Originally posted on 04/01/2021:

It's Christmas morning for me.

I had to take a mini four day vacation from SBR (and nobody noticed goes to show I am not relevant) but like a bad check I am back. I've been busy with baseball business for the past four days.

Let's talk all things MLB 2021 and it starts today.

The baseball season is the ultimate grind, it's not NFL.
NFL there's 16 or now what? 17 games to the season and once a week.
NFL is still king, Sunday's in the autumn and winter or still an event in many households but it's not MLB

MLB is a grueling 162 game, five games a week for each team for six consecutive months

These are my opinion, and my opinions only.
I have .been a student of this game for a lifetime.
Since I have been eight years old.

Let's talk about today, opening day and beyond.

13 games today, a few weather related postponements.

5 NL games.
5 AL games.
3 Inter games.

Five games are at or around -200
There's a reason for that. Those games feature the elite pitchers in the game today.
Pitching wins, always has and always will.
The line makers know this and this is why those games are at or around -200.

I don't lay -200 in baseball as a stand alone wager.
Never have and never will.
Baseball is in some ways is like the start of a major poker tournament.
Would you go all in at the start of the WSOP championship at level onw?
No

You lay -200 on a baseball game and lose you need to win two flat bets at even money just to get even.
No thanks.

I would only lay -200 on a MLB game if the Lord and Savior Himself Jesus Christ was toeing the rubber.
Last time I checked, Cole, Bieber, Kershaw, and the rest are not Jesus Christ.

If you must bet the chalk my opinion is, and it's just that, bet the chalk with another chalk game today in a money line two team parlay to reduce the damage just in case (and it happens a lot) the chalk pitcher you laid crazy juice on teams loses. Jansen blowing the game for Kershaw in the ninth, Chapman blowing the game in the ninth for Cole in the ninth for instance. Not you fault you lost at 2:1, but it did.... Get my point.

I can't bet LA, and I can't fade them.
Kershaw is still a tough lefty and I don't fade tough lefties.
I can't bet Kershaw because I don't lay -250 and Marquez is a quality pitcher.
Just because Marquez pitches in Denver, the shittiest city in the world to pitch in doesn't make him a shitty pitcher.
Hardly.
LAD bats might be in a for a tough day.
Can't bet this game.

Yanks and Cole -180 makes no sense.
Ryu is a quality lefty, I don't fade quality lefties, and Toronto is light years improved and should consider.
Bet the dog might be the way to go.

Can't bet Bieber, he and the Tribe should roll.
I don't lay 2:1

Can't bet SD.
I don't lay 2:1 but the Pads should roll and compete all season.

I got my eye on three games today.

Braves and Phils.
Nola against Fried.
Both good teams with very good pitching and will go toe to toe with each other all season.
Watching it for sure, betting it? No fukking way.
The game is a man to man pick 'em for a reason
Because it's a coin flip.
Doesn't mean I won't watch it. I will.

White Sox and Angels.
Giolito and the White Sox at pick 'em might be the way to go today.
More later, but I expect big things this season for the Sox,

Brewers and Twins.
Woodruff has scary filthy shit and might be the next big thing.
I like the Brews here at pick.

Cards and Reds
Same reasons as the Phils/Braves.
Two rivals in the same division with two excellent starters going at it.
Won't bet it, it's a coin toss, but as a student and lover of the game I damn sure will watch it.

Lastly.
My beloved KC Royals.
After winning it all six years ago we/I have been suffering,
Finally KC has a team that will at least keep up.
KC at -140 at home is too steep for me, and Keller is a good ground ball pitcher.
GO ROYALS!
Sorry guys can't bet on us yet.

Not for nothing SF much later with Gausman is a sneaky good bet later at pick.
Maybe, more later.

The last time SF was bettable was in 2014 when Mad Bum was winning a ring for the Giants and making me and my KC Royal community cry like a baby and that over six years ago and Mad Bum has moved on.

No plays yet, when I make a play I'll post it for all of us to see.

More later I have work to do.