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| FENWAY PARK |
RED SOX : BASEBALL 2014
April 4,2014.
c/o Ron Chimelis
The Republican
No sport does baseball as well as Opening Day.
That's why it's always neat to have two of them.
The Red Sox return to Fenway today, ready to raise the 2013 World Series banner and salute the men who brought it home.
The Red Sox usually open on the road, and that's a good thing. It offers a few more days for warmer weather, and for this team, a chance to make good after Monday's 2-1 loss in Baltimore.
It is still played on a weekday afternoon, a concession to the traditional fan. It gives fans a small sample size of what to expect in the coming year.
We can already see the Red Sox have the potential to compete for another title. We also see a few points of concern.
We all like Daniel Nava, but is he really an everyday leadoff hitter on a contending team? If he's not, who is?
It may not be so easy for Shane Victorino to keep getting off the mat and playing with injuries again this year. Jacoby Ellsbury is gone, and playing without Victorino means the Red Sox are without their top two base-stealers and table-setters from last year.
Everybody seems comfortable with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop. That is not necessarily so with Will Middlebrooks at third base.
David Ortiz said he was dealing with a balky calf. When will he have the time to heal and rest it - November?
Ah, but the good news far outweighs the concerns. Ortiz hit one out of the park on Tuesday in Baltimore, and Mike Napoli did, too.
Jon Lester and John Lackey pitched very well. A look around the baseball landscape made Red Sox fans feel even better.
The Astros were beating up the Yankees. Jonathan Papelbon was the Phillies' problem, not Boston's.
Winning on Wednesday put a stop to the remarkably incessant second-guessing over Monday's Opening Day loss in Baltimore. John Farrell took a team in chaos and won a World Series, but you'd think he was on a 10-day tryout, the way he got whacked for his pinch-hitting and pinch-running decisions in Game 1.
Welcome back to Boston, John.
For the most part, though, good feelings fill the air. The home opener will be one of pomp and ceremony.
Even a return to ticket gouging has not put a damper on it.
It is believed the Capuano family of West Springfield has purchased about 21,000 tickets to cheer their son, Chris, who has joined the Red Sox bullpen. It will be an upbeat day of an an emotional month.
Patriots Day and the Boston Marathon are not far away. That day will arouse our feelings in rare and multiple ways.
As for Friday, the Red Sox will return as champions and the city and region are ready. No sport does Opening Day as well as baseball.
That's why it's good to have two. For many fans, and probably for many players, this will be the one that counts most.
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