Thursday, March 31, 2011

Opening Day, Hooray, Hooray!


It's Opening Day here in the Land of Opportunity, and you know what that means...? Six or seven months of your indifference while the bloated Major League Baseball schedule slowly-but-slowly plays out. But, hey, it's still better than cricket, eh ESPN?

Might as well jump.



Now, I know most of you watch these games as a good measuring stick for how well the team will do during the season. Believe me, I'm as cynical as the next sports fan, but Opening Day is only one game in a 162 game schedule, and really only determines how long teams like the Royals, Pirates, and Nationals will still be 1 game out of first place. Ah, I remember well the 2007 Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium where Tony Pena Jr. hit two triples (on pace to hit 324 for the triples) and Mark Grudzielanek hit three RBIs (on pace to hit 486) en route to a Royals 7-1 victory over the Red Sox. Well, Grudzie finished 2007 with 51 RBIs, while Pena had 7 triples. Oh, the Royals finished the season 69-93. As for the Red Sox, well, I'm sure they were fine. Good stuff.


Remember Me?

So, yeah, Opening Day is just a fun day, and sometimes your team looks terrible and sometimes it doesn't, and it is easy to say 'man, Jeter sucked today, he teach his lazy as to hit or this will be a long season' or 'the Weaver brothers sure do look like douche bags' or whatever it is you say when your team loses. But the MLB season is a long process, yada, yada, yada... Let's compare the always dominant New York Yankees, with the ever-depressing Kansas City Royals, stacked up alongside the impressive mediocrity of the Cincinnati Reds:

NEW YORK YANKEES

Year, Opening Day Result, and Final Record:

2010, L , 95-67 Lost in AL Championship
2009, L ,103-59 Won World Series
2008, W , 89-73
2007, W ,94-68 Lost AL Divisional Round
2006, W , 97-65 Lost AL Divisional Round
2005, W , 95-67 Lost AL Divisional Round
2004, L , 101-61 Lost AL Championship
2003, W , 101-61 Lost World Series
2002, L , 103-58 Lost AL Divisional Round
2001, W , 95-65 Lost World Series
2000, W , 87-74 Won World Series
1999, L , 98-64 Won World Series
1998, L , 114-48 Won World Series
1997, L , 96-66 Lost AL Divisional Round
1996, W , 92-70 Won World Series
1995, W , 79-65 Lost AL Divisional Round

OD Record: 9-7

CINCINNATI REDS

Year, Opening Day Result, and Final Record:

2010, L , 91-71 Lost NL Divisional Round
2009, L , 78-84
2008, L , 74-88
2007, W , 72-90
2006, L , 80-82
2005, W , 73-89
2004, L , 76-86
2003, L, 69-93
2002, W, 78-84
2001, L, 66-96
2000, T(!), 85-77
1999, L, 96-67 1 GB in NL Wild Card
1998, L, 77-85
1997, W, 76-86
1996, W , 81-81
1995, L , 85-59 Lost NL Championship

OD Record: 5-10-1(!)

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Year, Opening Day Result, and Final Record:

2010, L , 67-95
2009, L , 65-97
2008, W , 75-87
2007, W , 69-93
2006, L , 62-100
2005, L , 56-106
2004, W , 59-104
2003, W , 83-79
2002, L , 62-100
2001, L , 65-97
2000, L , 77-85
1999, L , 64-97
1998, W , 72-89
1997, L , 67-94
1996, L , 75-86
1995, W , 70-74

OD Record: 6-10

This is but a very small sample, but I am a busy, busy man. 2010 to 1995 show that each team's records were comparable during the first full season after the strike in 1994. 1996 shows how the Yankees' wealth of riches impacts their record. 2008 must have been a sad year for the Bronx... I'm not implying that the amount of money spent on players determines how good a team is, but, obviously, that is part of it. Please look here for more payroll information.
My point is, the Royals can still lose 100 games even though they win Opening Day, the Reds make it to the playoffs (or can still have a good season) when they lose on Opening Day, and the Yankees do not seem to struggle either way.
(As I write this, the Royals are getting stomped in game one of what will probably be another one hundred loss season, so, whatever. 2015 CHAMPS!!!)
A musing by at
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