credit:sunsentinel.com

Bob Geldof, the Live Aid guy, never liked Mondays. Who does?

 

Confession time: I'm not too fond of Opening Day either. In fact, from here on out, I'm going to strip the overblown event of its capital letters.

 

Add in the fact baseball's opening day -- Wow, that felt good -- typically comes on a Monday, and you've got a pretty lousy combination. Before you ship me off to Qatar, just hear me out.

 

I have nothing against pomp and circumstance, and the Marlins certainly did a nice job with their pregame festivities on Monday afternoon at gusty Pro Player Stadium. Having Charlie Hough and John Lynch throw out the ceremonial first pitches was a nice touch, although it's too bad Hough couldn't have stuck around to toss a couple of mop-up innings.

 

My complaint has more to do with the way so many people feel the need to draw deep meaning from a single game in a regular season that drags on for six months.

 

Unlike football, where the season opener represents 6.25 percent of the schedule and is a proven indicator of ultimate success, baseball's opener is really nothing more than an elaborate dress rehearsal.

 

So the Marlins spit up all over themselves in an 8-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on opening day? So what? Monday's game represented 0.617 percent of the season schedule.

 

Rarely is so much made of so little.

 

It's not like the Marlins were alone in stinking up the joint. Two of their better-heeled rivals in the National League East were even worse.

 

Earlier Monday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves fell 10-2 at home to the Montreal Expos. Greg Maddux, winner of four Cy Young awards, was down 4-0 after the first inning.

 

Meanwhile, the New York Mets and their $122 million payroll were getting waxed 15-2 by the Chicago Cubs. New Mets ace Tom Glavine fell behind 4-0 in the first and was gone by the fourth, booed off the mound at home.

 

You think the Braves will take their 11 straight division titles and go home now? You think Fred Wilpon is looking to sell his Mets?

 

"I don't think they're going to cash now," Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell said with a knowing smile.

 

You might actually believe that could happen if you listened to the ridiculous questions being asked in the clubhouse. Questions about this loss "putting a damper" on the season and such.

 

Now, I'm not sure what Juan Pierre was doing dropping a sacrifice bunt trailing by five runs in the eighth inning. Nor did lifting Ivan Rodriguez after six innings and a two-run homer make much sense.

 

But I'm not buying the notion Monday's loss means the Marlins are destined to another fourth-place finish. That they were somehow constructed in such a flawed manner it became painfully evident in a three-hour, 17-minute sample.

 

Last year's world champion Anaheim Angels, en route to a 6-14 start, opened with a 6-0 shutout loss to Cleveland. At home.

 

"We're not going to cry about one game," Lowell said. "If we win on Wednesday and we're 1-1, the headlines won't say we're great. I'm not too worried about that."

 

The only real negative to Monday's debacle was more about marketing than competition. Judging from the early exodus and mock cheers, there's a chance many of the 37,137 on hand won't return.

 

See, this is the problem with hyping a product the way the Marlins did all winter. When you spend several months building up hopes and bragging how it's your rivals who should be quaking in their spikes, you ask for this sort of slap-down.

 

When club officials start tossing around predictions of 91 wins for a franchise that has managed one winning season in its decade of operation, you're basically inviting derision. The hype continued right up until batting practice on Monday.

 

"I really am excited about this club," manager Jeff Torborg said.

 

He talked about how he would sit in the dugout this spring and think to himself, "Boy, is this an enjoyable team to watch." He talked about the Marlins' ability to "do the little things" and keep mistakes to a minimum.

 

Hmmmmm.

 

Speed? Pierre stole two bags in the first inning alone. Even Lowell swiped second.

 

Pitching? Not on this day, although that's not entirely fair. Five of the seven runs off Marlins starter Josh Beckett were unearned and there were problems getting in sync with new catcher Rodriguez, but Beckett was the first to say he pitched poorly.

 

Walking the bases loaded with a 3-2 curveball to the No. 8 hitter, rookie Marlon Byrd, isn't a sign of the aggressiveness Beckett holds dear. Nor is walking the pitcher to force in a run.

 

That leaves, what, defense? The same infield Torborg claims could win Gold Gloves en masse nearly completed the rare error cycle. Only sure-handed first baseman Derrek Lee failed to boot one, and he fanned on a couple of scoops he normally makes.

 

"It was just an ugly game," Torborg said. "We won't play many games like that ... I hope."

 

They'll get another 161 chances to show just how overrated opening day is.

yea those "bandwagon" fans won't return after this... Le Retard can now write more crappy articles about the Marlins cause of this.. but really.. does one game hurt that much?