Opening Day Thoughts, two days later.

It's four hours before the second game of the 2010 season. I'm in the 9th in of the Opening Day- night- game and one out away from seeing the Sox win for the fourth time I've watched this game. It was that great of a game. Truly, it's taken me this long just to digest the game. I've been savoring it since the 8p.m. start and even now I think the 0-2 pitch to Curtis Granderson in the 9th was a strike, especially given home plate umpire Jerry West's expansion of the strike zone as the 4 hour game went on. I enjoyed a season's worth of emotions over the 9 innings, and ultimately I was reminded just how special a ball game at Fenway Park can be.

I stayed up well past 12p.m. that Sunday night, wanting to catch the ESPN 2 replay of the game since it was blacked out in favor of NESN's broadcast the first time around. Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer to watch the game on NESN any time, but for this game I wanted to view it through the national media's eyes as well. It should go without saying that it was immediately like watching two different games. Different camera angles, different inflections of tone between John Miller and Don Orsillo's calls. Different subjects of insight betweeen Joe Morgan, and Jerry Remy. I'm in too good a mood to start pointing out Morgan's shortcomings...

I then watched the NESN broadcast twice more, and became just as angry when the Yankees went ahead 7-5 after the Sox had clawed their way back into the game. However, the Baseball gods rewarded my patience. Not precisely my faith that the Sox would come back again, and win the game. No, I think most Boston fans are too pragmatic for such beliefs. We know the game too well, and understand that there is a greater reward in simply suffering with the team when they're losing, and rejoicing with them when they win. This team is not going to quit on itself. The players go and do their work, playing to the best of their ability, and That, is rewarded. And because there will be nights when that effort isn't good enough, then there is a contentment in the effort.

Sunday night, we Sox fans rejoiced. This is the joy of Baseball. Maybe because it begins in spring, renewing itself (This year on Easter, of all days) and renewing us fans in the process. There is nothing better than being given a clean slate, other than perhaps making your first mark as a W. And a W against the Yankees? Well, that's almost worth almost two wins.

Sox fans have a lot to be excited about this year. There are many new faces in the lineup, and they all contributed to that classic Red Sox win. There has been a lot of talk about the dilutement of the Red Sox lineup. I don't see it. I see an offense that is more finesse than it is power, perhaps, (Pedroia is on pace for 162 homeruns...) but this Sox team has just evolved from what we're used to seeing. That's good. That's extremely good for us fans, because this is a new team, and a new season. If I might paraphrase D.H. Lawrence, "If a [team] did not change, I might as well love the pepper-pot." This team is changed, and my fandom is all the more excited because of it.

So instead of analyzing this first game as I had originally thought to do, I'm going to save that for tonight's Lester vs. Burnett matchup. For Opening Day, let's just enjoy the fact that spring is here. Baseball is here. And the Yankees lost to the Sox.

~Joe Franciosa, Jr.