COLUMN: A different Opening Day

     As a baseball fanatic, I cannot wait for the season to start. Spring training for me seems to take a snail’s pace journey toward the first pitch.

     This year though, opening day is an entirely different deal for myself as a Cubs fan. Number one, this is my first Opening Day that I can say my Cubs are the defending world champions.

     Secondly, with the Cubs going on to win the World Series, it is the deepest into the previous season my team has ever played. So when spring training arrived this season, it just didn’t seem like that long ago the season had ended.

     To get to my point, spring training has not dragged on this year for me and Sunday night baseball was fun, exciting and well worth the seemingly short wait. Of course, the outcome against the Cardinals surely wasn’t what I hoped for, a 4-3 loss but it was an exciting and well-played game.

     It has been interesting reading and listening to the baseball experts voice their opinions on what team will win it all this year. It’s not surprising to see so many NOT pick the Cubs to repeat. The last team to repeat, actually three-peat, was the Yankees from 1998-2000.

     But in Vegas, the Cubs are leading the betting line when it comes to winning the World Series again. I’m not going to pick the Cubs to win it all. Instead, I am selecting two teams, one from each league that has the best chance to become champs, in my opinion.

     The Dodgers are my pick to keep the Cubs out of the World Series. If in fact the Cubs do get there again, it will be a repeat matchup from last season with the Cleveland Indians avenging their 2016 loss.