Opening Day

Opening Day is a day like no other. I've watched the first Tigers game of the season for as long as I can remember. I missed a couple in high school because of high school baseball, but normally, I've been able to watch or listen to the opener.

 I don't usually use pictures of me in the posts, but this is me at Tiger Stadium a couple of hours prior to the 2006 home opener. It was a decent day, and we saw Craig Monroe go deep. He really "belted" one that day ... 

I've been at Tiger Stadium or Comerica Park for many openers, as well. In fact. for several years, we visited both on Opening Day. It's a holiday and should be recognized as such. Maybe it's because it's in the spring of the year, the time of rebirth, but the baseball opener always packs a ton more punch than the Lions, Wings, or Pistons openers ...

I remember some cold home openers and I remember some warm home openers. The only "hot" home opener was in 2005 when Dmitri Young slammed three homers and you would have thought he could run for mayor of Detroit and be elected. (Oh, wait, he probably could have been).

 2004 Opener. Cold, cold, cold.

 Steve, Dan, and Ken after the Tigers and Chris Shelton beat the Royals and started an incredible run. The final regular season game was also against the Royals ... Remember that one?

A really fun opener was when Ken, Steve, Dan, and I went to Kansas City to start off the '06 campaign. We had no idea what a fun ride 2006 would end up being. We enjoyed an opener in a different state, different stadium. 

Let's hope that 2010 is a season to remember. I think the Tigers can win 92 games, and that should take the Central Division. It'll be close, though, because the Tigers, Twins, and White Sox should beat each other up all season. 

Tune in today on FoxSportsDetroit for the opener, 4:05 p.m. from Kansas City.