Despite the rain pouring down here in New York City, despite the recession, despite the unsettling feelings pervading so much of our lives these days, another Opening Day is here for Major League Baseball. And not a moment too soon–a chance to lose ourselves in the game, to re-engage with the beauty of the sport, and forget for a moment the dark clouds around us.
Three years ago, I wrote a post for Idol Chatter about Opening Day as a civic holiday, and I still go back to it occasionally as a reminder of why I love this day, and this sport, so much:

Opening Day, more so in my mind even than the World Series, symbolizes the best about baseball, and the best of the human condition. The slate is clean, and hope reigns as the overriding emotion. Spring may not have arrived in every major-league city, but it surely is on the way. Last year’s last-place team can believe, deep in its heart and soul, that this October will see the underdog battle for post-season glory. The rookie can anticipate the glory of his first major-league year, the veteran can bask in the renewal of tradition and routine–the profound and the mundane. And the fan can soak it all in, enjoy, and dream about the season ahead, with a beer in one hand and a scorecard in the other.

Read the whole thing here.
Enjoy the day, the games, and the season. See ya in October!