NEW YORK -- The nine MLB Fan Cave Dwellers rang in Tuesday's trading session at NASDAQ in Times Square, and on Wednesday, they will light the Empire State Building red, white and blue in honor of America's national pastime.
It is a time for "hope and faith" throughout Major League Baseball, and with that in mind, each of the young superfans seized the greatest moment of optimism -- the arrival of Opening Day later this week -- to say what they are looking forward to the most in 2012.
Ashley Chavez: "One-hundred percent what I am looking forward to is a healthy Giants season and a healthy Buster Posey. I want him to be back to normal playing catcher like nothing ever happened, I don't even want to think about 2011. We like the even years, so hopefully we can do it again."
Ricky Mast: "As a Braves fan, what I'm looking forward to the most is Chipper Jones' farewell tour. Watching Bobby Cox in 2010 was bittersweet, but it was so great to watch a legend go out and see each city pay him respect. More than anything, I am looking forward to Chipper's final year. And I also am watching the Miami Marlins. I have them picked to be the most entertaining fourth-place team in the history of baseball, so I'm looking to see if they are going to prove me right or wrong."
Ricardo Marquez: "I'm actually excited about the Angels this year. It's probably the most exciting team we've had in a while. Albert Pujols is like a modern-day Babe Ruth. The comeback of Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo going to third. It's going to be interesting to see how quickly we get a World Series ring. I'm pretty sure it's going to be this year. You can put it on the board."
Eddie Mata: "You add the other Wild Card teams, the teams that are small-market [clubs], they have a shot this year. I'm looking forward to that. Opening Day, every baseball fan loves this time. But I'm definitely looking forward to my Yankees to having a good start. I'm hoping [Mark] Teixeira has a good April, because he always slumps at the start. Maybe I should give him a batting lesson, go in the clubhouse: 'Tex, it's a mental thing, you've just got to get rid of the April situation.'"
Gordon Mack: "Seeing if the Phillies can actually pull it off with two of the biggest hitters, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, out for the first half of the season, and really show that the young guys can step it up and see if this is the year to put it all out on the table. So I'm really excited."
Lindsay Guentzel: "As a Twins fan, I have to say I'm excited to see what our team can put together this year. We are coming off 99 losses, but we have a bunch of players who seem to be returning to their full form, or we are moving players around. Justin Morneau is hitting at DH to start the season. I'm really excited to see what they can put together, because the American League is loaded. As far as the Fan Cave, I'm just excited to watch every game, to celebrate the home runs, grand slams and no-hitters, to celebrate someone's excitement and share with all fans in MLB."
Kyle Thompson: "It's watching players you never would get to see normally. There are a lot of unheralded 'hustle' players who may never make it on any of the top-10 shows or may not have those highlights you would get to see. It's those players who will always win the 'hustle' award, you may never know their names, they may not sign a gigantic contract. That's me, because I was always a hustle player."
Shaun Kippins: "I'm looking forward to a bounce-back season from the Braves, especially from [Martin] Prado and [Jason] Heyward. I want them to prove all the doubters wrong and show that they didn't need to make any changes from last year's team. And I am looking forward to meeting Dan Uggla Friday at the MLB Fan Cave."
Ben Christiansen: "On the field, I'm hoping all my playoff predictions pan out, otherwise my credibility as a journalist or a sports analyst is going to be shot. [I'm predicting a] Tigers and Marlins World Series. Also, if I could make it to the All-Star Game, that is the thing I am looking forward to the most. I've only had one opportunity to do it, in 1999 at Boston, but the plans fell through so I was unable to go. That would be the thrill of a lifetime."
The Cave Dwellers marveled over their own likenesses on the towers and marquees of Times Square as they stood at the NASDAQ podium to ring in the session. They did so with Tim Brosnan, MLB executive vice president of business, and MLB Network studio analyst Harold Reynolds. Brosnan regaled them all with the inspirational story of Starbucks founder/CEO and baseball fan Howard Schultz, who was outside NASDAQ at that time, and NASDAQ OMX vice president David Wicks chatted with them and asked if they still get along.
"You know, up to this point, I wasn't aware of how big the MLB Fan Cave was, so I'm actually going to start checking them out and start following the blogs," Wicks said. "I'm curious to see, having met some of them, who's going to survive this. I have my own bets."
Reynolds talks baseball around the clock, breaking down every fact of the game for viewers of baseball's 24/7 TV network. What is he looking forward to most in 2012?
"Besides the World Series? I'm excited about the great young talent in the game," he said. "I think we make a big pivot to a lot of young stars. [Giancarlo] Stanton, I think [Bryce] Harper breaks in this year. Some of the young pitchers. I look forward to this even more so than most years, just because they're younger. You've got some guys 21, 22."
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