Opening Day: That's How You Get In the Mood!

Yesterday, the day the New York Yankees opened their 123rd season of play, I listed the team's various issues, mostly key injuries, and wrote this:

Doesn't seem like there's a lot of reason for optimism, does it?

On top of that, I've had health issues this Winter. All but one are now resolved, but that one, new dentures, are a problem. And Trump has been even worse the 2nd time around.

So, put it all together, and I am not really in the mood for baseball. Today is Opening Day, but I'm not feeling it.

I'm not sure there's even going to be anything to feel.

In the back of my mind, I heard the voice of Jason Alexander, playing George Costanza, a Yankee Fan, on Seinfeld: "You tell me you're not in the mood? Well, you get in the mood!"

*

The Yankees did their part to get me into the mood. After a ceremonial first ball by Andy Pettitte, Carlos Rodón opened the game, against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the real first pitch. In so doing, he became -- by virtue of a tiebreaker over any other player on the field with one -- the 1st Yankee to have a beard in a regular-season game, following Hal's dropping of his father's restriction.

No Yankee player, and no catcher for any team, had ever led off a season with a home run. Austin Wells became the 1st to do either in the 1st inning. Anthony Volpe added a homer in the 2nd. Both were aided by the short porch and a decent wind. As George Costanza would say, "And you know what? Jimmy crack corn, and I don't care!" After all, the short porch is there for the opposition, too; and, yesterday, so was the prevailing wind. The Yankees living up to their "Bronx Bombers" nickname: That's how you get in the mood!

In the 7th, Aaron Judge came up with a rather un-Judge-like play, but it worked: He hit a bouncer down the 3rd base line, and it caromed off the base, allowing a run to score. Cody Bellinger, making his Yankee debut, added a sacrifice fly for another run. Paul Goldschmidt, also making his Yankee debut, did not reach base.

Carlos Rodón pitched 5 1/3rd innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks striking out 7. The Yankees getting solid starting pitching: That's another good way to get in the mood! Tim Hill worked out of a jam in the 6th, Mark Leiter Jr. was fantastic in the 7th, and Luke Weaver worked out of a jam in the 8th.

Devin Williams, acquired to be the new closer, was sent out to face his former team. But if fans were expecting him not to be as shaky Clay Holmes, or Aroldis Chapman, or any other would-be Yankee closer since the 2013 retirement of Mariano Rivera, they were sorely mistaken. He loaded the bases, and allowed a run, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base, before working out of it. Whew.

And so, for the 1st time since October 29, 2024, we heard those magic words after a game that counts -- over the Yankee Stadium loudspeakers, if not over the radio, as John Sterling has retired: "Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeeee Yankees win!" Yankees 4, Brewers 2.

Does this assure a successful season? Not by a long shot. Does it suggest one? Not really. Does it feel good? Oh, hell, yes. Did I need it, after last year's World Series, and the Autumn and Winter I had? You bet your sweet bippy.

The Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles won. The Toronto Blue Jays lost. And the Tampa Bay Rays did not play. So the Yankees' Magic Number to clinch the American League Eastern Division drops to 161. (That's to eliminate the BoSox, the O's and the Rays; 160 to eliminate the Jays.)

As is traditional -- in case of rainout, the home team doesn't want to lose that Opening Day revenue -- today, the day after Opening Day, has been kept open. The Yankees will face the Brewers again tomorrow, at 1:05 PM.

Let's not expect 162-0, or even a Playoff berth. Let's just enjoy 1-0. While we're in the mood.