The progression from winter to spring brings more than just warmer weather and daylight savings time. For sports fans, it brings back home-runs, stolen bases, no-hitters, and Major League Baseball.
The 2012 baseball season begins March 28th when the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners square off in Japan. The other 28 teams open up their seasons starting April 4th and 5th. From there each team will play 162 games until the beginning of October, when the playoffs begin.
Opening Day is the only time when fans of all 30 teams are optimistic that their team has a chance at getting to the postseason. Every team sends their best pitcher to the mound in hopes of starting the season with a win. The president of the United States always throws out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game.
There are several interesting story lines to watch as the season starts. Will the champion St. Louis Cardinals defend their title without Albert Pujols, who left the team after 11 seasons and two championships for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Will Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the former Texas Rangers pitcher who signed with the Angels in the offseason, push the Angels from a decent team to championship contender? How successful will Japanese sensation Yu Darvish be in his first season in the MLB? Will the return of Buster Posey help the San Francisco Giants become championship contenders again? Will the Marlins become relevant after changing their name, moving into a new stadium, trading for a new manager, and signing shortstop Jose Reyes? Are the Yankees and Red Sox still the powerhouses of baseball, or has their time passed as more teams are spending more money to compete with them and their outrageous spending of the past? How will the addition of a second wild card affect the postseason?
All the answers to these questions will unfold as the season progresses. If this season goes the same way last season ended, it will be a great year full of suspense and exciting baseball.  So grab your glove, head to the ballpark, and enjoy a hot dog, because baseball is back with a grand slam.