In Boston, Nick Cafardo writes the absence of former MLBer David Ortiz from the Red Sox' home opener yesterday "stood out." There was a "void," as the team's clubhouse "wasn't as jovial." Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said that the club "inquired about his availability for the Opening Day ceremony, and Ortiz informed them that he was away through mid-April." Ortiz "probably declined because he didn’t want to be a distraction." Cafardo: "Give him credit for thinking this way" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/4). Also in Boston, Dan Shaughnessy in a front-page piece writes a ceremony at Fenway Park honoring the Patriots' Super Bowl LI win was a "big pregame hit." Patriots QB Tom Brady, Owner Robert Kraft, TE Rob Gronkowski and RBs Dion Lewis and James White "emerged from the cornfield in left, walked across the Fenway lawn and gathered at the mound," each carrying a Lombardi Trophy (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/4).
NEW APPROACH: In N.Y., Ken Davidoff writes under the header, "Yankees Eschew Free-Spending Ways For This Practical Approach." The Yankees begin this season with MLB's third-highest payroll, but it is the franchise's "lowest such ranking" since '93. Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner in an email wrote, "As I have said many times, a team shouldn’t need a $200-plus-million dollar payroll to win championships." Steinbrenner "seems more determined than ever to beat the threshold and reset the team’s tax rate." Next year, former MLBer Alex Rodriguez ($27.5M), P CC Sabathia ($24.4M) and LF Matt Holliday ($13M) "headline the group of guys coming off the books" (N.Y. POST, 4/4).
FATHER TIME: The Padres have committed $34.6M to their Opening Day roster, and in San Diego, Kevin Acee writes the club is "not being cheap." Acee: "They are bad with a purpose." This is what allowed the nearly $80M investment in the international market and more than $14M spent on the draft, and it will "allow for the Padres to invest in veteran pieces when they’re close." The franchise also "spent money to expand its minor-league coaching staff and scouting department, additions that cost money." But Acee writes, "That won’t make this season any more pleasant to watch" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/4).
