As if I wasn’t anxious enough for Opening Day, now, after
taking a closer look at the opening series around Major League Baseball, the
itch for April has become unscratchable.
I've known for a while that the Cubs and Cardinals were
opening things up on Sunday night as it is one of the first things I look up
when the MLB schedule is released.
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| Opening Series that became must-watch: Cubs vs. Cardinals White Sox vs. Royals Padres vs. Dodgers Mariners vs. Angels |
So for more than a month, I’ve been excited for the renewal
of a great rivalry, with the prospect of Jon Lester vs. Adam Wainwright on
Opening Night.
It’s the up-and-coming Chicago Cubs against the perennial NL Central
favorite St. Louis Cardinals.
This, of course, I knew was a big series on tap for the start of the season.
What I didn’t realize is that this isn’t the only “Changing
of the Guards” matchup to kick off the year.
The Cubs are among four exciting teams who will run up against three division champions and one pennant winner in their opening series.
Others include San Diego, Seattle and the Chicago White Sox.
San Diego, which has had arguably one of the best offseasons
in baseball history, will go up against its NL West rival and the 2014 division
champion Los Angeles Dodgers. After all that the Padres have done — and maybe, who knows, will do — this offseason, how can you not be excited to see Matt Kemp go up against his former team? The Padres, with Sunday's signing of James Shields, have jumped into the conversation for a playoff spot, and they'll certainly be fighting the Dodgers all year.
The Seattle Mariners, who signed Nelson Cruz to bolster a
lineup that will look to support a strong cast of starting pitchers, will also go up
against the team that won their division last year, the Los Angeles Angels.
In the AL Central, it’s the Chicago White Sox, who with
additions like Melky Cabrera, David Robertson, Jeff Samardzija and Adam
LaRoche, will take on the reigning American League champs, Kansas City Royals.
So, as you can see, we have four great matchups to start the year, and I cannot wait to sit around, grill and watch the best day in baseball.
Unfortunately, outside of the Cubs-Cards, the other three matchups to watch all start at 4:10 on Opening Day, so you'll have to get your multiple screens ready to enjoy it like I will.
Unfortunately, outside of the Cubs-Cards, the other three matchups to watch all start at 4:10 on Opening Day, so you'll have to get your multiple screens ready to enjoy it like I will.
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