Happy Opening Night, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins Fans!

...and every other baseball fan who has waited for this day since last October.

A lot can happen in one offseason, and the reigning World Champion St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins are a perfect example.

The Marlins are kicking off 2012 with a complete face lift: a new name and a spastic jazzy new logo on their uniforms, a new skipper in Ozzie Guillen along with a few high-end acquisitions like Heath Bell, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Carlos Zambrano, all in a spankin' new, $515 million ballpark. Pretty exciting stuff.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals begin defending their title on Day One of their first season without long-time manager Tony LaRussa and one-time fan favorite Albert Pujols. The team will also have to do without staff ace Chris Carpenter as well for the time being due to nerve irritation in his pitching shoulder, but they've regained Adam Wainwright, who was dearly missed during his Tommy John surgery rehab. They'll have to replace 30-40 home runs in the middle of the order without Pujols, but guys like David Freese, Matt Holiday, and everyday first baseman Lance Berkman are being counted on to do just that.

Heath Bell is Not Impressed with New Miami Marlins Uniforms

Just thought we'd share this picture of recently-hired Miami Marlins closer Heath Bell rocking the new duds, courtesy of the Twitter page of our favorite Baseball Tonight anchor Steve Berthiaume.

He looks disgusted, and he should be.

Miami Marlins Pick up Jose Reyes for $106 Million

First of all, what the hell is going on with Jose Reyes' eyebrows? Stop it right now... Then again, I guess you can do whatever you want with your face when you're a multi-millionaire ballplayer.

The All-Star shortstop and reigning National League batting champion became the second top free agent to sign with the Marlins over the last few days, joining closer Heath Bell in the Sunshine State. Though Bell was given $27 million over three years, Reyes commanded much, much more: $106 million for a six-year contract. The deal includes a club option for 2018 that would bring his worth to around $120 million, according to an anonymous source close to negotiations.

Meanwhile, free agent whale Albert Pujols has already toured the spankin' new, $515 million retractable roof stadium in Miami. Prince Fielder, the other giant free agent still on the market, hasn't had a tour yet, but there has been a ridiculous amount of speculation that he may end up there. What are the chances one of these guys will land in Florida with Ozzie Guillen and the stupid new uniforms? Either way, this team is about to become one to reckon with, with or without those two.

Reyes followed the dollar signs out of New York after spending the last 12 years of his life in the organization. The 28-year-old signed there back when he was 16 and went on to bring home the Mets’ first NL batting title when he hit .337 with 16 triples and 39 stolen bases last season. The four-time All-Star and three-time stolen base champ, though a bit injury prone, will likely make Hanley Ramirez move from short stop to third base. Poor guy.

And poor Mets fans.

[New York Times]

Florida (Miami) Marlins Pumped for Brand New Ballpark

The Florida Marlins, who will become the Miami Marlins prior to the 2012 season, are getting pretty excited to open their spankin' new stadium, Miami Ballpark, next year. In fact, they will be granted an exclusive opening to the new baseball season.

The Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals will open the season a day ahead of the other 28 teams in the league on April 4 at their new $515 million, retractable-roof ballpark on the site that once housed the legendary Orange Bowl. You can probably catch that on ESPN. Prior to anything official, the Fish will host the New York Yankees in exhibition games on April 1 and 2.

A Ballpark Stimulus Would Be Pretty Sweet

The many scores of outraged, frugal fans have spoken. And Bud Selig has answered. Sort of.

In these tough economic times, some of us ride our bikes to work and school. Others have cut down on going out to eat or sadly, even slowed down on the binge-drinking. One thing we shouldn't have to give up is a trip to the ballpark to watch our favorite teams play our favorite game.

Those empty seats in the shiny new palaces of New York have not gone unnoticed by commissioner Selig.

It's not that he's asked the Yankees and Mets to lower their ticket prices, but he may have hinted at it. Ultimately, it's up to them.

If They Build It, Will They Come?

I think we can all agree that Dolphin Stadium is a giant piece of crap that has passed for a ballpark for 19 years now pretty out-dated.

The Florida Marlins won't have to deal with it for much longer, though. The team jumped through the final hoop Monday, after 10 years of trying to get their own ballpark in Miami. The 13 people on the Miami-Dade County commission voted 9-4 to approve the multi-million dollar deal.

You Got the Job, Buddy!

The Minnesota Twins organization has been forced to do something they haven't done in nearly 50 years. They've hired a groundskeeper.

Larry DiVito, the man in charge of taking care of Nationals Park for the past three seasons, has also worked for the Los Angeles Dodgers and AAA Pawtucket Red Sox. Congratulations pal, I suggest you and your team of hard-working Minnesotans invest in a few extra snow plows for Target Field.

[MLB] | [Midwest Sports Fans] | [Sac Bunt] | [Randball]

Holy Over-Priced Tickets, Batman!

If you have $500-$2500 to blow on New York Yankees tickets for the 2009 season, you're in luck!

That is the projected cost of box seats within the first 5-8 rows behind home plate at their new $1.3 billion ballpark. Where I come from -- where seats behind home are roughly $100 -- we call that ridiculous.

Time to invest in a pair of binoculars, Bronx Bomber fans!

[ESPN] | [River Ave. Blues] | [Was Watching]

A Schooner is a Sailboat, Stupidhead

Pictured above is a photo rendering of the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed $450 million waterfront stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, released for the first time Wednesday. Yes, the retractable roof in the 34,000-seat park is supposed to resemble a sailboat.

It will be located on the site of the historic Al Lang Field Spring Training facility, as soon as the the referendum passes and the financing plan clears a million hurdles, including turning the old stadium site into a retail and residential district. The good news for Florida residents is that the plan requires no new taxes or the reallocation of existing taxes.

The plan could be completed as early as 2012, and absolutely kicks the pants off of Tropicana Field... which is only 18 years old. Besides, everyone knows that a new ballpark makes baseball teams that much more talented.

[Rays Baseball]

So Long, RFK

The Nationals 5-3 home victory over the Phillies tonight officially brought the RFK era to an end for the Nats. And not a moment too soon: RFK lately seemed more infamous for the extracurricular activities that went on in the upper deck, rather than the baseball played down on the field.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Fire sale at RFK! Everything must go!
RFK closed its doors to Nats baseball with a few postgame ceremonies that amounted to exiting with more of a whimper, than a bang-- probably because most Nats fans are eager to wave goodbye.

Even the ballplayers aren't particularly broken up at the prospect of leaving RFK behind.

"This place sucks," said center fielder Nook Logan, as he walked through the dank tunnel to the team's clubhouse before the game. "No one -- the fans, the players -- wants to come to this place. It's old."

The Nationals will open next season playing home games at a brand new $611MM baseball-only facility on the banks of the Anacostia river.

[ Washington Post ] | [ Capitol Punishment ]

Stadium Groundbreaking, Game Postponed

The Minnesota Twins have postponed today's game against the Kansas City Royals after the I-35 bridge collapsed near the Metrodome and team president Dave St. Peter said the weekend series with the Cleveland Indians may also be cancelled.

In turn, the Twins also set back Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for the team's new downtown stadium.

Twins officials decided to play Wednesday night's game after contacting the department of public safety officials, since sending 25,000 people back into traffic could affect rescue efforts.

[Minnesota Twins]