Rankings/List

I had the pleasure and privilege of attending all three games this weekend for the Phillies. The atmosphere was absolutely electric and the weather did not stop more than 45,000 "phanatical" fans from showing up at each game and proving once again that the stigma of the Philadelphia fan that booed Santa more than 50 years ago is indeed history.

We may only be three days removed from Opening Day, but there have been plenty of surprises in the AL East to begin the 2011 MLB season. 

The Red Sox are already two games behind the Yankees, and there are only 160 games to go! Believe it or not, some fans out there are already in panic mode, while others have taken strong showings as a sign their respective teams might be instant contenders. 

The Texas Rangers head into what some could consider the most important season of the team's history.

In 2010, we saw a team that some would’ve said should have finished 3^rd, or on the bottom of the AL West.

By the end of the season the Rangers had a eight game lead when they added Cliff Lee for the playoffs.

Thinking about how well they did, and the fact all the off the field problems didn’t seem to distract or bury the mental focus of this team, is beyond amazing.

The San Francisco Giants have one of the best farm systems in the country, producing home-grown players like Tim Lincecum, Buster Posey, and Brian Wilson.

All three players were a huge part of the championship title that the Giants brought back to San Francisco last season, and they will need to contribute again this year if they have any chance of repeating.

The future of the Giants depends not only on players like Posey and Lincecum, but on players just like them, who are now prospects, but may be household names in the near future.

Opening Day is upon us! And each year, teams are destined to begin their regular seasons with certain core players on the disabled list, down with some sort of ailment. But it seems like more than ever in 2011, big-name players have been hitting the disabled list early and often.

The Indians honored the memory of Bob Feller before their Opening Day game today.

If only they had honored it with their play as well.

If you forgot that the Pittsburgh Pirates were a Major League team, I don't blame you.

Being a Pirates fan is possibly the most difficult job in sports. The only thing I would consider worse would be being a fan of the Seattle Supersonics or the Montreal Expos or some other team that left right in front of your eyes.

The last time the Pirates finished with more wins than losses was 1992. I was four years old. Yes, you read that correctly. Four years old!

MLB Opening Day 2011 got off to a grand start on Thursday afternoon, and while there were some fairly impressive pitching performances, there were also some prodigious blasts as well.

In Cincinnati, the Reds and starter Edison Volquez got off to a bit of a shaky start when Milwaukee Brewers hitters Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez started the game with back-to-back home runs, the first time that has happened on Opening Day since 1969.

Can you feel that?

After months of waiting through the cold winter months and listening to nothing but trade rumors and free agent signings, the regular season is finally upon us. With some of today's greatest starting pitchers taking the mound for the first game of their respective team's season on Opening Day, you hear some impressive stats surrounding some of these guys.

Roy Halladay, for example, is set to make his 11th consecutive Opening Day start. The guy is more than arguably the game's best pitcher—he's also a workhorse.

Today the Baseball Hall of Fame celebrates its 73rd birthday.

Personally, nicknames are just as much a part of baseball as beer and hot dogs. For as long as the game has existed, teammates and announcers have provided the fans with colorful names that turn celebrities into part of the family.

Nicknames are part of baseball history, so where better to look than Cooperstown?