TODAY IS 2021 MLB OPENING DAY

[Greg Ambrosius]

Last year I started a countdown thread until the 2020 MLB Opening Day starting with 99 days to go and I continued right up until the fateful Thursday, March 12th date. That was the day the world stopped being normal as the NBA shut down, the NCAA Tournament was in the midst of shutting down and the NFBC live events in New York and Chicago were cancelled. Soon Las Vegas live events would be shut down, too, as would the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season.

It took more than three months for MLB and the MLB Players Association to agree to a new start date and 2020 consisted of a 60-game Sprint Season. It wasn't ideal for anyone, but at least it kept baseball alive during the pandemic. The Los Angeles Dodgers went on to win the World Series title in a season that nobody will soon forget.

This year, I chose not to start this thread because all of us were uncertain about the start of the 2021 season. But a week ago, the MLBPA rejected a proposal from the owners to delay the start of the season and thus the start date was set. It will be Thursday, April 1st with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to spring training in Arizona and Florida next week. The first spring training games will start at the end of February and with any luck/good fortune the season will start on time on April 1st.

As a result, I've decided to start up this countdown thread again. It keeps all of us alert to when Opening Day really is and gives us a sense of when we need to get serious about NFBC leagues. I think that time is NOW, so LET'S GET BUSY!!!

I'll have some fun with the pictures within the countdown, and like a good radio DJ, I'll take your requests when offered. I don't always know the top players that wore each number from 52 to 1, so help me out where you can!! If nothing else, let's have fun with this thread!!

The schedule has all 30 MLB teams opening their seasons on the same day: Thursday, April 1st. It should be a national holiday for America as we celebrate America's Pastime with 15 baseball games. It's like Christmas Day for baseball die-hards!

Let's start the countdown with 52 days until Opening Day. Are you ready for some baseball? I am!! Stay safe and stay healthy everyone. Hopefully the upcoming baseball season will be a welcome diversion during these tough times. Enjoy and good luck.



Normally, I'll show a photo of a player's backside with his number showing, but all of CC is shown here. Love ya CC.

[mdecav]

CC doesn’t look like that anymore.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Opening Day is coming up faster than a Randy Johnson fastball. Make sure you are ready for this at-bat because you certainly don't want to go down looking at Strike Three!! Good luck and enjoy.



Anytime you can add a Montreal Expos' player, you have to do it, right?

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 50 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY. Are you ready for some baseball?

We commemorate this day with Mets' SP Sid Fernandez, who was part of that 1986 Mets' World Series Championship team. He went 16-6 with a 3.52 ERA and 200 strikeouts that year. Here's to ya, Sid.

[mbendar16]

El Sid, like it Greg It can be said for many from that '86 team, but they probably don't win game 7 without the dominant relief appearance from El Sid. Thanks for that picture to bring back that memory.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 49 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!! Seven weeks from today we'll be watching 15 glorious MLB games in one day!!!

To celebrate the day, let's offer the best knuckleball pitcher of all-time: Charlie Hough. He pitched 25 seasons in the big leagues and finished with a 216-216 record, a 3.75 ERA and 2,362 strikeouts. Not bad at all. Here's to you Charlie!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 48 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

We kick off today with Gold Glove outfielder Torii Hunter, who played 19 MLB seasons with three different franchises. He started his career with the Twins and ended his career with the Twins, Along the way, he collected 2,452 hits, 353 home runs and 195 stolen bases. Here's to you Torii.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 47 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!! Are you ready for some baseball?

Let's commemorate the day with Hall of Famer Jack Morris and World Series hero for the Twins. Morris finished with 254 wins, a 3.90 ERA and 2,478 strikeouts. And of course, one unforgettable Game 7 start for the Twins. In 13 post-season starts, he had five Complete Games. Nice.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 46 DAYS UNTIL OPENING DAY!!! (Well, I'm a little late with this one, but hell, it was -15 yesterday morning and my computer froze!!)

We honor the day with borderline Hall of Fame Andy Pettitte, who won 256 games in 18 MLB seasons, while posting a career 3.85 ERA while striking out 2,448 batters. Here's to you Andy!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 45 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

We lost Hall of Famer Bob Gibson this past year at the age of 85. Gibson was one of the all-time greats and one of the all-time great competitors as he won 251 games over 17 seasons with 255 complete games!!! He finished with a career 2.91 ERA and 3,117 strikeouts, but in the post-season he was 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA and eight complete games in nine starts!!! Wow, wrap your head around that for a second. RIP Mr. Gibson.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 44 DAYS UNTIL THE 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

We lost Hall of Famer Henry Aaron earlier this year at the age of 86, but his baseball legacy will live forever. Aaron played 23 years in the majors and finished with a then-record 755 home runs, 2,297 RBIs and 6,856 Total Bases. He also had 3,771 hits and a lifetime .305 average. He led the Milwaukee Braves to the 1957 pennant, the last baseball title Milwaukee has ever had. Oh, Henry!!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 43 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

And best of all, pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training today. Let's honor that by bringing in Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for the first pitch of the day. Enjoy all and let's go.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 42 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!! Exactly six weeks from today we have 15 MLB games coming our way!!

