John's Game One Takeaway Points

1. The Yankee left-handed batting lineup looks far stronger than the team from the right side. So when the club takes the field Wednesday, it should have a better chance to put some runs on the board.

2. The Yankees can't just sit back and wait for their injured stars to return to the team. One thing Major League Baseball does not do is say, "Your team is banged up, so we'll cancel the next few games." It doesn't work that way. The Yankees have to find a way to win until the big hitters return.

3. Unlike other sports, which have the two same teams play again, the Yankee-Redsocks game Wednesday will be entirely different, because the pitchers will be different. The pitchers are the most important players in each game, and come Wednesday, it will be entirely different.


4. The Yankee Power Report. For every home run hit by a Yankee this year, the Yankees will make a contribution to the Hope Foundation. Today, the Yankees hit no home runs, so there is no contribution. On the season, the Yankee total for contributions stands at zero.

5. You always hate to lose on Opening Day, but obviously, the season is very young.