Watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves Online Live

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Tom Glavine should feel right at home returning to the Atlanta Braves for 2008. He certainly didn't look comfortable in capping off a collapse to end last season.

The future Hall-of-Famer tries for a better start to the new season Monday when he takes the mound for Atlanta's home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Glavine, who will turn 42 on Tuesday, spent 16 seasons with the Braves (0-1), helping them win the 1995 World Series and five NL pennants. The left-hander won two Cy Young Awards, posted five 20-win seasons and earned 242 of his 303 career victories in his first stint in Atlanta before joining the rival New York Mets in 2003.In five seasons with New York, Glavine went 61-56 with a 3.97 ERA, helped end the Braves' string of 14 consecutive division titles in 2006, and last August became the 23rd pitcher to win 300 games. However, his last start as a Met was one he'd surely rather forget.

Watch Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners Online Live

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The Seattle Mariners were among baseball's biggest surprises in 2007, staying in the playoff race until late in the season following three straight last-place finishes.

They won't be fooling anybody this time around.Erik Bedard, the centerpiece of a bolstered starting rotation, will take the mound for the Mariners as they start the season at home on Monday against the Texas Rangers, with high hopes for their first playoff berth since 2001.

After posting an 88-74 record in 2007 -- their best since 2003 -- the Mariners acquired Bedard from Baltimore in early February, giving up top prospect Adam Jones, reliever George Sherrill and three other prospects in order to secure the left-handed ace.Bedard, 29, went 13-5 with a career-best 3.16 ERA for the Orioles last season, striking out 221 in only 182 innings before being shut down in late August due to a strained oblique muscle.

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The Colorado Rockies are eager to show that their run to the World Series last season was no fluke.

Monday at Busch Stadium.With their young roster largely unchanged from 2007, the Rockies are hoping to finish what they started last season as they kick off a season-opening three-game series with the St. Louis CardinalsThe Rockies started off slow last season, but won 14 of their 15 final regular-season games, including the wild-card tiebreaker against San Diego, to reach the postseason for the second time in team history and first since 1995 with a 90-73 record.

Colorado then reeled off seven straight wins to capture its first NL pennant before getting swept by Boston in the World Series."We need to win four more games," manager Clint Hurdle said.

Watch Houston Astros vs San Diego Padres Online Live

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Trevor Hoffman was walking across the San Diego Padres' clubhouse one day late in spring training when he found his path blocked by Kevin Kouzmanoff, who was checking out a new bat.Hoffman wisely pulled up and let the third baseman finish his swings."Colorado loves me enough already," baseball's career saves leader cracked.Kouzmanoff has an offseason home in Denver, where the Padres' 2007 season ended in a gut-wrenching, 13-inning loss to the Colorado Rockies in a wild-card tiebreaker game on Oct. 1.

Matt Holliday never seemed to touch home plate with the winning run, but umpire Tim McClelland's delayed safe call gave Colorado a thrilling victory. The Rockies made it all the way to the World Series, where they were swept by the Boston Red Sox.Hoffman walked off the field that night with his second blown save in three games. Two days earlier, Hoffman was one strike away from getting the Padres into the playoffs when he was victimized by Tony Gwynn Jr. All the Padres had to do was win one of their final three games to reach the playoffs for a third straight year. They lost all three.

Watch Los Angeles Angels vs Minnesota Twins Online Live

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Torii Hunter may not recognize his former team when he takes the field for the first time with the Los Angeles Angels.Hunter will get a firsthand look at how Minnesota has moved on without him Monday when the Angels and Twins kick off a season-opening four-game series at the Metrodome.

Hunter, a seven-time Gold Glove center fielder, signed a $90 million, five-year deal -- the richest in Angels history -- just before Thanksgiving. Hunter spent the first nine full seasons of his career in Minnesota, where he was arguably the most popular player since Kirby Puckett.He is coming off one of his better seasons, hitting .287 with 28 homers and 107 RBIs in 2007.

"I thought I would finish my career there, but I had it in the back of my mind just to be ready for it, that one day it would happen to me," Hunter said. "I was hoping it wouldn't but it did, and what better place can you come? To a stadium like this: 70 degrees and work on your tan."

Watch San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Online Live

Watch San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Online Live Preview

The Barry Bonds era in San Francisco is over, while in Los Angeles, the Joe Torre era is about to begin.

