New Beginnings
On opening week, fans of all thirty teams have reason to hope that this year just might be their year. Well, maybe not fans of the Giants, Pirates and Orioles, but everyone else at least has a chance to consolidate or improve on their 2007 efforts. A new season means a new beginning for teams, players and coaches alike.
It was a new beginning for the Washington Nationals last Sunday as they opened their beautiful new Nationals Park. The franchise’s transition from Expos to Nats couldn’t have been handled any worse, but the wounds have healed for many during their three year tenure in the baseball un-friendly RFK Stadium. With a permanent home now in place, the locals can finally gain an affinity with this team; to see them as their own. While the many cultural differences make it a less-than perfect comparison, you can see similarities with the MK Dons, who are starting to move forward now that they have moved into a brand new stadium.
The Nationals can leave the past behind and focus on building their own history in the U.S. capital. Leading the way, it was written in the stars that Ryan Zimmerman should toast the new stadium with his dramatic walk-off home run on Opening Night against the Braves. The Nats immediately headed off for a six game road trip after that victory, but will be welcomed back with open arms when they return for their first real home stand on Monday.
The Nationals’ 3-0 start to the season turned a few heads, yet it was the Kansas City Royals who really stole the headlines by sweeping the much-fancied Tigers 3-0 in Detroit. The Royals have been in the doldrums for more years than their fans would care to remember, but their new beginning has been heralded by the arrival of a new manager. Trey Hillman spent twelve years managing in the Yankees’ farm system from 1990 to 2001 before a lack of opportunities saw him moving to Japan to manage the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. During his five years with the team, Hillman was able to bring success to a franchise that had previously been one of the minnows in the Japanese League. When they appointed him in October last year, the Royals expressed their confidence that, given time, he could perform a similar turn around in Kansas City. With a demanding style that has already put a few Royal noses out of joint, Hillman appears intent on pushing this roster out of their slumber.
The arrival of Hillman is the latest indicator of the impact that the Japanese League is having on MLB. Several Japanese players have left their homeland this off-season for a new beginning in the States. Kosuke Fukudome was the Cubs’ number one target during the off-season and he will add patience and OBP to a line-up sorely lacking in those qualities. He couldn’t have announced himself in more dramatic fashion, slamming a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth on opening day at Wrigley Field to take the game against the Brewers to extra innings (Milwaukee prevailed 4-3). Hiroki Kuroda made a similarly impressive first impression with his new club, pitching seven strong innings for the Dodgers on Friday to earn his first Major League win against the Padres. The Dodgers of course were pioneers in bringing Japanese talent to North America when they signed Hideo Nomo back in 1995. While Kuroda is unlikely to replicate the Nomomania that his countryman inspired, he should be an effective starter and it seems fitting to have a Japanese pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation.
Finally, some new beginnings can feel strangely familiar. Torii Hunter signed a five year/$90 million deal with the LA Angels over the off-season, marking the end of his ten year career in Minnesota. It was no surprise when the baseball gods decreed that Hunter would begin his life in an Angels uniform at the Metrodome. Some questioned what sort of reaction he would receive. Fans of sporting teams are notoriously fickle; able to disregard years of great service when their hero dares to leave for pastures new. Thankfully, the Twins fans gave Hunter an emotional ovation, choosing to remember the sterling contribution he made both to the team and the community of Minnesota. He kindly responded by going 0 for 8 in the first two games, before hitting a home run in the last of a four-game series.
It will be seven months before we find out how these new beginnings will end in 2008. With these stories and countless others to unfold, it promises to be a great year.
Week One wrap-up
The standings don’t mean much after just four or five games, but they are a fun sight today in any case. The Marlins and the Nationals lead the way in the NL East, while the Orioles and the Rays are joint leaders of the AL East with the Red Sox and the Yankees languishing at the bottom. In the AL Central, the Tigers sit dead last as the only team in the Majors yet to record a win (0-5). The Indians are just ahead of them at 2-3, leaving the White Sox, Royals and Twins in the top three spots respectively. Strange days indeed!