Nationals To(Opening)Day - Let's Get This Thing Started

Happy Opening Day everyone. Today is perhaps the one day a year where I get the most excited, as winter turns to spring, and the foolishness of football and basketball fade into the background of true baseball fan's lives. Opening Day is special for any baseball fan who grew up loving the sport. It's a day where parents say it's ok to skip school to go to the park, a day where you find yourself watching T.V. during work, and a day where you are reunited with the 25 boys in uniform for the team you love supporting.

What this season has in store for us is hard to say.  We enter 2011 with an injury to our star starting pitcher, and a lot of unverified youth in our lineup. Our first batter of the day will not be a true leadoff hitter, and out trusty ace is about as unpredictable as can be. But no matter the outcome of the season, we will sit and watch and hope for a brighter day when our young stars develop, our true ace is back and healthy, and the fans fill the stadium with magic like they did every fifth day this summer.

So here's a tip of the cap to you, to the Nats ball players, and to baseball friends everywhere. Let 2011 begin!

Some Opening Day Reading For You 

Big League Stew has their NL East Preview, asking about the Nats, is it 2012 yet?

"No? Well, then ... While the 2010 version had Stephen Strasburg(notes) keeping the team relevant for half of the season, it's going to be a little tougher for the 2011 squad to grab the spotlight for reasons other than jersey misspellings, photoshopped baseball cards, etc"
 
Zack Greinke will be out longer than expected after hurting himself playing basketball...tough cookies. 

“It may be a little longer than what I thought it was going to be … I figured by now that he would be throwing [off a mound] a while ago.”

Mike Morse was named a Spring Training All Star by ESPN.

Bryce Harper was named one of the storylines to watch by Tom Verducci.