The Dodgers and the Giants are both hoping that new looks will lead to better results as they kick off a season-opening three-game series Monday at Chavez Ravine.Los Angeles (82-80) finished in second-to-last place in the NL West last season, ahead of only San Francisco (71-91), marking just the second time since division play began in 1969 that the two teams brought up the rear in the division.

The Giants finished in last place despite the efforts of Bonds, who hit 28 of his 762 career homers in 2007, passing Hank Aaron's previous all-time record of 755 along the way. However, San Francisco declined to re-sign the 43-year-old slugger, and he has yet to find a new job.During spring training, the Giants expressed their relief at not having to deal with the circus atmosphere that Bonds attracted. In addition to his pursuit of the home run record, allegations of steroid use have hounded Bonds in recent years, and he was indicted in November on perjury and obstruction of justice charges.But even in his absence, the Giants can't entirely escape Bonds.

Team owner Peter Magowan and general manager Brian Sabean met with commissioner Bud Selig or his representatives during spring training after December's Mitchell Report raised questions about whether Giants officials might have known that Bonds or other players were allegedly using steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. And aside from the steroid issue, this season's team knows it will be still be judged with the former franchise player in mind.

Watch New York Mets vs Florida Marlins Online Live

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Santana, more than anyone else, has given the Mets reason to believe that they're better than last year. He's charged them with optimism and erased memories of last September -- and all that without throwing a pitch of any consequence.

With new ace Johan Santana in tow, the Mets have taken a more serious approach this spring as they look to erase the memories of last season's bitter collapse.

A free-agent pickup brought in to provide some leadership, the 33-year-old gets his first big league Opening Day nod, partly because of injuries and largely because of performance.

With Opening Day approaching on March 31 against the Mets at Dolphin Stadium, the Marlins head into a new season out to prove they can once again emerge as surprise contenders. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is just one important member of the crew back for his third full big league campaign.

Watch Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Online Live

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Chico, who changed his mechanics late in Spring Training, delivered a solid rookie campaign in 2007, going 7-9 with a 4.63 ERA in 31 starts for Washington.

Left-hander Matt Chico will get the start for the Nationals against the Phillies on Monday afternoon, and he hopes that recent mechanical changes will do wonders.

Myers makes his second straight Opening Day start after a whirlwind 2007 season that ended with him as the team's closer. Myers appears to have made a seamless transition back to the rotation, with a 1.13 ERA in three spring starts.

The Phillies will begin their run for a second consecutive NL East division title when they host the Nationals on Monday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. ET.

Watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles Online Live

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Shields will be making his first Opening Day start and it will happen in Camden Yards, where he made his Major League debut in 2006. He's is 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in seven career starts against the O's.

The Rays begin their season at Camden Yards, a venue that has not been kind to the team in the past. But with Jamie Shields getting the ball and a Tampa Bay squad that has grown in the past year, this season could be different.

Guthrie outlasted all the competition to line up for Baltimore's Opening Day start, an assignment granted to him as a reward for a fine rookie season, during which he ranked second among AL rookies in ERA, strikeouts and innings.

Jeremy Guthrie will get the ball on Opening Day, and the Orioles hope that offseason acquisitions Luke Scott and Adam Jones will help foster a new environment. Though Baltimore's new rebuilding philosophy has gotten scrutiny, the team is excited for the season and is going full-speed ahead.

Watch Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Indians Online Live

Watch Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Indians Online Live Preview

After having his streak of five straight Opening Day starts snapped last season, Buehrle makes his sixth Game 1 start in the past seven years. He holds a 5-4 record at the newly dubbed Progressive Field.

After a difficult 2007 campaign, the White Sox are looking to turn the page and are hoping some new additions with help them contend in the AL Central this season.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner will be making his fifth career Opening Day start. He is 14-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 23 career starts against the White Sox, including a 2-0 record and 2.57 ERA in three starts last year.

In recent years, Opening Day for the Indians has been something of a harbinger for the entire season. The Tribe isn't superstitious, but it knows a fast start is important in the AL Central.

Watch Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs Online Live

Watch Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs Online Live Preview

Sheets has started more games at Wrigley Field (12) than at any other road ballpark and has had some battles against the Cubs over the years. He's making his sixth Opening Day start in the past seven years and is 3-0 in openers.

As if Opening Day wasn't already exciting enough, the Brewers will begin the season at Wrigley Field against a Cubs team they'll likely fight for the division title.

Big Z has looked sharp this spring and has been in control, both emotionally and pitch-count wise. Zambrano was 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA against Milwaukee last year. He is winless in three previous Opening Day assignments.

