Mondays With Matthews: Finally, Baseball Is Here
By AARON MATTHEWS
Happy Opening Day!
Hope you have enjoyed one of the most epic sports weekends, but today is Opening Day, one of my favorite days of the year. In fact, I took the day off work and will be watching a lot of baseball.
The Tigers open in Miami against the Marlins, and I will watch some of that, and then watch the Indians with some friends at a gathering that’s become almost a tradition. Last year we did the Tribe home opener, which was against Detroit at Indian Lake where it was 34 degrees at game time.
My wife is beyond jacked that baseball is back. Her Cubs opened with the Dodgers yesterday afternoon as opening “day” has apparently now been moved to include day games the day before the true “opening day”.
Many of the publications have the Cubs as the number one team coming into the regular season and I have to agree based on the talent that’s in the everyday lineup. The acquisitions of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist, and the arm of John Lackey, could be what finally get the Cubs over the hump.
I think Kansas City is still the team to beat in the American League. They did lose some pieces to their championship team, but until the champs prove they are no longer the champs, you have to respect that.
As for the Tigers? It starts with Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. The health and staying power are critical for the Tigers to succeed in 2016. Justin Upton has a target on his back in Left Field, as he comes in with a $131 million price tag. Can he be an upgrade in left from Yeonis Cespedes? Time will tell, but that bullseye will only enlarge as the season progresses. If Victor Martinez can avoid knee and age issues, and J.D. Martinez can maintain the numbers he’s had since the he was picked up by the Tigers three years ago, the offense could be decent shape.
Pitching wise, I’m interested how the rest of the staff goes. Anibal Sanchez has top flight stuff. He has to be consistent in 2016. I love the Jordan Zimmerman signing as well. He and Mike Pelfrey, if healthy, give the Tigers a very formidable four man group with Shane Greene added to the mix. The Tigers bullpen is still a question mark to me but they brought in Francisco Rodriguez to man the closer position. While they can make a run for the division, I feel deep down this is a team that will play for second in 2016.
Reds fans, I feel your pain. I was there with the Tigers in 2003-2005. This might be baseball’s worst ballclub. Bryan Price might be the first manager to receive a “pink slip”, and unless magical happenings occur on the bank of the Ohio River, this is more than likely be his last season. The countdown is on to Barry Larkin as the next skipper. Who knows if that will happen, but many Reds fans that I know want him.
Remember, the season goes for six months. It’s not a one week or a 16 game season, we will all experience ups and downs with our teams this year and that’s what makes baseball so cool.