Thursday’s Child Has Far To Go: Opening Day, The Paradigm Of Normalcy, & A Cold Dish Served To Go

The birth of a new year comes on a strange day here at the Church of The Sacred Bleeding Heart of Major League Baseball. 2011 has already been weird, so why not odd it up some more by starting it on a Thursday, the first such occurence since 1976. Thirty-five years ago I too started my strange run, but I was born on a Sunday, which according to Mother Goose makes me bonny and blithe and good and gay. Of course, I had to look that all up and it seems I’m supposed to be attractive, cheerful and carefree, of high quality, and happy – I guess it depends who you ask, really.

I know nothing makes me more happy to see games that count for something on tap to be played from now until the fall across diamonds everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, Spring Training is a must see up close and personal expedition that should be taken by any member of the Church, but all in all it’s practice and the standings kept obviously mean little more than hope for the future. For as far back as I can remember I’ve made my preseason predictions, put them in writing and either posted them on a bulletin board in the pre-internet days or in some form via a Myspace blog or other electronic means in recent years for my own personal reasons/enjoyment to review at the end of the regular season to see how correct I was using only the way teams looked on paper prior to day one of the season. This season will obviously be no different. However, the exception will be that I will also be placing a small wager along side of it via my sports book. Why the hell not? I’ve rambled on recently about the other miniscule failed and successful attempts in this department in other sports here. So today I bring you my 2011 MLB Season Division picks with current odds to win their respective divisions.

NL East – Philladelphia Phillies (1/4)

NL Central – Cincinnati Reds (9/5)

NL West – San Francisco Giants (3/2)

NL Wild Card – Milwaukee Brewers – Off

AL East – Boston Red Sox (10/17)

AL Central – Minnesota Twins (8/5)

AL West – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (14/5)

AL Wild Card – New York Yankees – Off

And there you have it. No long-winded explanations, just the picks, ma’am. I’ll save the pontificating in that regard for a later date as the baseball season is a long and winding road and I have more pressing things to discuss. For example how Wednesday’s child is full of woe indeed. From Cleveland to Portland and all around the NBA the worm turned more than its share tonight. I have felt the wrath of the favorite and the lack of clutch across the board tonight in the realm of small-time gambling. The momentum from Cleveland’s win over Lebron and the Miami Heat on Tuesday did not make the road trip to Charlotte as the team lost it late in a one-point game denying me an opportunity to play the role of profiting prophet at 41/10 odds. And it didn’t end there. Every single game I chose tonight with the exception of the Bulls returned only a giant scribbled letter “L” next to the scribbling of my choice in my tiny pocket notebook. I tempted the fates and watched as teams such as New Jersey at 63/10 and Golden State at 5/1 built leads early only to fold like cheap suits in the second half. The dogs would not hunt and I am left with only the promise of more Madness and Thursday’s pitching probables to ponder.

The dogs have turned into my own personal hellhounds on my trail tonight. They sought revenge and it was served to me on a platter of missed free throws and a lack of spacing across the hardwood. 

Revenge. Cleveland had it night before last. Does it change anything? Of course not, but it was truly interesting to watch. If only life imitated the art of athletics. What is best in life, Lebron? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their entourage when attempting to park in a restricted area for pregame shoot around. Imagine if this is how all problems in life were settled, the absolute beauty of it. Dethroning a former “king” by out playing him for 48 minutes. Sports has many an example even in recent years in this regard. Favre as a Viking returning to torch the Packers. Rickey Henderson breaking the all-time stolen bases record against the New York Yankees. Roger Clemens as a Blue Jay comes to mind.  The “past his prime” pitcher who returned to Boston and dominated Red Sox hitters then stared wickedly toward the boxes at Fenway Park, saying nothing but telling his former bosses everything. Bad break ups in average everyday life would be so much more entertaining if rather than the various forms and manners in which they are handled in the modern-day detached text message, social networking world if they were dealt with as is in sports. I say folks skip the divorce lawyers and the sad songs and get to the high and inside chin music. A man can dream can’t he?

Ah, if only life were like baseball. Then again, for most of my adult life it has been. Thursday’s child will be born soon bringing the new year, with new hope, and what is normal and comforting. We will christen him and watch him develop  into a full season with varying dramatic episodes and the expectation of seeing history made, milestones reached and champions crowned. From a cool spring day to a cold autumn night we will see familiar heroes, young and promising talents, old faces in new places, and marvel at a little piece of land, holy and hallowed and constant. Where there is a winner and a loser and failing seventy percent of the time is success and perfection is possible. Soon and very soon, he will come. We will rejoice and sing and stretch in the 7th inning and rest and rise and root, root, root and pray to the saints of the Church of The Sacred Bleeding Heart of Major League Baseball from Boston to the Bay Area. Hallelujah. Amen.

Until next time…