Melvin Mora, 2008 Upper Deck Goudey #16

If Melvin Mora wanted to, he could just bend down and squish Derek Jeter's head like a grape.

Brian Roberts, 2008 Upper Deck Goudey #17

After a false start last year, I was finally able to meet Brian Roberts and get his autograph at yesterday's jam-packed Orioles FanFest event. It was worth the wait to get my favorite player's signature, especially since the injury-prone second baseman appeared to be healthy and in good spirits. He was also the most polite of the four players I met, making eye contact and thanking me for coming. I considered asking him to sign directly on top of Derek Jeter's face, but I decided to take the high road. Hopefully that sort of good karma will translate into a full and productive season for B-Rob.

Eddie Murray, 2008 Upper Deck Goudey #18

Jeremy Guthrie, 2008 Upper Deck Goudey #20

For one day, everything was as it should be.

An Opening-Day record 48,607 fans packed Oriole Park at Camden Yards and kept it rocking all day long.

The rain stopped just in time to play ball.

Mark Teixeira was booed loudly and lustily every time his name was announced. He was booed in between every pitch of every one of his at-bats. He went 0-for-4 in his first game after signing a multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal with the Yankees and holding a smarmy press conference in which he credited his wife with telling him to go to New York and claimed that he'd been a Yankee fan all of his life (something he never seemed to mention in multiple interviews proclaiming his interest in playing in his hometown of Baltimore...well, he was from Severna Park, but you know what I mean). He was cheered excitedly every time he failed to get a hit.

CC Sabathia, the other prize pig of the Yankee offseason spending orgy, was knocked out of the box in the fifth inning, having allowed eight hits and five walks...and having struck out none.

Jeremy Guthrie, the O's hard luck ace, finally got some run support, picking up a win after tossing six hard-fought innings.

Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis, the homegrown cornerstones, celebrated their offseason contract extensions with a combined 5-for-8, 1 BB, 4 R, 2 RBI performance.

Adam Jones, the young center fielder who is being touted as a breakout candidate, reached base all five times, including two walks (a big development for someone who walked 23 times all of last year).

Jim Johnson, the surprise shutdown reliever of 2008, preserved the lead by stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the eighth inning.

Cesar Izturis, the free agent who was brought in to stabilize the shortstop position, made two excellent plays in the field and helped the Birds put the game away with a surprise home run in the bottom of the eighth.

For once, the revitalized Baltimore fans were able to shout down the overbearing and entitled Yankee fans (most of whom were probably from New Jersey anyway).

As those fans filed out of the ballpark a little after 8:00 PM, there were overjoyed shouts of "First place!".

And I was there to be a part of it all.

(Sorry for the Bill Plaschke treatment, but I'm still processing a fantastic game. Orioles 10, Yankees 5. Awesome.)