The tarp was covering the infield at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati Monday morning, and rain delayed the Mets' expected start by 10 minutes.Baseball's Opening Day is in many ways an unofficial national holiday, the start of another marathon season for the sport affectionately known as America's pastime. It is a day when all teams begin with the optimism, and the hope that this could be the year they win the World Series, except maybe if you are the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Many years, Opening Day doubles as a harbinger that spring is around the corner, with the summer soon to follow. Unfortunately, that assessment does not hold true this season. It seems the prevailing theme this Opening Day will be the weather. As of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, two games have already been canceled. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays contest, a rematch of last season's AL Championship Series, has been washed away due to heavy rain. Meanwhile, the meeting between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox has been postponed due to show showers. With cold weather and precipitation in the forecast throughout the Northeast and Midwest, more postponements could follow.
The season officially kicked off Sunday night, as the Atlanta Braves defeated the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1, at Citizens Bank Ballpark. The Phillies started the night with a celebratory tone, after claiming the city's first major sports title since 1983, but the mood quickly soured and cheers turned to boos, as they often do in the City of Brotherly Love. The Bravos crashed the Phillies' party, thanks to strong debuts from some of its newest additions -- pitcher Derek Lowe, rookie center fielder Jordan Schafer -- and reliable vets -- Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur.
Braves pitcher Derek Lowe, who was on the Mets' radar for much of the offseason as a free agent, shut out the Phillies over eight innings on Sunday night, allowing just two hits.Save for four teams and those whose games are suspended, the rest of baseball gets underway on Monday. The hometown Mets and Yankees both start the season on the road, though weather may play a part in their season debuts, as well.
Mets beat writer Brian Costa is at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, where rain and possibly snow in the forecast could threaten the scheduled 1:10 p.m. first pitch between the Mets and Reds.
UPDATE, 1:20 p.m.: Follow all the action from Cincinnati as Costa blogs live from the Mets season opener.
UPDATE, 12:49 p.m.: It is still raining in Cincinnati, but the tarp is coming off the field. The first game has been delayed until 1:40 p.m.
UPDATE: Rain has started to fall in Cincinnati, but as of right now the game will start as scheduled.
The rainy weather did not stop some Mets fans from taking the trip out to Ohio to see their team on Opening Day:
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