Opening Day The baseball season's opening day is a rich tradition in the States and etched into sports fans calendar's. It also marks the beginning of warmer weather and that yearly moment for teams' fans to get all gooey-eyed about their championship winning chances. In fact in Cincinatti, home to the first ever professional team, an annual parade marks an unofficial public holiday. I don't expect Notts County fans parade on the first day of the season do you?

The weather forecast in Chicago tomorrow is supposed to be good, and as luck would have it, I've been invited to the White Sox's home opener against Cleveland Indians, the first of a 2,400-game marathon of a regular season in which 30 teams try to outlast each other just so eight of them can play for another month of play-offs!

The experts don't give either Chicago teams a chance, the White Sox have a real under the radar feel to them, just as they did when they won the 'world' series in 2005. Conversely everyone's favourite losers, the Cubs have spent a fortune (around $300m) on a new manager and player upgrades during the post season in an effort to buy the title, not won since 1907.

Both teams, one on the north side and one in the south start tomorrow's season with plenty of expectation. The White Sox's ageing champions might have one last shot at regaining the 'world' series before the team is surely broken up in the manner of most baseball teams each winter. Meanwhile the pressure is on new Cubs manager Lou Piniella and a good start is imperative to get Cubs' fervent but fickle fans behind them.  ¶ 20:38