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sports Diahuebs 1 aPRiL 2021

Welcome back, fans! MLB openers bring Soto, Tatis and crowds

( AP ) - Great to see ya, some live humans out there,”
Buster Posey. Been a while, he said.
Tony La Russa. Good luck, A more curious sight: La
Madison Bumgarner and Russa, at 76 years old and al-
every other National ready in the Hall of Fame, re-
League pitcher toting a turning to manage the forti-
bat. fied White Sox. His last time
in the dugout was 2011, in a
From Comerica Park to Co- World Series Game 7 win for
ors Field to the Coliseum, the Cardinals.
Major League Baseball is set Alex Cora, who guided Bos-
to roll out a big welcome mat ton to the 2018 crown, rejoins
Thursday. the Red Sox while AJ Hinch
Most of all, this opening day, takes over the Tigers. Both
it’ll be for the fans. managers were suspended
When Gerrit Cole throws the last year for their roles in the
first pitch of the season — 2017 Astros’ sign-stealing
weather permitting — nearly scandal.
11,000 people could be in the Also around the bases:
stands at Yankee Stadium. The ground rules
Sitting in socially distanced
seats and wearing masks, in- Some of the experiments that
side a park that will continue debuted last season are back:
to operate as a mass coronavi- seven-inning doubleheaders,
rus vaccination site. automatic runners at second
Far from normal. But after base to start extra innings.
a year in which fans weren’t The expanded playoff field is
permitted at any regular- cially pumped up to get back to be in the 30s with gusty Blake Snell and Yu Darvish, back to 10 teams, down from
season game because of CO- in front of the LA fans for my winds at Wrigley Field when the Mets traded for Fran- 16. And the designated hit-
VID-19 protocols, no longer first home start,” Bauer said. Kris Bryant and the Chicago cisco Lindor, Toronto signed ter in the National League
will “Take Me Out to the Ball “This is going to be cool, put- Cubs host Pittsburgh. Also George Springer and the Yan- is gone. That means pitch-
Game” strangely echo around ting on the Dodger uniform, in the 30s in Detroit, where kees hope low-risk moves for ers who usually flail away
empty ballparks during the playing with this group of Cleveland ace Shane Bieber Corey Kluber and Jameson will try to make contact after
seventh-inning stretch. guys. I’m really pumped up faces the Tigers, and in Cin- Taillon pay off. a year layoff. The DH could
“That’s how it’s supposed to that baseball is back, espe- cinnati, where the Reds take Some teams will benefit from become permanent in the
be, I think,” said Bumgarner, cially now that we get to have on St. Louis newcomer No- getting their own players NL next season. In the mean-
ready to start for the Ari- fans in the stands,” he said. lan Arenado. back on the field. time, those pitchers could get
zona Diamondbacks against How many will actually be Jack Flaherty pitches for the Posey of the Giants, Ryan help on the mound as MLB
Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny in the box seats and bleach- Cardinals. Two teammates Zimmerman of the Nats, is trying out a slightly dead-
Machado and the San Diego ers on April Fools’ Day might from his Southern Califor- David Price of the Dodgers ened baseball that supposedly
Padres. depend on the weather. nia high school a decade ago and Marcus Stroman of the doesn’t fly quite so far.
“That’s what we’re doing. It’s Rain is forecast in Boston, also start on opening day — Mets were among those who Debuts
an entertainment business. New York and Philadelphia. Max Fried for the Braves in opted out of playing last year
We’re all playing a game and Wet in Washington, too, Philadelphia and Lucas Gio- because of coronavirus con- Supremely qualified, Kim
competing and everyone’s where a marquee matchup lito for the Chicago White cerns. Ng finally got her chance
got their team they pull for or is waiting at Nationals Park: Sox against Mike Trout and A six-time All-Star and three- and begins the season with
just likes watching the game Two-time Cy Young winner rejuvenated two-way star time World Series champ, the Miami Marlins as MLB’s
in general,” he said. Jacob deGrom of the Mets ShoheiOhtani at Angel Sta- Posey liked what he saw in first female general manager.
The crowd sizes will vary. faces big-hitting Juan Soto at dium. spring training. “Failure is not an option for
At Fenway Park, where Xan- the plate and three-time Cy Arenado and Bauer are “Watching the games on me,” the 52-year-old Ng
derBogaerts and the Boston champ Max Scherzer on the among the many stars who TV last year and seeing just said. ... Forced out of Canada
Red Sox host Baltimore, 12% mound. switched teams in the off- cardboard fans in the stands, because of the virus, the To-
of capacity will be allowed. Temperatures are supposed season. The Padres acquired it was definitely nice to see ronto Blue Jays will play their
At Globe Life Field in Tex- home opener April 8 at their
as, where the Rangers open spring training field in Dune-
Monday, a full 100% will be din, Florida — about 1,275
permitted. fans will be allowed at 8,500-
The Rangers didn’t have any seat TD Ballpark.
fans in their $1.2 billion pal- Missing
ace that opened last year dur-
ing the pandemic-shortened White Sox slugger Eloy Jimé-
60-game season. But 11,000 nez, Rays reliever Nick An-
spectators were inside the derson and 2020 home run
Arlington, Texas, park when champ Luke Voit all got in-
Clayton Kershaw, Mookie jured during spring training.
Betts, Corey Seager and the Aces Justin Verlander, Chris
Los Angeles Dodgers beat Sale, Noah Syndergaard and
Tampa Bay in MLB’s first Mike Clevinger are recov-
neutral-site World Series. ering from major surgery.
Boosted by signing NL Cy Robinson Canó is serving a
Young Award winner Trev- season-long drug suspension
or Bauer, the pitching-rich and Masahiro Tanaka went
Dodgers start in Colorado. home to pitch in Japan. Nick
Kershaw gets the opener Markakis, Alex Gordon, Gio
against the Rockies, while Gonzalez, Daniel Murphy
Bauer goes in the second and Dustin Pedroia retired
game. and Ryan Braun says he’s
“I’m pumped up for it. Espe- leaning that way.