“Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin’, it feels like years since it’s been here.” – The Beatles, Here Comes the Sun
Opening Day isn’t a national holiday but for scores of millions of baseball fans, it may as well be. The crack of the bat, the pop of the leather, the whoosh of players sliding into second base, and the roar of the crowd awaken each of us from a winter hibernation occasionally rustled by news of a trade or free agent signing. The trees are still bare and we’re greeted each late March morning by temperatures hovering around Mother Nature’s Mendoza line, but make no mistake, spring is in the air.