Opening Day Links

“Hello, Everybody.”

For the second straight year, a beloved member of the Twins’ Family has passed away prior to the season. Once again Opening Day festivities will be bittersweet for Twins’ fans after Herb Carneal moved on to the Radio Booth in the Sky on Sunday. While Carneal may be gone, he most certainly will not be forgotten, as you can see from the posts at Section 220, Pulling a Blyleven, Twins Geek and NBCSports. And, if you aren’t sure you’re ready for an Opening Day without Carneal’s baritone, you’re in luck, as the Star Tribune has audio clips of his call of the Twins’ clinching the Pennant in 1987, Rod Carew stealing home, Harmon Killebrew hitting his 500^th home run, a Kent Hrbek home run and Kirby Puckett robbing a home run. And if that’s not enough for you, the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting has a Herb Carneal montage for your listening pleasure.

Of course, it’s hard to stay sad on such a glorious day. I mean, it’s Opening Day! How can you stay sad when the Twins are handing out free Dome Dogs for breakfast, the reigning Cy Young Award, MVP and Batting Champion are about to take the field and it’s not even going to snow until tomorrow (Roofs are for the weak, by the way). It’s finally time to stop speculating and start playing. And, as usual, it is a glorious day.

And, now, for an Opening Day version of the Quick Links:

• Baseball Almanac has a history of Opening Day.
• As does the Hall of Fame.
• Hopefully, Matt Garza is as true to his word as General MacArthur was to his.

And just remember folks, as George Vescey once said, "There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League." I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I am.