Opinion

Minnie Minoso was one of the best players of the 1950s. He had a Hall of Fame career, although he will never be voted into the Hall of Fame.

They're calling in the Calvary at Dodger Stadium,  This on the heels of a San Francisco Giants fan getting attacked by LA Dodgers fans in the parking lot following a Dodgers-Giants game. 

And I thought Pat Burrell got no respect.

Miguel Tejada is arguably one of the greatest offensive shortstops the game has ever seen. He played in over 1,000 consecutive games. He's got over 300 lifetime home runs (four seasons with 30-plus) and over 1,000 RBI (six seasons with 100-plus). He was the 2002 American League MVP. And unlike many of today's sluggers, he doesn't "complement" his power with 100 annual Ks (only once, and in one season he struck out 48 times in nearly 700 PAs). 

Yet some fans are down on Tejada, even though the 2011 season is only days old.

Heading into Milwaukee, I was feeling pretty good about the Atlanta Braves. Their pitching was phenomenal, their offense came off an 11-run game, and spirits for the team were high. 

They won a series on the road against a team that has given Atlanta fits in the past two years. It looked like the Braves would be able to open at home with a winning record due to their success against Milwaukee. 

Now that the 2011 Major League Baseball season is underway, fans are enjoying the crack of the bat and the smell of freshly cooked hot dogs in stadiums across the country.

While the season is barely a week old, it's never too early to start thinking about potential All-Stars.

Here are five National League players who could be making their first All-Star team this season.

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Last season, the Mets were supposed to be strong offensively and weak in the starting pitching department.

It was the opposite.

This season, the Mets are firing on all cylinders and sit at 3-2 without playing a home game. For a team that went 32-49 on the road last season, they're off to a good start.

View From the Rockpile: Musings from a Mile High along the Journey to Rocktober

Although Rocktober magic has made the club's recent slow starts a distant memory, the Rockies entered 2011 determined to get off on a better foot than in previous seasons.

Coming off of a less than stellar 7-11 2010 record against the divisional rivals, the Los Angeles, Dodgers, the Rockies welcomed an early season opportunity to make a statement that they are a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 Wild Wild NL West.

"Opening day is always a pain in the (rear). There’s always stuff around there. It’s almost the most overrated thing. But it’s always nice for the fans. This day is for the fans. Opening day is just for the fans. To me it’s just another game. Just thank God you have another year in the big leagues. But I think the fans should be excited."-Ozzie Guillen.

The fans are excited.  How could you not be?

It's very early in the season and panic is already settling in for the fans of a certain team and the fans of another team are overly excited. 

I'm mainly talking about the fans of the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles.

One team hasn't won a game yet, while the other has only lost once.  The season is one week old today and they've only played five games out of 162.

When you look at today’s game, being able to play multiple positions is important.  Look at a guy like Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays.  He can play seven positions.

With versatility, it makes it easier for the manager to shake things up, and make in-game substitutions.  When someone gets hurt, these are guys that you can plug in.