Can You Feel It? | Baseball Digest

Can You Feel It? | Baseball Digest

It is the stretch of time, not Christmas, that some consider to be the most wonderful time of the year. I am of course talking about the first two weeks of the baseball season, and more specifically, Opening Day. It is one of the rites of spring, right up there with spotting the first robin and rainfall. There’s something distinctly different about Opening Day than all other days, including the post-season. There’s a distinct buzz in the air and in the ball park that is palatable. Some of these homes to baseball will beg for fans during the regular season, but for the most part they’ll sell out or nearly sell out their home opener.

The fans are loud well before the first pitch is thrown and the first beer and hot dog have been sold. Discussions on the pitching rotation, the lineup, the manager, the hated rivals. It doesn’t matter if it’s grey and 35 degrees; it feels sunny and warm (though if you were sitting in the Bronx on Thursday you might disagree).

Click here to read the rest of Baseball Digest's 2011 MLB Preview.

Albert Pujols Alex Rodriguez Derek Jeter Mariano Rivera Felix Hernandez Tim Lincecum Troy Tulowitzki Prince Fielder Ryan Braun Adrian Gonzalez Jon LesterCC Sabathia Carlos Beltran Jose Reyes