It's the best day of the year

Well it’s perhaps one of the best sporting days of the year today.
Major League Baseball opening day and the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship game are both slated for today.
Opening day signals the start of summer (OK maybe summer will begin after next week’s cold snap). I like baseball because it isn’t just played on Saturdays and SUndays. Baseball will be on nearly every night of the week from here on out through September.
It works right in there with the whole spring and Easter concept this week. The season begins and everyone thinks their team is a possible pennant contender no matter how bad their team finished the previous year. It’s a time for rejuvenation and rebirth.
I’ve been to a lot of opening days over the years at Jacobs Field and at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium over the years. I’m hopeful, but not confident, that the Indians can make a run at the playoffs this season. It’s a new season and the Tribe equal to everyone else — at least they are today.
I can remember going to Municipal Stadium on opening day and being there with 70,000 fans. I also remember sometimes going there in September when there were 70 fans (or it seemed like it). The lake was usually frozen. Unfortunately I was only 5 when my dad died and I never got to go to any games with him.
But I’ve made up for it with my step dad. He’s from England and since moving to states 4 years ago he has become an Indians fanatic. He watches them religiously every night and has been waiting for the start of the season since their final game last year. I take him to Jacobs Field a couple of times a year.
Anyone have any baseball memories they care to share?

NOTEWORTHY:
GO BUCKS: The commentators certainly didn’t give the Buckeyes a chance to beat Georgetown in Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball semifinals. And don’t look for them to favor them in tonight’s final against Florida. It’s a 9:21 tip off by the way. So give me some predictions. Who’s going to win. Personally, with Florida’s previous experience in the final I think that gives them a big edge. Let’s say Florida 82, OSU 72. Anyone else want to stick their neck out.

THE DONNELL QUESTION?: I’ve talked to a few people about what the hell is going on at Donnell Stadium. I have no idea why people are so damned tight-lipped about the whole thing. It’s a football field! It’s not George W. Bush’s secret attack plans for Iran and North Korea. Anyway, I’ve been bumped back a week in the column rotation so I won’t get to respond on my theory of what’s going on at Donnell until next Tuesday. It will be a good read, I hope.

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: Point-shaving and the University of Toledo football team.

Saturday’s Softball Scores
Archbold 10-12, Napoleon 1-7
Arlington 9, Botkins 0
Ashland 10, Findlay 6
Ayersville 14-2, McComb 3-1
Bellevue 15, Clyde 3
Bowling Green 7, Toledo St. Ursula 1
Bryan 5-9, Van Wert 2-2
Bucyrus 9, Marion Elgin 4
Carey 13, Wynford 3
Cardinal Stritch 6-13, North Baltimore 5-12
Clear Fork 5, Ashland Crestview 0
Clear Fork 5, West Salem Northwestern 3
Colonel Crawford 4-10, Tiffin Calvert 2-0
Crestline 11-5, Galion Northmor 1-4
Elmwood 2, Archbold 1
Elmwood 8, Bowling Green 0
Fairview 18, Pettisville 3
Fostoria 6, Liberty-Benton 0
Fostoria 7, Arcadia 2
Fostoria St. Wendelin 1, Arcadia 0
Fostoria St. Wendelin 5, Liberty-Benton 2
Greenville 8, Bluffton 1
Hardin Northern 12, Ridgemont 6
Hopewell-Loudon 18-3, Upper Sandusky 7-8
Lexington 10-12, Galion 8-1
Lima Bath 3-0, Sylvania Southview 2-2
Lucas 4-11, Mansfield Christian 3-0
Maumee 5-1, Fremont Ross 4-6
New Riegel 10, Oak Harbor 2
New Riegel 12, Van Buren 6
Norwalk 7-6, Vermilion 6-2
Oak Harbor 4, Van Buren 0
Oregon Clay 5, Findlay 2
Oregon Clay 10, Ashland 0
Otsego 9-8, Northwood 3-1
Patrick Henry 7-7, Tinora 1-8
Plymouth 14-8, Buckeye Central 7-9
Rossford 10-16, Toledo Waite 0-0
St. Henry 5, Mechanicsburg 4
Sandusky 9, Lorain Admiral King 1
Sandusky Perkins 2-3, Mohawk 1-2
Springfield 6-5, Evergreen 3-9
Toledo St. Ursula 2, Elmwood 1
Willard 10, Margaretta 3

Saturday’s Baseball Scores
Ada 9-7, Vanlue 2-2
Amherst Steele 7-9, Sandusky 2-3
Anthony Wayne 3, Defiance 2
Anthony Wayne 6, Napoleon 1
Arcadia 10-11 Upper Scioto Valley 1-7
Arlington 3, Allen East 0
Ashland 5-7, Marion Harding 0-6
Ashland Crestview 17-8, Jeromesville Hillsdale 11-4
Bryan 3, Tiffin Columbian 0
Bryan 5, Edon 0
Buckeye Central 9-16, Plymouth 3-3
Celina 7-7, Greenville 6-6
Clear Fork 12, Loudonville 3
Clyde 8, Seneca East 3
Clyde 8, Bellevue 4
Defiance 15, Napoleon 5
Elmwood 6-4, Port Clinton 2-2
Evergreen 12-4, Edgerton 2-3
Fostoria St. Wendelin 5-11, Cardinal Stritch 4-5
Galion Northmor 16-3, Crestline 9-12
Hicksville 7-1, Stryker 3-2
Hopewell-Loudon 14-15, Upper Sandusky 0-5
Lake 9-10, Northwood 8-8
Lexington 6-14, Galion 2-10
Liberty Center 4-9, Holgate 3-7
Lima Bath 11-0, Ayersville 3-5
Lima Central Catholic 12-3, Eastwood 1-3
Lima Shawnee 12-9, Wauseon 1-1
Mansfield Christian 7-7, Lucas 6-17
Marion Elgin 4, Bucyrus 0
Miller City 3, Leipsic 1
Mohawk 10-11, Ridgedale 0-1
Monroeville 19-16, Mansfield St. Peter’s 11-8
Montpelier 8-11, Columbus Grove 4-8
New London 8-11, Urichsville Claymont 5-6
Norwalk 5-8, Huron 4-7
Oak Harbor 11-10, New Riegel 1-14
Ottawa-Glandorf 6-2, Paulding 5-1
Oregon Clay 4-7, Bedford, Mich. 1-4
Patrick Henry 5-4, Tinora 1-7
Ridgemont 15, Hardin Northern 3
Rossford 13-13, North Baltimore 9-0
St, Henry 6, Wapakoneta 1
St. Henry 10, Coshocton 6
Sandusky Perkins 6-1, LaGrange Keystone 4-14
Springfield 20-11, Toledo Rogers 1-1
Tiffin Columbian 7, Edon 6
Tiffin Columbian 16, Toledo Libbey 6
Toledo Libbey 6, Toledo Scott 0
Toledo Start 14-7, Maumee 2-6
Toledo Waite 5-14, Erie Mason, Mich. 1-8
Walsh Jesuit 4-13, Toledo Central Catholic 3-3
Wapakoneta 9, Coshocton 3
West Bloomfield 12-1, Sylvania Northview 2-11
West Salem Northwestern 13, Clear Fork 0
Willard 2, Margaretta 0
Woodmore 10-4, Fremont St. Joseph 0-9
Youngstown Ursuline 6-5, Toledo St. Francis 0-7