Opening Day

Opening Day at Camden Yards, no matter the woes of the team, offers a celebration of baseball. This is a great baseball town that backs the team despite a decade of futility.

And this is the day that O's fans know they will enjoy. The team puts on a nice show, and this year offering tribute to the '83 World Series Title. Hank Peters, the general manager from the last championship will throw out the first pitch and Rick Dempsey, the Series MVP of course will catch.

Right now, glories past are all that fans have to celebrate when it comes to games on the field. But there is little doubt the team is moving in the proper direction, and by that I mean it has a direction. Andy MacPhail is making decisions based on what's best for the team in the long term. Not what suits Peter Angelos at any given time.

Rock solid proof of that comes from the decision to release Jay Gibbons. He will be paid nearly 12 million dollars not to play. A tough choice for any owner, but Angelos told MacPhail to simply do what needs to be done.

So while the prospects for success in the win column this year are about as dim as the light bulb running Eliot Spitzer's brain, the plan is in place for the long haul. In the meantime, try to enjoy the progress of the kids like Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Jeremy Guthrie.