirates for the 3-1 win, while first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a bomb to right-center field on the first pitch he saw.
But, Samardzija was outdone by one man, who was all the talk on Twitter after his day was done.
That man was Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who not only threw a complete game while striking out seven and allowing four hits and no walks, but he also broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with a solo home run to center field, his first career home run.
Kershaw's home run woke up the Dodger bats as they went on to score three more runs in the eighth, going on to beat the Giants 4-0.
All of this happening, and those were just the day games.
The night-cap saw a 1-1 game go into the 13th inning, and one of game's best pitchers doing what he does best.
For the first time this season, interleague play between the American and National Leagues will go throughout the season, instead of just twice a year.
The Reds and Angels started that off in Cincinnati where the hometown Reds were defeated 3-1 after Los Angeles catcher Chris Iannetta hit a two-run single in the 13th.
Meanwhile, Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, better known as King Felix, went 7.2 innings while striking out eight and allowing three hits, the first of which against him didn't come until the fourth inning after retiring the first ten batters he faced. Hernandez would pick up the 2-0 win against the Athletics.
Even if I did wait 154 days only to find snow on my car, it's OK, because the Cubs won, and I know I have seven months of baseball ahead of me.
