J.D. Drew: Should play Wednesday

post from MLB News Blog on 31 March 2008 11:48:04 PM. © MLB News Blog

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Bobby Kielty: Still pondering his decision

post from MLB News Blog on 31 March 2008 11:48:03 PM. © MLB News Blog

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Jason Varitek: Sleep deprived

post from MLB News Blog on 31 March 2008 11:46:54 PM. © MLB News Blog

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Sea Dogs Opening Day Roster: Pitchers

post from MLB News Blog on 31 March 2008 11:46:09 PM. © MLB News Blog

The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Red Sox, announced their Opening Day roster Monday. The Sea Dogs are scheduled to open their season Thursday in New Britain, CT.Read the full story.

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Mariners season of big expectations starts with
win over Millwood, Rangers (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 31 March 2008 11:24:52 PM. © MLB News Blog

After Erik Bedard left his Mariners’ debut, the Seattle offense woke up. Adrian Beltre hit a go-ahead groundout in the sixth inning, Jose Lopez had a two-run double in the seventh and the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 in Monday’s opener. Bedard was acquired from Baltimore to anchor a rotation that already included Felix [...]

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Post Game: Mets 7 Marlins 2

post from The Mets Report on 31 March 2008 10:59:29 PM. © The Mets Report

Johan Santana gets the win in his first start as a Met. Hopefully, that’s the first win of many.The crowd was about 60-70% Mets fans. We had the “Let’s Go Mets” chant going for most of the game. As expected, Dolphin Stadium is much nicer than Shea. There were no traffic problems even though the [...]

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McLouth McBlast

post from Baseball Musings on 31 March 2008 10:59:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

Nate McLouth just extended a 5-4 Pirates lead over the Braves to an 8-4 lead with a three run home run in the top of the eighth. With the score tied at four, Nady led off the inning with a...

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One of One Hundred and Sixty-Two

post from ChicagoCubsOnline.com on 31 March 2008 10:40:43 PM. © ChicagoCubsOnline.com

Game One - Cubs 3 Brewers 4 - 10 innings
WP - Eric Gagne (1-0, BS 1) LP - Bobby Howry (0-1) Save - David Riske (1)

Despite the cold and the rain, it was Opening Day at Wrigley Field and the it had everything.... except for a Cubs win. The game started 40 minutes late and not even the weather dampened the spirits in and around the ballpark. The Ernie Banks Statue was unveiled a few hours before the first pitch, and it is a beautiful tribute to Mr. Cub.

Once the game began, it was a good ole fashion pitchers duel. Two of the game's best starting pitchers held both offensives to a combined 2 hits in the first 5 innings. Carlos Zambrano started out his season on a positive note before leaving with a cramp in his forearm with 2 outs in the 7th. Kerry Wood gave up the first runs of the game in the 9th. Wood hit Rickie Weeks to start the inning before allowing a 2-out, 2-run double by Corey Hart. Bobby Howry took the loss after giving up a leadoff double to Craig Counsel and a sacrifice fly to Tony Gwynn, Jr.

Those in attendance witnessed arguably one of the greatest debuts in team history by the Cubs first Japanese ballplayer. Kosuke Fukudome was Lou Piniella's offense. He reached base all 4 times to the plate and hit a game tying 3-run homer in the 9th off of Brewers' closer Eric Gagne.

While one game does not make a season, these two teams will have match-ups like the one on Opening Day throughout the year.

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Missed it by That Much

With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the 8th, Adam Everett just missed a grand slam home run by a few feet as the ball goes into the stands just a few feet from the foul...

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The Ten Best Opening Days in Royals History

The Ten Best Opening Days in Royals History

Opening Day is upon us, and every year, for at least one day, ourRoyals are in first place. Opening Day is a tremendously exciting dayfor baseball fans. Teams break out their pomp and circumstance.Celebrities and dignitaries throw out the first pitch. Every team hasat least a little bit of hope for the season. The season hasn't beentrampled upon by a parade of subpar relief pitchers or 2-8 West Coastroadtrips. Young players all have potential. Veterans haven't gottenhurt yet.

