Opening Day Is Upon Us Once Again

Although the regular season actually began with the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners splitting a 2-game Series in Japan's Tokyo Dome last week, the regular season in the USA (and Canada) gets underway tonight when the new-look Marlins host the defending World Series Champion St Louis Cardinals in their brand new downtown Miami Ballpark.

Unlike the Mariners/A's series in Tokyo, the Marlins home opener will be broadcast at a reasonable hour (7:05 PM ET; 4:05 PM PT) on a network that most people get (ESPN). Miami's Josh Johnson is slated to get the start while the Cards' Kyle Lohse takes the mound for the defending World Series Champions.

Oddly enough, this will be a 1-game series, as the Marlins will depart for Cincinnati for the Reds home opener on Thursday afternoon while the Cardinals travel to Milwaukee for the Brewers home opener on Friday.

Even though there will be more games played on Thursday, it's still not quite a full slate. There will be exactly two American league games on Thursday afternoon- one of them will be the Detroit Tigers hosting the Red Sox. The Bobby Valentine era officially begins in the motor city as Jon Lester is scheduled to get the start going up against 2011 Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander.

Both teams were the subject of considerable attention in the offseason- Boston for firing manager Terry Francona and losing closer Jonathan Papelbon to free agency and the Tigers for signing one of the biggest-name free agents out there this offseason; former Milwaukee Brewers slugger Prince Fielder.

The other American League game on Thursday features the Cleveland Indian hosting the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Helmed by former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, Toronto had amassed an impressive 23-7 record in Spring Training, although Thursday's contest will show if any of that translates into success in the regular season.

This is the time for brash preditions and unbirdled optimism- where even the long-suffering fans of teams like Kansas City or Pittsburgh can start off with a clean slate.

It is time, once again, for America's Game.