Opening Day

As I write ESPN is starting its incredible coverage of what it is calling "opening day", in quotes because the first game was actually last night, but that is being called "opening night". Between ESPN and ESPN2 there are actually five games being shown today!

Snow flurries this morning brought to mind the running private joke I have with my daughter, which goes "those two don't go together!". However, there were several days this past week that were mild enough that I was able to enjoy my new balcony. Over the weekend I bought a bird feeder for the balcony, but the birds have not yet discovered it!

Got home last night from a family pot;luck at my brother's house, and watched the opening night game betwen the Phillies and the Braves. Apparently the recent tradition has been that the defending world champions host the first game of the next year, so the game was played in Philly. With Cole Hamels not ready to go yet, the Phillies' opening day starter was instead Brad Penny. The announcers pre-called his problem, noting he had developed a tendency to rely solely on his cruve ball, instead of first establishing his fast ball as is traditional. Penny was ineffective, givng up several early homers, and the Braves dominated behind the great pitching of Derek Lowe.