My All-Time "That Guy Started on Opening Day?" Team
C Hector Ortiz (2001)
1B Chuck Harrison (1969)
2B Luis Alcaraz (1970)
3B Keith Miller (1993)
SS Bobby Floyd (1972) or Felix Martinez (1998)
LF Aaron Guiel (2004)
Note: Why the heck did the Royals start so many guys in left field onOpening Day out of position? All of these guys were known for playinganother position, but were pressed into outfield duty on Opening Day:Ed Kirkpatrick (1969), Pete LaCock (1980), Bip Roberts (1997), HalMorris (1998), Ross Gload (2007)
CF Steve Hovley (1972)
RF Larry Sutton (1998) or Brandon Berger (2003)
DH Dave Nelson (1976) or Cal Pickering (2005)
SP Jose Lima (2005)

If it seems as if the Royals have historically fared badly onOpening Day, that's because they have. They're just 14-25 on OpeningDay, easily the worst percentage in baseball. That just means theRoyals are due this year, right?

So while the Royals are stillsitting in first place, unblemished for the season, let's take a lookat their top ten Opening Days.

10. 2007 - Royals 7 Red Sox 1
Lighthitting rookie shortstop Tony Pena Jr. smacked two triples and perhapseven more surprisingly, walked, as the Royals romped over the Red Sox7-1. Big money free agent Gil Meche got off to a shaky start in aRoyals uniform, getting in a jam and allowing one run in the firstinning. But the Royals came back to knock around Boston starter CurtSchilling for five runs in four innings. Mark Grudzielanek had threehits and three RBI, and John Buck doubled and homered in the offensiveonslaught. Meche overcame his shaky first by retiring 18 of the next 20hitters, and leaving in the eighth to a standing ovation in front of acapacity crowd.

9. 1983 - Royals 7 Orioles 2
TheRoyals opened up 1983 in Baltimore against a team that had won 94 gamesthe previous summer, and would go on to win the World Series that fall.But things went wrong for the Orioles on Opening Day from the get-go.The team mascot jumped out of a plane in a parachute, hoping to land onthe pitchers mound as he had in rehearsal. High winds that day carriedhim over the bleachers and out of the stadium to the horror of the50,000 fans that packed Municipal Stadium. It would be a portend ofthings to come

Baltimore outfielder Dan Ford dropped an easy flyball to score the first Royals run in the opening frame. George Brettwould hit a two run home run in the third to give the Royals a 3-1lead. Willie Aikens added a solo home run in the sixth, but thefloodgates would open in the seventh. An error by rookie shortstop CalRipken Jr. would allow Amos Otis and Hal McRae to follow up with RBIhits. Veteran outfielder Jerry Martin would cap off the Royalsperformance with a solo home run in the eighth, the third Royals blastthat day.

8. 1985 - Royals 2 Blue Jays 1
Littledid anyone know that these two teams would be meeting again thatOctober to decide the AL pennant. A record crowd jammed into RoyalsStadium to see the Royals defend their AL West title, but it lookedlike the Jays would walk away with a victory after Toronto starter DaveStieb cruised through the first six innings with a 1-0 lead. DarylMotley led off the seventh with a double, advancing to third on a FrankWhite flyball. After a Dane Iorg strikeout, Stieb hit shortstop OnixConcepcion with a pitch. Willie Wilson then laced a fly ball into leftfield that George Bell misplayed badly, leading to a two run double andblowing a great outing by Stieb. Bud Black nearly matched Stieb inperformance, allowing just one run over seven plus innings beforeyielding to Dan Quisenberry, who recorded the final four outs topreserve the win.

