Burnt Orange Report

The end of one season, the beginning of another

By Jim Dallas

Congratulations to the Tar Heels.

And now that basketball Madness is over, I can sit back and try to enjoy baseball:

The first official day of work for the 2005 Astros will unfold before a sold-out crowd that could rival the 43,351 who attended last year's season opener.

Activities begin with an 11 a.m. street festival, pep rally and blood drive outside the ballpark. Gates open at 3 p.m, and pregame ceremonies begin at 5:15 p.m.

From there ... well, we'll see. The only certainty is that it will require more faith, on opening day, to be an Astros fan than was required in 2004, when Houston took the field with prodigal pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte and an unprecedented burst of confidence from the assembled faithful.

This year, with four new starters in the opening-day lineup and outfielder Lance Berkman on the disabled list, the Astros are popular whipping boys for baseball's chattering classes, who on paper see doom and gloom for 2005.

"I don't know that if I might not have agreed with (critics) before I watched these guys play every day in spring training," said Astros manager Phil Garner. "I think if (critics) saw them play every day, they might have a different opinion.

Time to stop talking and start playing, I guess.