After six long months of life without baseball, its finally time to rejoice in all the glory that is Opening Day. Far be it from the Land of the Rising Sun and the farce that was considered baseball’s official opening, today is the real deal, an opening on American soil that begins a historic farewell tour to the prestigious House that Ruth built.

It’s another season with predictions buzzing like clockwork at the start of Opening Day and without tripping on my way up the bandwagon ladder I have decided to join in and reveal my predictions for the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

American League

Division Leaders
East: New York Yankees - 93 wins
Central: Detroit Tigers - 90 wins
West: Los Angeles Angels - 86 wins
Wildcard: Boston Red Sox - 91 wins

Division Series
New York Yankees over Los Angeles Angels - 3-2
Boston Red Sox over Detroit Tigers - 3-1

There are a few minor updates to the site which will serve as a temporary release while a complete overhaul to the site occurs over the season. New features include a mini-schedule with hovertips and a daily trivia for those knowledgeable fans of the New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox rivalry. Stay tuned for further updates…

As haunting an image as it was to see Jonathon Papelbon clutch his hat after the final pitch of the 2007 season, the only relief that came to mind was reason number 10 from Why the Red Sox are Annoying. “Papelbon’s gay, not Irish.” And after watching him pitch the last inning with his face envisioning a circus seal suckoff while gazing into Captain Varitek’s mid-section, it was hard to deny that reason. You can bet a low blow like that will rattle any Red Sox fan out of their drunken states but you can be sure that Kevin Youkilis will open some eyes tonight as he and the rest of the Aryan Brotherhood burn a cross in celebration. No this isn’t going to be a platform to drown in the sorrows of another Boston Red Sox championship (although feel free to comment as needed, it does help a little), this is your first and last wake-up call Red Sox Nation, the evil has shifted and their is little time to escape.

The New York Yankees made the playoffs in style on Wednesday, hammering out 12 runs against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to clinch a postseason spot for the 13th consecutive season. After a roller coaster ride throughout the season, the Yankees have clinched by posting the best second half record in the Majors (48-22), clawing back from a 14 game deficit in the standings and surprising all the doubters who wrote them off midway through the season. With the win, Chien-Ming Wang posted his second consecutive 19 win season. As of now, the Yankees are slated to take the AL Wild Card, but with 4 games remaining on the season and 3 games back of the division leading Boston Red Sox, the Yankees are poised to take the Division titles for the 10th consecutive season. Let’s go Yankees!

F*ANGELS and their stupid rally monkey. Sitting in that rat infested hell hole surrounded by a bunch of phony Angels fans made me sicker than a health inspector doing a once over of the concessions….

The rumors are spreading like wildfire and in its path stand the fantasies of every man in the form of a list of Hollywood’s hottest starlets. Sources have revealed that Jessica Alba has been filling a Valtrex prescription and the gift giver is none other than Derek Jeter. Whether Jeter has been delivering homeruns off the field with a tainted bat is purely speculation and even though the fantasies have been damaged beyond repair, New York’s playboy superstar has little to worry about with his image. Rumors are rumors that start in coffee shops and spread across the internet by overly dominant pink gossip websites. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Derek Jeter has bedded a list of Hollywood’s finest, including: the Jessica’s (Alba and Biel), Scarlett Johannson, Vanessa Minnillo, Jordana Brewster, Gabrielle Union, Vida Guerra, Tyra Banks and of course Mariah Carey. One word, wow. But then again, a rumor is a rumor, and even though Derek Jeter may be every number 3 hitter’s dream to follow on the field, you can bet that off the field no man will be following him in their dreams anymore.

Roger Clemens has been suspended for five games after his retaliatory role in Toronto on Tuesday night. That’s right, FIVE GAMES…let the outrage begin. Are you kidding me Bob Watson? Is it me or has the Major League Baseball vice president of on-field operations elevated his power beyond totalitarian control. Since taking over as Der Fuhrer Selig’s right hand, Watson has handed out more suspensions than baseball has seen in the preceding twenty-five years. What was once settled by baseball’s unwritten rules has since turned into an abuse of umpire authority and an over-policing by the Commissioner’s office.

Following a night-long beer-in-hand debate of Major League Baseball’s official rules, the age-old trivia question of how many ways to get to first base came up with varying results. After doing some sober research, the results put everyone in their place as I am sure it will for everyone that reads on…

The official ways to get to first base comes courtesy of Gary Belsky and Neil Fine’s book 23 Ways to Get to First Base. A great piece for every sports trivia buff’s collection, the book details out each and every way possible to reach base, and I quote:

I recently came across a classic F*BOSTON moment involving the great Ted Williams and an incident that occurred in a game at Fenway Park against the rival New York Yankees on August 7, 1956. After dropping an easy fly ball, Williams was booed heavily by the Boston fans. Upon his return to the dugout, Williams retaliated by spitting into the faces of Red Sox fans sitting over the dugout. Now that is pure class, what a reaction from Boston’s much beloved Splendid Splinter himself, Ted Williams. But if the act itself wasn’t classic enough, his comments to the Boston Herald may have been even better, “I’m not a bit sorry for what I did. I was right and I’d spit again at those booing bastards. Some of them are the worst in the world. Nobody’s going to stop me from spitting.” Preach on Ted Williams, I’ve never had so much respect for man with Red Sox.