7. 1972 - Royals 2 White Sox 1
Theyoung Royals were coming off their first winning season and wereopening what would be their last season in Municipal Stadium at 22ndand Brooklyn. This was still a dead ball era, and the teams werescoreless heading into the ninth. Dick Allen led off the inning with ahome run off starter Dick Drago to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. ButBob Oliver, the slugger who had a disappointing 1971 season, homered in the bottom of the inning off White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood.

Thegame went into extra frames and Chicago threatened to score in thetenth with two runners on base. Reliever Tom Burgmeier managed his wayout of the jam, and pitched a perfect tenth. In the bottom of theeleventh, third baseman Paul Schaal led off with a walk, reachingsecond on a wild pitch. After Cookie Rojas sacrificed him to third, LouPiniella fouled out, leaving it to newly acquired first baseman JohnMayberry. Mayberry was quickly welcomed to Kansas City when he singledSchaal home to win the game.

6. 1979 - Royals 11 Blue Jays 2
Itwas David vs. Goliath on Opening Day, as the defending AL West winningRoyals hosted the 102 loss Blue Jays. The only problem was David forgothis rock. The Royals made things ugly early, with John Wathan hitting abases-clearing triple to score three runs in the second inning. FredPatek followed with an RBI single. The Royals scored two more when Jayssecond baseman Dave McKay misplayed an Amos Otis ground ball. Hal McRaeand Darrell Porter both added RBI hits. When the smoke cleared, theRoyals led 9-0 - after just two innings. The Royals went on to cruiseto an 11-2 victory with Dennis Leonard allowing just two unearned runsin six innings.

5. 1984 - Royals 4 Yankees 2
TheRoyals and Yankees had a fierce rivalry that dated back to 70s, whenthe two teams met four times in the American League ChampionshipSeries. However, many of the Royals stars from those teams were eitherlong gone or injured. The Royals limped into the season opener withoutAll-Stars Dennis Leonard or George Brett, both on the disabled list.They were also missing All-Star outfielder Willie Wilson, serving asuspension for his federal drug indictment. The Royals brought a youngteam to Kansas City that day to face Yankees ace Ron Guidry.

Undaunted, light hitting shortstop Onix Concepcion led off the bottom of thefirst by hitting the first pitch he saw out of the ballpark for hisfirst Major League home run. It would be his only home run all season,but it would give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Steve Balboni would singlehome Frank White to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. Daryl Motley tripled inthe fourth, and would score on a Don Slaught sacrifice fly to extendthe lead to 3-0. Swingman Bud Black, pressed into service on OpeningDay, would retire the first twelve Yankee hitters that day. He kept NewYork off the board until Dave Winfield's two run home run in the fifth.But the Yankees get no closer and Dan Quisenberry would pitch twoscoreless innings to preserve the victory, and put new Yankees managerYogi Berra on the hot seat.

4. 1995 - Royals 5 Orioles 1
TheRoyals had to work hard to attract fans following the strike and thetrading of veterans David Cone and Brian McRae. They offered freegeneral admission tickets to the opener, but still drew just 24,000fans, the smallest Opening Day crowd in over a decade. The fans thatcame saw a gem. Kevin Appier, the most underrated pitcher of the 90s,dominated the Orioles that day. It was an Appier start, which meant theRoyals would have trouble scoring runs. Baltimore starter Mike Mussinakept the Royals off the board for five innings before being pulled. Inthe sixth, Tom Goodwin blooped a single off reliever Jaime Moyer, butseemed to be picked off when Moyer caught him leaning. However he madeit successfully to second and advanced to third on a throwing error byfirst baseman Rafael Palmeiro. Wally Joyner singled him home to get theRoyals on the board. Rookie slugger Bob Hamelin would follow with anRBI double to extend the lead to 2-0.

That would be all the runsupport Appier would need. He had a no-hitter through six innings,despite having a shortened spring training to prepare. He inducedPalmeiro to pop out and struck out Cal Ripken, but had reached 98pitches. First year manager Bob Boone walked out of the dugout to achorus of boos to pull his starter.

