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Vote of confidence

ryne sandberg

TURNING TWO

1. PLAYER OF OPENING DAY
Dmitri Young, Detroit Tigers. He went 4-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs to get the Tigers off to a good start. The last guy to hit three homers on opening day was one of my former teammates, Tuffy Rhodes, in 1994. I was on deck all three times while Tuffy hit three home runs at Wrigley Field – off Dwight Gooden, of all people. I was amazed.

2. MATCHUP OF THE WEEK
New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves. The weekend series will give the Mets an early chance to show that they are indeed an improved team. Atlanta has had the upper hand on New York in recent seasons, so it'll be important for the Mets to come out and prove to the Braves – and to themselves – that they can compete.

It was great to see such excitement around the league on Monday. Watching the celebrations at home plate in Cincinnati and Colorado reminded me just how exciting opening day can be.

Yeah, it's just one game. But a victory on opening day is always big for a team that's not being counted on to do much because that first week sets the tone for the rest of the year.

When I played, I was always optimistic at the start of the season. A lot of times I was unrealistic with my optimism, but I just wanted the team to get out of the chute and win some games.

I played on some last-place teams during my career, but even after enduring one of those last-place seasons, I felt we would be OK and maybe win our share of games that following year. I think a lot of players have that mentality, and I think fans have a little bit of that mentality, too.

Many of the games on Monday reflected that feeling. In Denver, the Colorado Rockies came back in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the San Diego Padres 12-10 and the fans at Coors Field absolutely went crazy. The Rockies won only 68 games last season, but now they have that feeling that maybe this year will be different.

The record opening day crowds in Baltimore, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh indicates that people are glad that baseball is back (and that winter is finally over). I think the attendance also showed the fans' contentment over how baseball is handling the steroid problem.

Fans must feel good about the testing policy that is in place. They realize that the problem has been recognized and that it is being dealt with in an aggressive way. By coming out in record numbers, fans are behind what Major League Baseball is doing and they're going to come out and support the game under those circumstances.

These record crowds occurred the same day that 38 minor leaguers and one big leaguer (Alex Sanchez) were suspended for steroid use. While the news was a negative for these players, I think it's a positive for baseball because the new tougher testing policy is working.

An Associated Press-AOL poll discovered that two-thirds of Americans believe steroid users should be kept out of the Hall of Fame. Personally, I don't have an opinion on how to handle such situations. Right now, it's such a sour subject that people are jumping to conclusions. Maybe I'd also jump to the conclusion that players who used steroids shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame, but I'd rather give it some time and see what happens.

People in this country generally forgive people under certain circumstances. I just wonder if that will be the case with players who used steroids. After some time has gone by, will people be just as critical?

There are guys in the Hall of Fame who did jail time, and there are guys in the Hall of Fame who were caught with illegal drugs. And if Pete Rose ever gets into the Hall of Fame, and I think he will, he'll get in having bet on baseball.

So should steroid users not be allowed in the Hall? I don't know. Maybe if somebody asks me that in five years, I might have an answer.

FINAL THOUGHT

Who says there's no loyalty in baseball? Yosh Kawano, the clubhouse man for the Chicago Cubs, is starting his 68th year with the team. Wow.

Famous for his white floppy hat and khaki pants, Kawano is a true credit to the game for his dedication to the Cubs. If they ever want to change the name of Wrigley Field, I would suggest Yosh Kawano Field.