It's opening day

The baseball season opens today. First Day Impressions are archived here -- readers sending in accounts of their opening-day game experience.

Three short excerpts, the first from Dodger Stadium:

The day started out with a morning mist, but was expected to burn off by game time. Entering the stadium parking lot, my mother and I made our way to the stadium. It is by far the most beautiful stadium I have seen in my brief 22 years of life, every off season, Dodger Stadium is repainted and made to look brand new every season, she's forty years old and still grand. Set in Chavez Ravine, facing northeast, palm trees lining the outfield pavilions, Sierra Madre mountains in the background.

Again at Dodger Stadium:

I was sitting in the upper deck, which I love at Dodger Stadium. We all know the idea that baseball exists outside the clock and in a green place set apart from the world around it. From up high in Dodger Stadium, with the flowered hills and palms trees as a backdrop to the green field, the idea has the most force for me.

The Astro's opener, by Lisa Grey:

The game. Finally. Yessssssssss. Roy Oswalt gets 3 fast outs - 8 pitches. Rueter doesn't look sharp. Lots of balls, few strikes. We leave the bases loaded. I remember that Rueter doesn't throw lots of strikes, doesn't throw over about 87/88 and doesn't strike out many. How can you look lousy, get so many outs and win games? For some reason. My stat geek friends who hate low strikeout pitchers, he gets hitters to swing at the balls. Don’t ask me how.
Barry plays catch with the Astros batboy between innings. Lucky kid. I’ve never seen another outfielder do that.
2nd inning. Barry hits a double down the left field line. So much for Barry shift. Alfonzo flies out to Hidalgo. Barry tags and slides into third. Lousy throw by Hidalgo. Don’t think he expected Barry to go. Hello. The guy stole 500 bases. Heads up, dog. But Roy looks every inch the ace. Dynamite fastball and curve. This little guy (really, about 5'10") throws 95,96 and spots it beautifully. Short guys rule. He is GOOD.

The Marlins started their defense of their title and drew 55,000 to their first game today -- their largest regular-season crowd ever. This is a team that was dismantled in 1997 and is now the world champs and filling the stadium at home.