For all of the talk about the 100th anniversary of the Cubs' last World Series win, the current team is focused more on the task at hand this year than the past.

Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds Online Live

Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds Online Live Preview

Webb will be making the third Opening Day start of his career. An Ashland, Ky., native, he grew up a Reds fan and will have a large contingent of family and friends on hand to mark the event.

If the D-backs hope to defend the NL West in 2008, they will need a better performance from their offense, particularly their young core of position players. Last year, the D-backs were outscored by 20 runs, which usually means a below .500 record.

In his one start against Arizona last season, Harang allowed one earned run and six hits with eight strikeouts over eight innings for a no-decision on July 8, won by the Reds, 4-3. This will be Harang's third consecutive Opening Day start.

Although they are coming off of their seventh straight losing season, new manager Dusty Baker has the Reds feeling good about their chances in 2008.

Watch Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees Online Live

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Halladay, who is coming off his second 16-win season in a row, extends his own franchise record with a sixth straight Opening Day start for the Jays.

Ever since capturing the World Series crown in 1993, Toronto has tried unsuccessfully to supplant both the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox as the cream of the American League East crop. Toronto enters the '08 campaign with the same high hopes it has carried into the past few seasons, but believes this time the result could be different.

Wang draws his first Opening Day start -- the final such assignment at the current Yankee Stadium -- after establishing himself as MLB's winningest pitcher over the past two seasons with 38 wins.

This is no longer Joe Torre's team. While the Yankees brought back largely the same core that won 94 games in 2007, plus one more in the American League Division Series, the biggest change is the presence of Joe Girardi, a former Yankees player, coach and broadcaster who will now try his hand as the manager.

Watch Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Online Live

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Meche did an outstanding job in last year's opener, defeating the Red Sox. Now he gets the honor again at Detroit, where he'll face a hostile crowd and a very hostile lineup. He's 4-1 lifetime in nine games at Comerica Park.

Changes are everywhere for the Royals this season, beginning at the top with new manager Trey Hillman, who's bringing a different brand of baseball to Kansas City.

While Detroit's other starters have something to prove after last season, Verlander's 18 wins in 2007 vaulted him into baseball's elite at age 25 and helped earn him his first career Opening Day assignment.

The Tigers are opening their season in Detroit, in March. It's sure to be cold, but the Detroit fans will help warm things up as they welcome the team's new additions.

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Manny Acta has announced his starting lineup for Sunday's Opening Day game against the Braves at Nationals Park:

Cristian Guzman, SS
Lastings Milledge, CF
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
Nick Johnson, 1B
Austin Kearns, RF
Paul Lo Duca, C
Elijah Dukes, LF
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Odalis Perez, P

The most intriguing part about this lineup is where Guzman and Lo Duca are batting. Guzman is replacing Felipe Lopez in the top spot. He has a career .302 on-base percentage, which is low for a leadoff batter, but Acta is hoping that Guzman can once again be the player who had a .380 on-base percentage in limited action last year.

"I don't believe in the past," Acta said. "I would rather go with what he did in 2007. Am I going to sit here and tell you that he is going to have a .380 on-base percentage like he had last year? I don't think he will. Even if he drops 40 points, I'll be happy.

"The thing is, it's not a secret. We don't have a legit leadoff hitter, so we are still searching for it."

Lo Duca is batting after Kearns and before Dukes because Acta wants a contact hitter like Lo Duca to be between two guys who strike out often.

"It helps that Lo Duca is a .288 lifetime hitter," Acta said. "You don't want to have back-to-back strikeout guys, but that could change."

Watch Chicago White Sox vs New York Mets Online Live

Watch Chicago White Sox vs New York Mets Online Live

Leaning against a wall located steps from his team's clubhouse at the Kino Sports Complex, Ken Williams shifts his spring focus away from baseball and the 2008 White Sox for a moment.

One of the topics today is politics, specifically honing in on the Democratic presidential primaries involving Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Williams has been an eloquent and direct leader since taking over as White Sox general manager on Oct. 24, 2000. He doesn't seek out media attention but certainly has never shied away from a controversial topic.

During Ozzie Guillen's five primarily successful and always entertaining years as manager, Williams actually has needed to make a few extra speeches than he probably ever envisioned. But politics rarely, if ever, served as the focus of his particular platform.

Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox Online Live

Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox Online Live

The Diamondbacks had some spring injury issues that opened a few roster spots, but the core of the team remains intact. There is enough talent to consider them a solid contender to defend their National League West title and even go further than last year, when they lost to Colorado in the NL Championship Series.

