Cubs look to get back to World Series

Let it be known to those of you bundling up in your down jackets and cursing the April snow: summer is here. Though the New England climate may make many think otherwise, summer has officially arrived with the birth of a new Major League baseball season.

In the National League, teams kicked off their seasons beginning Monday and continuing into Tuesday. If Opening Day is any indicator of what is to come in the league this season, we are in for an interesting summer.

The Chicago Cubs won their opener, 7-4 over the Cincinnati Reds, living up to the springtime hype. Though the Cubs managed to jinx themselves before the season even started by ending up on last weeks' cover of Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com's "World Series favorites" had an impressive outing versus their NL Central rival.

Pitcher Kerry Wood earned the win with five innings pitched, surrendering five hits and four runs with six strikeouts. Wood also helped his own cause knocking in a run with a base hit. The Chicago relief core performed just as any good bullpen should, allowing just one hit with five strikeouts in four innings.

If the rest of the season could be skipped, the Cubs would have their best chance since, well, last October for a World Series berth with their powerful combination of pitching and offensive prowess. However, the season will be played and the curse of the goat, now coupled with the SI jinx, will do what it will for the beloved Cubbies.

Out in California, beyond the far reaches of the Eastern time zone, a new era began yesterday in Los Angeles. Boston real estate developer Frank McCourt saw his newly-acquired, $430 million Los Angeles Dodgers falter under the weight of the formidable...San Diego Padres?

Contrary to the last few years, San Diego could have a fighting chance to avoid the NL West cellar for the first time since 2001. Though they have failed to place above fourth in their division since winning the West in 1998, the Padres have made some recent moves that could prove helpful in 2004. They picked up Brian Giles late last year and added Jay Payton from the Colorado Rockies as well as Ramon Hernandez in the off season. Should the short wall at the new PETCO Field not terminally injure any of their players, the Padres could have their first fighting chance at success in several years.

If the NL batting championship was award after opening day, the honor would fall upon two players whose consistency at the plate could be described in just one word: perfection. One plays a position that doesn't even have to bat in one league and the other is the most prolific slugger in the game.

San Diego Padre pitcher Brian Lawrence, and beefed up media darling Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants both batted 1.000 in their teams' first games. Lawrence not only went 2-2, but pitched his Padres to an 8-2 win over interstate rival LA, earning the win and a 1.80 ERA in the process.

Bonds, in typical fashion, lit up the Houston Astros with three hits in three at bats. One of the juicy Giant's hits was the three run dinger off of starter Roy Oswalt that set San Francisco up for a come-from-behind 5-4 win. Bonds' first homer of 2004 counted as the 659th of his career placing him just one behind his godfather Willy Mays' career total of 660 long balls.

Opening Day always brings with it hopes and expectations that seem so valid now, but could prove silly come August and September. It's a long season, and it's all just beginning. Enjoy the ride.