This is why I love baseball.

I love baseball because it signifies the end of a long cold winter in the North, and the start of the springtime.

I love baseball because of its rebirth; a new beginning where hope is abundant and all sins from the last year are forgiven.

I love baseball because of its sounds—the crack of the bat, the thump of the ball in the catcher's mitt, the roar of the crowd.

I love baseball because of its smells—the grill at the concessions; the freshly cut grass.

New Stadium Playing Much Differently Than Planned

Three games have been played at the new Yankee Stadium thus far and 17 HRs have been hit. Add the eight hit in the exhibition games against the Cubs and that's 25 HRs in five games, or for you shellshocked Yankee fans, five HR per game.

Many around baseball have been abuzz with the fast start of the Florida Marlins (11-1). But don't anoint them playoff bound just yet.

Not only is it a mere two weeks into the very long baseball season, but the Marlins have been blessed with an extremely easy schedule out of the gate.

My good friend Joe at River Ave Blues was kind enough to post my list of worst free agent contracts on

With an emerging story that Jed Lowrie will apparently miss the remainder of the season with wrist surgery, the Red Sox seem to be out of options at shortstop, with not only Lowrie but also Julio Lugo on the disabled list.

At least this problem is only temporary, because Julio Lugo, currently playing in extended Spring Training games, is set to return to the Red Sox on Monday.

Lugo may not be exactly what one would call a fan favorite, and I'm not really a huge Lugo fan myself, but this comes as a blessing in disguise.

The Yankees lost a miserable game today to the Cleveland Indians in the opening series of their New Yankee Stadium by the score of 22-4, with a 14 run second-inning put up by the Indians (the most ever given up by the Yankees in a single frame).

Normally, I'm not one to put down the Yankees in April considering for the past 5 years or so they've struggled in April and soared in the second half.

However, the new stadium epitomizes in every way that the New York Yankees are a business related franchise.

I hoped I would never have to come to this conclusion, especially after their playoff berth in 2008, but the Brewers stink.

At 3-8, Milwaukee is already in the divisional cellar and searching for the light to get out but are not finding it.

I usually never admit that my team stinks, and I haven't said it about the Brewers since they really did stink, back in the early 2000's. But now I am left with no choice but to say it and not get my 2009 hopes up.

Yankees' starter Chien-Ming Wang came into Saturday afternoon’s game against the Cleveland Indians with a 0-2 record and 28.93 ERA.

In allowing 15 hits and six walks in just 4.2 innings pitched, Wang looked more like a minor league journeyman than a man who finished runner-up for the Cy Young award just three years ago.

April 18, 2009 - 4:10pm ET

Chris Carter is a big, strong nerd.

Or better said: an intelligent and powerful first-base prospect.

In this new SoxTeaParty.com-exclusive series 'Unobstructed View', we will take closer look at a range of different Red Sox players and organizational staff—bringing you a new perspective on what the Red Sox has to offer.

Look, I know that every team has issues in their bullpen, so this isn't an attempt to discuss the obvious.

But for a team that is supposedly the best team in the NL Central, Cubs GM Jim Hendry has built a club that is flawed in one very critical area, the pen.

Yes, the Cubs allowed Kerry Wood to leave because they figured Carlos Marmol was ready to assume the closer role, but just to make sure, Hendry acquired Kevin Gregg; who blew the most saves of anyone last year.

Gregg has not instilled much confidence thus far. Neither has many of his mates.