The Chicago White Sox just hung their 2005 World Series Championship banner and reserved space for one from 2006. The Kansas City Royals are sweeping up the cellar and setting up some comfy chairs for what promises to be a long season. Atlantans are on the lookout for renegade Metropolitans climbing the hill to their perch atop the NL East.
It must be the first week of the Major League Baseball season. Team flags are going back on car windows, and street vendors are packing their carts full of hotdogs and expensive soda. It’s that time of year when diving catches start replacing slam dunks on the Sportscenter Top 10 and the Web Gem category shows up once again.
It’s a glorious time of year, but many questions remain. So much emphasis is placed on Opening Day, yet there are 161 games left to decide who is going to the playoffs. Who will?
AL East: No other division has this many intense rivalries. From A-Rod slapping pitcher’s arms, to Pedro throwing Zimmer to the ground, to Jeffrey Maier being hated by every Orioles fan, this division goes to the last game. The Yankees have yet again spent a ton of money, including stealing Boston’s unforgettable center fielder. The Sox took some hits but are still alive. The Blue Jays decided it was time to climb the stairs and exploded in free agency, grabbing a ton of quality players. The Orioles spent the off-season twiddling their thumbs, letting Miguel Tejada complain and failing to re-sign third baseman Melvin Mora. The Devil Rays