"Youthink managing isn't hard? It takes guts. I was afraid to go out there.I thought Kevin would choke me. But he had gotten a lot of tough outsand had thrown a lot of pitches."
-Manager Bob Boone

RelieverRusty Meachem would replace Appier and give up a single to Leo Gomezwith one out in the eighth. The Royals would go on to win 5-1, butBoone had deprived Appier of becoming the first pitcher to throw ano-hitter on Opening Day since Bob Feller in 1940. It would not be thefirst time his decisions would be roundly booed.

"60% of the time, my moves work every time."

3. 2003 - Royals 3 White Sox 0
Noone that day knew it, but this game would be the start of an amazingrun by the Royals. They would win nine straight to start the year, andsixteen of their first nineteen to give them a first place they wouldnot relinquish until September. Runelvys Hernandez got the opening dayassignment, and for at least one day, he was dominating. He allowedjust two hits and a walk, while striking out five in six shutoutinnings, needing just 77 pitches. An RBI single by rookie Angel Berroain the second would be all the Royals would need as they cruised to anefficient 3-0 victory.

"Hey, we believe."
-Mike Sweeney

2. 2004 - Royals 9 White Sox 7
TheRoyals had a lot of optimism heading into 2004 after their improbablerun the previous season. Some of that optimism was doused in the secondinning when starter Brian Anderson gave up four runs to the rival WhiteSox. The White Sox led 7-3 heading into the ninth and it looked likethe capacity home crowd would have to head home with a loss. Joe Randaled off the ninth with an innocent walk. Ken Harvey, a bit of a freeswinger, followed him up with another walk. The White Sox decided tostop messing around and brought in closer Billy Koch to end things.Benito Santiago, brought in by Allard Baird as a free agent thatwinter, doubled to score Randa and give Royals fans hope for a comeback.

Thatbrought up light-hitting utility infielder Mendy Lopez, a long shot toeven make the club. He had been brought in as a defensive replacementafter Matt Stairs had pinch hit for Tony Graffanino. Lopez slammed apitch over the fence for a three run home run to tie the game. After anAngel Berroa single, Carlos Beltran deposited the Billy Koch fastballover the left field fence for a walk-off two run home run, giving theRoyals the 9-7 win.

"I will remember this day for the rest of my life."
-Carlos Beltran

1. 1969 - Royals 4 Twins 3
Thefirst Opening Day in Royals history was easily its most significant, ifnot also the most exciting. After a year without baseball, the Royalsbrought the Majors back to Kansas City. The stands were filled withdignitaries including American League President Joe Cronin. JerryAdair, one of the few veterans on the Royals ballclub, drove home thefirst run in franchise history when he singled home Lou Piniella, whowould go on to win Rookie of the Year. Starting pitcher Tom Burgmeierkept his team in the ballgame, but the Royals trailed 3-1 heading intothe bottom of the sixth. Light hitting catcher Jim Campanis, brought into pinch hit for Burgmeier, singled home a run to pull the Royalswithin a run. Lou Piniella followed up with his fourth hit of the day,a run scoring single that tied the game.

Neitherteam would put up much of an offensive threat the next few frames on acold April afternoon. In the bottom of the twelfth, with one out, thirdbaseman Joe Foy singled off Joe Grzenda. The Twins would then fallapart. Foy reached second on a passed ball, leading Twins manager BillyMartin to intentionally walk Chuck Harrison. When yet another passedball allowed Foy to reach third, Martin had Bob Oliver intentionallywalked to load the bases and set up a force out at home.

JoeKeough, a light hitting first baseman, had been sitting on the bench inthe cold for nearly four hours by this point. Royals manager Joe Gordoncalled on him to hit for catcher Ellie Rodriguez. Keough would hit just.187 that season, but he would be a hero for a day. He singled offGrzenda to score Foy and give the Royals their first win in franchisehistory.

Let's hope the 2008 Royals give us more memories to cherish. GO ROYALS!