The 2010 MLB season

This is the single greatest sports week of the year. College basketball championships, The Masters and the first week of the MLB season. Plus, the NBA is winding down and the NFL Draft talk is heating up. But my focus today, since I’m not a huge college basketball fan, is on MLB’s Opening Day. The Sox-Yankees game last night was a great first look at how competitive these teams will be in 2010. I’m looking forward to at least 17 more games between those bitter rivals. Here’s what else I’m looking forward to in the 2010 MLB season:

-Vincente Padilla being taken behind the Dodger Stadium home bullpen after his fourth straight dismal outing and getting shot in the leg, just like he did to himself this past off-season. That might seem rather harsh for something to wish, but Joe Torre incited that anger in me when he made Padilla the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter. I actually long for the Kevin Brown Era right now.

–Evan Longoria, Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Upton become the next super-duper stars in the game.

-B.J. Upton and Matt Kemp turning in 30/30 seasons. Kemp might be held back if Torre keeps slotting him in the No. 2 hole.

-Philadelphia fans hypocritically turning their backs on the Eagles after the Donovan McNabb trade and putting all their enthusiasm behind the Phillies.

-The AL East race. We’ve never seen one division have such a strong collection of teams since realignment in 1994. Three of the league’s best five teams are in the AL East.

-Watching the Tigers roll out Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello in a three-game series. That’s a lot of heat.

-Obviously tracking my fantasy baseball teams. Nothing like having to root for Matt Cain and the Giants because I stupidly chose Cain for two of my squads.

-All the beautiful ballparks and amazing outfield designs. The grounds keepers at the MLB ballparks are artists.

-Going to Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and Busch Stadium this year. Those three are guaranteed and I’m hoping to visit Citizens Bank Park, Camden Yards and Nationals Park.

-Listening to Jon Miller pronounce ‘Rafael Furcal’ and ‘Carlos Beltran’ like he’s a vampire.

-Hearing Joe Morgan talk about how quantitative analysis doesn’t prove anything because it’s all about having a feel for the game.

-Tony La Russa giving Mark McGwire the “sexy eyes” in the Cardinals dugout.

-Every Mets fan disregarding every single victory by proclaiming a seven-game losing streak is right around the corner.

-Pirates fans still not having a clue what the front office is trying to accomplish. For the record, I stand behind the front office’s efforts and believe the depth they’ve created in their entire system — top to bottom — will benefit them for the next 5-to-10 years.

-The unpredictability of the races in the AL Central and AL West.

-Carl Crawford getting traded to the Yankees. At this point, I’m just intrigued as to how many stars they can collect.

-Someone — anyone — attempting to top what Albert Pujols did with the bases loaded in 2009. Check out Albert’s line from last year: 17 AB, .588 AVG, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 1.647 SLG, 2.171 OPS. Un-freaking-real.

-Mets fans hyperventilating every time another Met gets injured. And I have the convenience of one of my buddies being a Mets fan. It’s so fantastic to talk to him about the team. High drama. Read what’s on his mind at his blog — Mets Maize.

-Finally, listening to Vin Scully announce Dodgers games. This is his last season as the Dodgers play-by-play man; he’s been announcing Dodgers games since 1950 and has been their full-time play-by-play commentator since 1954. Think about that. He’s been behind the mic for the Dodgers since before they won their first World Series in Brooklyn. He’s my favorite announcer of all-time (the late, great Lakers announcer Chick Hearn is 1A) and everything I’ve read and heard about him defines him as a man of dignity and class. Love him to death, as do most native Angelinos. I can’t wait to hear his voice this season.