Game 1: Diamondbacks 4, Reds 2

Of all days, Opening Day has the most importance attached to the result, with maybe the least real meaning in the long run. It's just one out of 162, but it's hard to maintain that perspective, especially with an off-day Tuesday. These days are going to happen, especially with a guy like Brandon Webb on the mound. It doesn't get any easier Wednesday with Dan Haren taking the hill. Not to hedge my bets, but it would be best to take any sweeping opinions expressed below with a considerable grain of salt...

THE GREATEST PLAYER ASHLAND EVER PRODUCED...
Webb was maybe the worst guy for an overeager team to face in the opener. With so much late movement it's got to be pretty hard to lay off some of his pitches, especially that hard sinker. Between the fastball, sinker and change pitch identification has to be nearly impossible against him. Nearly everyone had bad swings and really the only hard contact came on Phillips' triple (which, honestly, may have been a single if not for the slick grass). Everyone had swings like this, but one by Corey Patterson early on particularly stuck out: the ball started as a high breaking ball, looked like it was sinking into the zone, then zagged inside on him just as he started his swing. He never had a chance, and neither did most of the Reds today.

ON DUSTY...
Much of my perspective on Dusty so far has been heavily colored by Redszone posters, half of whom seem to love him for the wrong reasons (he's crusty, he's forthcoming with the media, he likes guys who Play the Game the Right Way) and half of whom hate him for things that happened three years ago, and veiled mean-nothing statements in Spring Training (he likes Norris Hopper, he blew out Prior's arm, he is Satan incarnate). Therefore, I'm going to try to lay off Reds chatter with the exception of pure news sources in the near future. It just seems best.

ON KEPPINGER AND THE FUTURE (a.k.a. My Doctoral Dissertation)
How lost did Keppinger look in his at-bats against Webb? The most interesting thing that will happen because of Baker is, to me, seeing his reaction to struggles by younger/less established players. Keppinger has done nothing but hit on every level of the minors. If he doesn't play well through the weekend, will it be Castro time?

GOOD CALL
With Harang sitting on 99 pitches going into the seventh, it was nice to see Dusty pull him. It's the first game and there's no reason to push it, Burton's hanger crushed by Sanchez notwithstanding. The results earned by the bullpen after Harang was pulled don't make the decision to pull him on 99 pitches in six innings a bad choice, and I believe Burton will be fine in the long run. This may be me rationalizing his rough spring and HR allowed because he was fantastic in the second half last year and the Reds really need him to pitch well, but I'm a Reds fan.

Harang, by the way, was really solid, epecially if you exclude the third, a two-homer, 32-pitch marathon that pretty much singlehandedly kept him from earning the win and lasting more than six. It was interesting seeing the contrast between Harang and Webb, with Harang getting guys with hard stuff well-placed along with breaking balls, and Webb just being all late movement. Along with playing in a nationally-invisible team like the Reds, Harang doesn't do much that gets headlines; he doesn't throw 99, he doesn't have some unhittable slider or gimmick pitch, he's just solid as hell. He's one of those guys where you're shocked if he doesn't pitch well every time out.

HOW GOOD IS HUDSON?
If you didn't watch this game, please check out the condensed game on MLB at the very least. He made plays in the field that were jaw-dropping, including a basket catch in center and a ball he nearly nailed Harang on that I can't believe he even got to in shallow center. He is fantastic and I'm tired of Orlando Hudson hyperbole (today was only Game 1 of the series, we have to save some for Wednesday and Thursday), so just check out the highlights somehow... or just trust me.

OH EDWIN...
You could see that throw in the first coming before it even left his hand. Something in his body language wasn't right the entire time he was getting that ball out of his glove and out of his throwing hand.. I don't know if he was having issues gripping a wet ball, as Grande and Welsh guessed, or if he was thinking about it too much because he had plenty of time, but that error stat they showed on the telecast was scary. Edwin was seriously jerked around by Narron, I really hope Dusty just lets him play, because he's a very good player. I'm just worried that, like Keppinger, we'll be seeing Edwin on the bench and Freel down at third come next week.

THINGS I'M GLAD ABOUT ON OPENING DAY
It's Opening Day.
George Grande's shirt in that interview with Dusty from Spring Training.
George Grande in general; he's so bad, he's aging like fine wine.
FarmersOnly.com advertisements are back.
It's Opening Day.
Cordero didn't get bombed or anything.
Weathers looked good.
Extra Innings subscription.
It's Opening Day.
161 games left.
Baseball season is back.
I can predict Marty's reaction to things, therefore basically living the Marty Experience, without even listening to Marty.

Really, there's lots of stuff, so I'll just sum it up for Reds fans everywhere by saying...

It's Opening Day.