A New Era, the Last Opening Day at the Old Stadium

BAMBINO: Well, here we go with another baseball season. A marathon of titanic proportions. 162 games over 6 months. Can the Yanks get back on top with a new skipper at the helm? Will the young arms be a factor? Will the veterans remain great? Joba Rules? We shall see. I love Opening Day. I went once in 1993 vs KC, and it was a blast.

Watching Opening Day on TV has been my mainstay. I always manage to have a "day off" and watch the game with a few beers. The New York Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays in the final opening game in the Old Yankee Stadium.

Next season, the Bombers will move into their new digs next door, but one more WS Title in the House that Ruth Built, would be the cherry on top. I already saw computer generated pics of the House That Jeter Built, and it looks like the Yanks will spare no expense to make the baseball experience in the Bronx, one to remember.

PLAY BALL!!

SEASON PREVIEW:

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080324&content_id=2456102&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Malaysian GP: Kimi Brings Ferrari Back to the Winner's Circle!

RAIKKONEN SHINES FOR FERRARI

FROM F1-LIVE.COM

It may not have been the most entertaining of races for the fans, but for Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari his dominant Malaysian Grand Prix victory is just what he needed following the disappointment in Melbourne a week ago.

Starting second, the defending champion was happy to shadow pole-sitter and team-mate Felipe Massa until the first round of pit stops and then put in a quick lap to ensure that he exited the pit just ahead. With the race lead in his hands, Raikkonen quickly pulled a four second advantage on Massa who then spun his Ferrari into retirement.

Starting fourth, Robert Kubica made best of Jarno Trulli’s bad start to run a comfortable third for the first half of the race before taking over second position when Massa retired. The BMW Sauber driver took the chequered flag just under 20 seconds behind Raikkonen and a similar margin ahead of third placed finisher Heikki Kovalainen in the McLaren Mercedes.

Kovalainen drove an error free race but to take the chequered flag 40 seconds behind the winner. After their Melbourne performance, the result will be a shock for McLaren who by their own admission have struggled this weekend.

Jarno Trulli started third but he and Nick Heidfeld found themselves squeezed out of the pack through turns one and two at the start of the race. The Toyota driver recovered and took a comfortable fourth in the much-improved TF108, despite late race pressure from Lewis Hamilton.

For Hamilton, the race was always going to be about damage limitation but surprisingly he opted to run the softer type in both the first and second stint. In the third and final sting when it was effectively too late to make any further progress, the Melbourne winner was much faster as he chased Trulli across the line, just 0.7 seconds adrift.

Hamilton also lost ground in his first stop when his front right wheel insert slowed the wheel change by an additional ten seconds, so it was a case of lost opportunity for the championship leader who heads to Bahrain with a three point advantage over his nearest rival.

After losing out at the start of the race as Trulli pushed him wide, Nick Heidfeld was unable to regain the lost ground as he took the chequered flag in sixth position ahead of Mark Webber who will feel he and the team deserved more than two points from this event. The second round of stops saw the Red Bull Renault driver lose out to both Hamilton and Heidfeld but the Australian battled hard to keep Fernando Alonso behind to the flag.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/080323100122_1.shtml

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

2) Robert Kubica - BMW

3) Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren - Mercedes

4) Jarno Trulli - Toyota

5) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - Mercedes

6) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

7) Mark Webber - Red Bull - Renault

8) Fernando Alonso - Renault

Australian GP: Hamilton wins chaotic season opener down under.

BAMBINO: 22 cars started. only 7 finished. Lewis Hamilton, with his rookie season behind him, cruised to an easy victory from pole bringing his McLaren to victory. Heikki Kovalainen had a good drive in his 1st year with McLaren finishing 5th.

Ferrari had a very poor start to the 2008 campaign. Both red cars did not qualify well and both cars did not finish the race. Massa after a first turn scrum with David Coulthard had to pit for a new nose cone, and desperately tried to make his way through the field. But his F2008 developed engine trouble and had to retire. Defending World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified a dismal 15th, managed to get to 9th place during the frantic first lap, easily outclassing the back markers. The Ice Man made his way through the field and eventually was in a duel for 7th with Rubens Barichello in the improved Honda.

After the 1st round of pitstops, Kimi who was on a one stop strategy, was on pace to wind up battling for the lead. But he made two key errors underbraking and wound up in the gravel trap. He managed to get his Ferrari back on the track, but he could not catch up the field. Kimi eventually retired with engine trouble, but did receive 1 point as Rubens Barichello was disqualified for running a red light out of the pit lane.

BMW, had a fabulous qualifying and Grand Prix. Robert Kubica qualified second, and Nick Heidfeld 6th. Both drivers were never too far back from Hamilton. Heidfeld finished second and Kubica was forced to retire late with gearbox trouble.

Williams also had a good weekend. Nico Rosberg finished on the podium third and Nakajima took 6th after he retired on the last lap.

Honda has improved their engines, and it showed in the Australian GP. Barichello had the pace to battle with the top of the field and would have finished 6th. But he ran a red light in the pit lane with the Safety Car out and was subsequently disqualified. Jenson Button crashed on that chaotic first turn, but had the pace in qualifying and practice.

Fernando Alonso had a good drivc back with his old team Renault, finishing 4th. And Toyota, is back with the rest, with yet another dismal GP. Sebastien Bourdais in his F1 debut, retired his Toro Rosso with three laps to go, but the former CHAMP Car driver had the pace. He took two points for 7th place.

FINAL RESULTS:

1) Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - Mercedes

2) Nick Heidfeld - BMW

3) Nico Rosberg - Williams - Toyota

4) Fernando Alonso - Renault

5) Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren - Mercedes

6) Kazuki Nakajima - Williams - Toyota

7) Sebastien Bourdais - Scuderia Toro Rosso - Ferrari

8) Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari