The Major league Baseball season is finally upon us, and since everyone is waiting breathlessly for The Great White Shank’s picks for the season, so here we go:

* AL East – Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
* AL Central – Twins, Indians, White Sox, Royals, Tigers
* AL West – A’s, Angels, mariners, Texas
* Wild Card – Yankees

* NL East – Marlins, Phillies, Braves, Mets, Nationals
* NL Central – Cardinals, Cubs, Reds, Brewers, Astros, Pirates
* NL West – Dodgers, Giants, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Padres
* Wild Card – Cubs

Red Sox and Marlins meet for the World Series

Red Sox are 2009 World Champions

Of course they’re going to win a hell of a lotta games this year, but you still have to love high-priced free agents C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira stinking up Camden Yards yesterday in the Yankees’ opener. Couldn’t happen to better franchise…

But both Josh Beckett and Dustin Pedroia looked pretty damned good today in the Sox’ opening day win. If Beckett stays healthy all year the Red Sox will have one formidable rotation – the best in baseball, in my view.

On to golf:

Say, how ’bout that Michelle Wie burning up the scoreboard in the ladies’ first major of the year? Wow! Glad to see someone who gets so much attention and time on The Golf Channel rack up a 71-81-81-71=+16 (25 strokes behind winner Brittany Lincicome) shine when the competition demands it. Michael Arkush’s column for Yahoo! Sports kinda says it all:

The drive at No. 1, which led to a double bogey, was no aberration. Wie was wayward all day, missing mostly to the left, although it was a push to the right which found the water, and forced another double, at the par-3 14th. She did not show much emotion during her difficulties on the front, when she shot a 41, but the disappointment ultimately caught up to her at 14. She turned around at the tee and looked up toward the sky in disgust, even before the ball made a splash. She soon put her hands on top of her head and then slapped them against her thighs. A few minutes later, walking toward the drop area in front of the pond, she slammed her right hand against the water bottle she was carrying in her left.

I’m sure after her final round she still thinks her game is a lot better than her scores indicate, but she’s been living in denial now for two years. She nevertheless remains a crowd-pleaser, showing that soft porn still sells on the LPGA Tour – because her looks and features are all she really has going for her right now.

Since I’m into prediction mode, I predict this is the year Kevin “Goose” Dwyer finally breaks into the winner’s circle at the 2009 Goodboys Invitational.

And I’m also going with Tiger to win at this weeks Masters.

Remember, as the late Biff Bulkie used to say, “if you can’t be a good sport at least wear a good sportscoat”.