“A Home Opener is Always Exciting Whether It’s Home or on the Road.”

- Yogi Berra

PNC Park in Pittsburg (Photo by daveynin, flickr)

There are 162 games separating teams from the postseason today, and another 11 wins after that will get you a spot in baseball lore. This game isn’t about highlight reels, touchdown celebrations or jumping over a Kia to dunk a basketball. Baseball is about moments. These moments define the game and bring you to the stadium each night. That one moment can make the grueling 162-game season worth it for the players and the fans alike, and as the 2011 World Series proved they can come in droves. Going to a baseball game can turn out to be a night you’ll never forget, like hitting a hole-in-one.

Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby once said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” The wait is finally over, and tonight brings the first game of the 2012 Major League Baseball season (at least on U.S. soil).

The season opens in Miami, as Marlins Park will host its first ever regular season game. The new-look Marlins host the Cardinals, coming off their 11^th World Series title win. The Marlins and Cardinals had off-seasons that look like polar-opposites. One team brought in multiple superstars to plant them firmly in contention; the other lost a loved superstar. It’s April 4th and there’s already no shortage of storylines.

That being said, I’ve put together some predictions for the 2012 season that anyone reading can come back and make fun of me for in October. Sports are about as predictable as earthquakes, but part of the fun is trying to do it anyway.

American League Division Winners:                                   National League Division Winners:

AL East: New York Yankees                                                       NL East: Philadelphia Phillies

AL Central: Detroit Tigers                                                            NL Central: Cincinnati Reds

AL West: LA Angels                                                                   NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks

World Series Champions:  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 

MVP  - AL: Albert Pujols (LAA), NL: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)

Cy Young  - AL: Felix Hernandez (SEA), NL: Tim Lincecum (SFG)                      

Rookie of the Year –  AL: Matt Moore (TBR), NL: Trevor Bauer (ARI)

My MLB 2012 experience begins when I take the road trip to Houston to see the Astros vs. Rockies this weekend. Hole-in-one?