There's only one number 42 in Major League Baseball and that's Jackie Robinson, the Hall of Famer who broke the color barrier and led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a World Series title. He did so much for the game and for the country, that we honor him today and every day.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 41 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

We lost another great MLB Hall of Famer this year in Tom Seaver. The original "Tom Terrific" was just that, winning 311 games over 20 MLB seasons with a career 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. He led the league in strikeouts five times and had 231 Complete Games. Just Terrific.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 40 DAYS UNTIL THE START OF THE 2021 MLB SEASON!!!

It seems only appropriate that the 40th day should be commemorated by Bartolo Colon, who has pitched 21 seasons in the majors and who at 47 could return to the majors. Never say never with Bartolo, who last pitched in the majors in 2018. Viva la Bartolo.

[Glenneration X]

Tom Seaver was my 1st sports hero and still the only baseball jersey I've ever owned. As a young child I cried watching him cry while being interviewed after the Midnight Massacre and so many years later as a grown man I felt just as sad after hearing of his death last year. I rooted for him no matter who he played for, but his days in a Mets jersey were always special. He created a lineage of my Mets owning the greatest pitcher in baseball that started with him and carried through Doc and now DeGrom, along with so many other great and electric pitchers along the way. A part of my childhood passed along with my childhood hero but the memories he brought to that childhood will last a lifetime.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I knew I was posting too many Mets' photos in this thread!! Good story and yeah you've been wearing that Seaver jersey to the baseball live events for years. Time to add to the collection with a deGrom jersey, don't you think? Hope to see you at a live event this March. Stay well.

[Glenneration X]

I knew I was posting too many Mets' photos in this thread!! Good story and yeah you've been wearing that Seaver jersey to the baseball live events for years. Time to add to the collection with a deGrom jersey, don't you think? Hope to see you at a live event this March. Stay well.

Correction my friend. You can NEVER have too many Mets photos in any thread.

[Glenneration X]

I knew I was posting too many Mets' photos in this thread!! Good story and yeah you've been wearing that Seaver jersey to the baseball live events for years. Time to add to the collection with a deGrom jersey, don't you think? Hope to see you at a live event this March. Stay well.

Correction my friend. You can NEVER have too many Mets photos in any thread.

PS.. there's a rule of thumb about never wearing a jersey of a player younger than you are. Kinda explains that Nap Lajoie number Tom's always sporting.

[Edwards Kings]

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 39 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!

And this image is perfect for the day. Hall of Famer Dave Parker sporting the We Are Family stripes in the cap and black-and-yellow Pirates' jerseys. They won the 1979 World Series title during a time when the Steelers were a dynasty in the NFL. What a time for Pittsburgh fans. Enjoy.

[Glenneration X]

Still have that card Brother.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 38 DAYS UNTIL THE 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

We'll let Curt Schilling make the first pitch today as he was one of the best big-game pitchers. He's a potential Hall of Famer who is on the ballot for the last time next year. He went 216-146 in 20 seasons with a 3.46 ERA and 3,116 strikeouts, but in the post-season he was 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and two shutouts in 19 starts. Solid.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 37 DAYS UNTIL THE 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!!!

If you played fantasy baseball in the 1980s, you had to love Toronto's Dave Stieb. He had 19 COMPLETE GAMES in 1982 when he went 17-14 with FIVE SHUTOUTS. He had 69 complete games from 1980-84 and in 1985 he led the AL with a 2.48 ERA while going 14-13. He finished his career with a 176-137 record and a 3.44 ERA. They don't make pitchers like that anymore.

[Greg Ambrosius]

NOW ONLY 36 DAYS UNTIL 2021 MLB OPENING DAY!! Are you ready for some baseball?

Let's start out the day with Jim Kaat, who still isn't in the Hall of Fame despite his impressive credentials. Over a 25-year career, Kaat won 283 games, saved 17 games and finished with a career ERA of 3.45. He had 31 complete games and 2,461 strikeouts. He also appeared in the 1965 World Series with the Twins and in the 1982 World Series against my Brewers, winning a World Series ring that year.

Is Jim Kaat worthy of the Hall of Fame?