Home Opener

Ah, it doesn't get much better than this, does it? Fantastic weather, the end of the work week, and the Twins playing their first home game of the season with three games against the Whine Sox, to be followed by fireworks on the Metrodome plaza. If Kyle Lohse pitches like Silva did Wednesday, tonight will be damn near perfect. If the Metrodome suddenly shapeshifts into a retractable-roof baseball-only stadium, it will be absolutely perfect.

I'm slipping away from the W.P.E. (Worst. Project. Ever.) early today, heading to the Dome to catch the pregame festivities on the plaza. It's a lovely day for it, sunny and in the low seventies. I watched the Seattle series faithfully, but the new season never seems quite real until I see the boys in person.

It's going to be interesting to watch the Whine Sox adjust (or not) themselves to their new defense-and-speed-minded system of play this season, and doubly interesting to see how they match up with the Twins (who have been running a defense-and-speed system for ages) as the season goes on. It's kind of flattering that they've overhauled their team in an attempt to be more like our boys. And isn't it cute how they seem to think they can out-Twins the Twins, just because they want to? Yeah, good luck with that. And don't come whining to me when the mandatory post-system-overhaul period of utter suckitude smacks you across the face. We here in Minnesota suffered through it, too--it was called the mid-to-late '90s.

Speaking of Chicago, their bullpen is already having its first meltdown of the season, giving up seven walks, three homers and eleven earned runs in a combined nine innings pitched. How wonderfully obliging of them.

Hey, Gardy, wanna have some fun tonight? Knock out their starter early. And pass the popcorn.