Outside The Confines: The last Monday without baseball

This is it friends, the week we’ve all been waiting for. Spring Training has been nice, the World Baseball Classic was a joyous blast, but there’s one thing that has kept us going all winter and it has been the two most beautiful words in the English language: Opening. Day.

As teams head home to get prepared to start the season this week, we are all planning out our schedules to watch as much baseball as possible and those of us lucky enough to get to attend these first games in person are picking our favorite lucky jerseys and dusting off our ballcaps (although anyone living in the Midwest is also figuring out if their jersey will fit over their winter jacket).

Will there be snow at at least one game, leading us to question the general madness of how these early season games are planned? Absolutely. Will we see new rules lead to infuriating wins and losses? Almost certainly. Will it be a heck of a lot of fun to see every team at least once this season? I think so!

So join me in getting more than a little enthused about the baseball season to come, and with that, let’s jump right into today’s links.

• Leo Morgenstern looks at how the loss of Rhys Hoskins is going to impact the Phillies.
• Speaking of the Phillies, it looks like they were not able to lock down an extension with Aaron Nola ahead of Opening Day. Story by Daniel Chavkin.
• MLB dot com remembers some iconic Opening Day starts.
• “Mad Dog” Russo didn’t make a lot of friends with his World Baseball Classic takes, but he’s lashing out against those who wanted to see him fired for them. Story by Jimmy Traina.
• Will Leitch determines who’s number one in terms of power rankings to start the season.
• Cody Stavenhagen looks at the monumentally popular OOTP Baseball and its creator. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Anthony DiComo looks at why Max Scherzer is starting first for the Mets while Justin Verlander is starting third.
• Tom Verducci assesses how the Dodgers, especially, will be impacted by the newly banned shift.
• Eno Sarris offers some bold predictions ahead of the start of the season. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Thomas Harrigan breaks down where you can watch some free spring games if you’re not paying for MLB TV.
• If you were worried the knuckleball would be a thing of the past, Emma Baccerllieri looks at the pitchers keeping the wobbly pitch alive and well.
• Mark Feinsand crafts an All-Trade Rumor team for the ages.
• How did the Cardinals convince Willson Contreras to join them in only one meeting? Katie Woo reports. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• I’m not sure why anyone asked him, but Roger Clemens has his own opinions on what to do about the pitch clock. Story by Madison Williams.
• The Rays are hopeful that wunderkind Wander Franco will be good to go for Opening Day. (ESPN)
• Wrapping up spring training with a steal home? Sure, why not?