Yovani Goes Yardo!

IT NEVER GETS OLD when a pitcher contributes from both sides of the plate, like Yovani Gallardo's 3-run bomb off Randy Johnson yesterday. Turns out it was the first homerun ever given up to a pitcher by The Big Unit—not a good sign. I always wonder if homeruns like this are the result of lucky swings. Bengie Molina called for the high heat, and Johnson located it, but at a mere 91 mph, a far cry from the heat he threw in his glory years. Gallardo jumped all over it, pulling the pitch into the leftfield stands. Oh, and Gallardo's pitching...2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Not too shabby.

A Day without Beer at the Rogers Centre

THE BLUE JAYS WON their home opener on Monday, and their fans celebrated by pelting the field with baseballs, beer cups and paper airplanes. Although determined in advance, beer and alcoholic beverages were banned from the stadium the next day due to $4 ticket prices for Messin' with the Recession promotion night. Too much beer makes people do silly and stupid things at the ballpark, like running out onto the field and sliding into second base or intentionally trying to hit a ballplayer with a baseball, although pitchers occasionally do the latter while sober. Stadium officials believe $4 tickets and beer are a bad combination, but they might want to add Opening Day in Canada and beer to that list.

WINNER: New York Mets Bullpen 2009

THE BIGGEST NEWS OF YESTERDAY was probably the Orioles trouncing CC Sabathia and the Yanks, 10-5 on Opening Day, but the key news was the performance of the New York Mets bullpen, in my opinion. After Johan Santana handed the ball over, it was Green to Putz to Rodriguez for lights out. It worked like a charm unlike last year. There'll be a lot more of this.

Opening Night 2009: Braves 4, Phillies 1

I'VE BEEN WAITING WEEKS for this night, and now that it's here I'm thinking "I can't believe the season's started!" It's a great feeling, but perhaps not so great for the Fightin' Phils tonight coming off their World Championship season. The Braves came out swinging tonight and connected for three long balls in the first two innings, none more dramatic than Brian McCann turning on Brett Myers' hanging changeup. Congrats to Jordan Schafer for homering in his first at-bat—it's all downhill from here. Also a first was long-time Angel turned Brave Garret Anderson getting his first hit, a single off of Myers' glove.

Twins Battery Mates Still Recharging

BOOF BONSER'S TRIP TO THE DL might not be as big a blow to the Twins as losing Joe Mauer, not to mention Scott Baker as well. Not only is Mauer (the Twins best hitter outside of Justin Morneau) out to start the season, but nobody knows when he'll be back. And with all that bending over, I've gotta think that the back is the last kind of place you want your catcher to be injured. Hopefully it won't be for too long because Mauer is a special hitter.

Sheffield Sitting on 499

GARY SHEFFIELD IS AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED after being released by the Detroit Tigers yesterday, but it's likely shortly lived. He still has that intimidating look at the plate but at age 40 the tools are in obvious decline. Stuck on 499 career homeruns, he's itching to join the 500 club. A few years ago I started thinking Sheff deserved to be in the Hall of Fame despite all his verbal antics, and let's not forget his intentional errors with Milwaukee coming up. But like the McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro, he'll be on the outside looking in for quite a while until writers gain more clarity and insight on the the issue of performance-enhancing drugs.

Spring Training Cuts

THE JOYS OF SPRING TRAINING inevitably come to an end each year. Most ballplayers head back to their respective cities for Opening Day while others are sent down to the minors or simply released, cut, dumped, dropped, axed or whatever you want to call it. It's a little depressing, but some will get promoted in time, some will get picked up by another team, and some will hang up their spikes and call it a career. Some of the names this year: Gary Sheffield, Geoff Jenkins, Brad Wilkerson, Eric Gagne, Ron Villone, Mike Lamb, Marcus Giles, Luke Hochevar, David Price, Jose Valentin, Wily Mo Pena, David Newhan, Jerry Owens and Adam Melhuse.