Sometimes the first week, the first series or even the first game of a team's or player's season can be revealing. It can set the tone, good or bad. First impressions can go a long way. Here are some of them:
On Opening Day in Houston, Craig Biggio, returning from major knee surgery, went 5-for-5, assuring he's going to have a great comeback season (there have been other 5-for-5's on Opening Day, but the only 0-for-5 with five strikeouts: Ron Karkovice in 1996). ... We knew the Mariners would have trouble scoring runs. In their first two games, 11 of their 12 hits were singles and half of the six runs they scored came on sacrifice flies (although they score 10 runs in their third game). ... Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell, who struck out 139 times in 408 at-bats last year, struck out three times in each of his first two games. He's going to be a star, but he's going to strike out 200 times if he gets 650 plate appearances. Maybe we'll have two Aprils in a row in which a player strikes out more in the first month than Joe DiMaggio did in any season. Last April, Preston Wilson's 40 punchouts were one more than Joe D. had in his biggest K season (39). ... Cubs shortstop Ricky Gutierrez went 3-for-3 off Expos pitcher Javier Vazquez on Opening Day. He's 10-for-13 against him lifetime.
The Montreal bullpen pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings Opening Day. Not everyone realizes how good Guillermo Mota and Scott Strickland are. "They can both close," says Montreal GM Jim Beattie. All the more reason to trade closer Ugie Urbina at some point this year, and get a bundle in return. ... Will Clark threw out the first ball at the Giants opener. Nice touch. Last year, when he was with the Orioles, Clark used an off night to visit Pac Bell Park. He didn't have a ticket, so the guard wouldn't let him in. He knew who Clark was, and still wouldn't let him in. ... Mariners speedy right fielder Ichiro Suzuki tried a sacrifice bunt on Opening Night, then beat it out. He says it was his first sacrifice attempt since 1994. We believe him. Ichiro was so big in Japan, bigger perhaps than Tiger Woods is here, that fans didn't come to watch him walk or bunt, so he rarely walked and almost never bunted.
Juan Gonzalez hit two homers Opening Day for Cleveland. Seldom has there been a more perfect fit between team and player. He loves hitting in that park, he fits in beautifully in that lineup and he's on a one-year contract, which means a great year will bring a big, long-term deal through free agency. ... In Robb Nen's first appearance, on Opening Day, he struck out the side on 12 pitches. He is the best reliever in the game. His slider might be the league's most unhittable pitch. ... New Phillies closer Jose Mesa balked in the tying run in the ninth inning of Game 1. Bad sign. ... The Brewers struck out 11 times in their first game, eight times in their second game. They might break the NL record for most strikeouts in a season (1,252) set last season by the Cardinals. Last year, the Brewers had the second most in history with 1,245, which, strangely enough, is the record for most strikeouts by a pitching staff in NL history, by the '96 Braves.
The Rangers pitched out on Opening Day. Actually, don't count on that happening too many times. The Rangers pitched out just four times last year (the Red Sox pitched out 114 times). ... Rockies center fielder Juan Pierre, who added 15 pounds in the offseason to make him stronger, tripled on Opening Day. He had just two extra-base hits in 200 at-bats last year. He's halfway there already. ... Rockies right fielder Larry Walker had two hits, including a home run, on Opening Day, then came a double from hitting for the cycle in the second game. Look for a monster comeback season from him, too.
The Astros hit two homers Opening Night, three more the next night. They're on their way to 250, which would break the NL record they set last year. ... Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen homered for the third straight Opening Day. The record for most Opening Day homers is eight by Frank Robinson. ... Mike Hampton shut out the Cardinals for 8 1/3 innings in his first start with the Rockies. Get used to it. Not to him throwing shutouts at Coors, but to him winning there. ... The infield defense behind Pedro Martinez on Opening Day was not good. Shortstop Craig Grebeck, 36, couldn't handle a bullet hit by David Segui. And second baseman Chris Stynes dropped a catchable pop-up, which was scored a hit. The Red Sox can't get to the playoffs with that DP combo playing every day.
The Dodgers scored three runs in their first two games, but won their opener, 1-0. Their starting pitching is potentially tremendous. But don't look for too many 1-0 games in this day and age. By the way, that was only the third Opening Day game that ended 1-0 and was decided on a homer: in 1968, the Yankees' Frank Fernandez homered off the Angels' George Brunet. In 1965, the Pirates' Bob Bailey homered off the Giants' Juan Marichal. ... The Braves are short by one big bat, which explains why their platoon first basemen, Rico Brogna and Wes Helms, each hit eighth. Since 1987, only five first basemen have hit eighth or ninth in a lineup for 40 or more games.
A's second baseman Jose Ortiz took a letter-high fastball on Opening Night from Freddy Garcia and rifled it to left center for a two-run single. He and Ichiro will fight it out for Rookie of the Year. ... Roger Clemens passed Walter Johnson into first place on the American League's all-time strikeout list on Opening Night. Clemens passed Johnson in roughly 2,300 fewer innings, but let's understand the eras. In Johnson's final season (1927), the hitter who led the major leagues in strikeouts was Babe Ruth with 89. Last year, 91 major leaguers struck out at least 90 times.
The Red Sox spent the spring looking for a No. 2 starter. They found him in their second game in Hideo Nomo, who threw a no-hitter against Baltimore. He's the only active pitcher with two, no-hitters -- and now has as many as Tom Seaver (1), Jim Palmer (1), Steve Carlton (0), Pedro Martinez (0), Roger Clemens (0), the Padres (0) and the Mets (0) combined. His last shutout was his last no-hitter, in 1996 for the Dodgers. His second baseman that day was Delino DeShields, who made the last out of this no-hitter. The last pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his debut with a new team was Wilson Alvarez, who threw one in 1991 for the White Sox against the Orioles. ... And finally, Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado showed that he's in store for a huge year, hitting three homers Wednesday night against Tampa Bay. It was the third three-homer game of his career -- that's as many as Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth combined. The AL record for most three-homer games is five by Joe Carter. The major-league record is six by Johnny Mize.
It was quite a first few days of the 2001 season. It might have even more meaning in six months.
ESPN The Magazine's Tim Kurkjian writes a weekly column for ESPN.com.
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