I could

I could start right out complaining about how the umps screwed us. About how they squeezed us out of the game with the bad calls. About how Garko’s foot was clearly off of the bag as Thome crossed. A call that prevented a run. About how Crede clearly slid under the tag as he slid into home plate. A call that cost us a run. About how Orlando Cabrera was called for offensive interference, on an identical slide that was allowed on the Cleveland side, only a short time earlier. A play that cost us a run.

I could talk about how this season started out way too much like last season. About how Mark Buehrle’s implosion was a repeat of Jose Contreras’s from a year earlier, against the same team. About us getting ready to be the same team, defeated from the start.

But the opening day loss was actually ridiculously encouraging. Starting with the offense. Thome carried us through the start, but by the8th inning, the entire deficit was erased with contributions from every player; with the exception of Alexei Ramirez, who I was looking for to be our out of the gate guy. While on the subject of me being wrong, how can anybody be not named Ehren Wasserman be disappointed by Nick Masset? Coming in early relief and shutting the Indians down. Barely coming off the news of winning a place on the team, a roster battle that I thought didn’t even matter. The bottom line is, our offense works. Our bullpen works. Those being the two biggest question marks coming in. I wouldn’t worry too much about Buehrle. He’s a thick skinned fella, by the time he makes his next start he won’t even remember this one. It’s nothing like the Contreras shellacking from last season. This loss has a bright silver lining, and I have nothing to complain about.