All-Stars Brandon Webb and newcomer Dan Haren will anchor a rotation that should be among the best in the NL, a group that includes Randy Johnson, Doug Davis (a career-high 13 wins last season) and 2007 rookie two-way performer Micah Owings (the Silver Slugger winner).

It appears Johnson may be delayed a week or two out of spring training while recovering from August disk surgery. He did not make his first spring start until mid-March, but he has reported no health issues. The bad news for the rest of the league is, in Johnson's short window of health last season, he was his dominant self, albeit through six innings instead of nine.

Left fielder Eric Byrnes and center fielder Chris Young jump-started the offense last season, when Byrnes became the 11th player to record 20 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year and Young became the first rookie in history to hit 30 homers and steal 25 bases. Running may be less of an option this season if the young hitters continue up the learning curve, as the Diamondbacks project.

Watch Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs Cleveland Indians Online Live

Watch Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs Cleveland Indians Online Live

After a hiccup in 2006, the Indians' rebuilding effort surged ahead last year with an American League Central title and victory over the Yankees in the AL playoffs.

Cleveland ultimately fell one victory shy of the World Series, but the season was a booming success in virtually every other respect. The Indians' rotation was the single biggest reason why they won the division. Their starters had a collective 4.19 ERA — best in the AL — and ace C.C. Sabathia won his first Cy Young Award in a tight race with Boston's Josh Beckett.

Sabathia was not Cleveland's only award-winner. Eric Wedge was named AL Manager of the Year; general manager Mark Shapiro was chosen by The Sporting News as Major League Baseball Executive of the Year; and centerfielder Grady Sizemore won his first Gold Glove.

Watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees Online Live

Watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees Online Live

The Yankees will depart town on Thursday by saying goodbye to Legends Field, as the club's Spring Training facility is set to be officially renamed in honor of principal owner George M. Steinbrenner.

To be re-named "George M. Steinbrenner Field," the stadium will receive scoreboard signage in left field displaying its new moniker in a special ceremony prior to Thursday's 1:15 p.m. ET exhibition game against the Pirates.

The stadium renaming was approved in February by two unanimous resolutions from the Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council, endorsing the honoring of Steinbrenner for his many charitable donations on behalf of youth activities, hospitals and the arts.

Among Steinbrenner's most striking contributions was the founding of The Gold Shield Foundation, which ensures that the families of police officers and firemen killed in the line of duty receive early financial assistance and are guaranteed a tuition-free college education. The resolutions recognized that Steinbrenner has stepped forward at critical times to help influence and improve the local community.

Watch Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Online Live

Watch Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Online Live



Of all the rituals that ravenous Red Sox fans have had for Opening Day over the years, one that has never occurred is setting alarm clocks to celebrate the event.

In an opener like none other in the storied history of the club, that is exactly what will happen when the defending World Series champions formally kick off their title defense under the roof of Tokyo Dome against the Oakland Athletics.

Though Tuesday's game is a standard night game for the fans of Japan, it will start at 6:05 a.m. ET for those watching on television back in New England.

Ratings don't figure to be an issue.

"We know they'll be watching. They always do," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "The game could be played in the middle of the night. They don't care. They want to watch the Red Sox. We're used to that. We have the most passionate fans in the world."

It's just that such passion has seldom had to be exuded over coffee and donuts.

In their two exhibition games in Tokyo, the Red Sox did their best to get accustomed to the time change.

"I was a little tired [Sunday] night," said Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "It finally got me in the ninth inning. I was ready for bed. But we've got to find a way to do something. I don't know, maybe we'll drink more Red Bulls in the seventh inning. We'll be fine."

Watch MLB Online Live - Opening Series 2008

Watch MLB Online Live - Opening Series 2008



Before Sunday's game, fans at Tokyo Dome were treated to a scoreboard montage of the Red Sox's magical postseason run of 2007. By the time the contest between the Sox and Yomiuri Giants was actually underway, J.D. Drew re-created one of those moments live and in the flesh, bashing a grand slam to left-center.

Not to say that this Drew's slam in Boston's 9-2 victory over the Giants was anything close to the magnitude of his shot in Game 6 of the 2007 American League Championship Series, but it was a nice display of a sweet swinging not getting lost in translation from one continent to another.

While New Englanders back home were either still sleeping or just arising for Easter Sunday, the Sox were engaging in their final tune-up for Tuesday's Opening Day against the Oakland Athletics, which will be played here under this same roof of Tokyo Dome.