Baseball is Back, And Let's Hope It Goes Well

Ever go to a fancy dinner, get served four courses, fork over an obscene amount of money, and still need a cheeseburger on the way home? Sports-starved fans might feel the same way right about now. We’ve seen golf, NASCAR, Major League Soccer, and European soccer leagues return to play, but we’re still hungry for something more satisfying. Good news, your Five Guys burger is here.

Major League Baseball will make its triumphant return to the diamond Thursday night as the World Series Champion Washington Nationals host the American League favorite New York Yankees. Three-time Cy Young Award-winner Max Scherzer will match up against the biggest off-season acquisition, $324-million man Gerrit Cole. Arguably the most intriguing pitch will already have been tossed, however — by Dr. Anthony Fauci, who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Brooklyn-born Fauci, who is a fan of both teams, will ring in this strange coronavirus-covered, 60-game sprint to the finish.

The 2020 season is coming on the heels of an acrimonious contract negotiation that resulted in a four-month delay but could oddly make this the most entertaining season in decades. One hundred sixty-two games is not just a marathon; it’s a devastatingly long slog of a season. Now every game counts. Every series matters immensely. There will be no repeat of 2019, when the Nationals made playoffs despite a dreadful 19-and-31 start. It won’t just be shorter, however. This year will be vastly different from anything baseball fans have ever experienced.

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