What is the true beauty of Opening Day? Is it the symbolic coming of spring? The smell of hot dogs, the crunch of peanuts, the bite of cold draft beer? Or is it something inherent in America’s identity? As Moonlight Graham put it, “Baseball will mark the time. This field, this game…it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good…and can be again.”

While Opening Day goes beyond the confines of the thirty Major League ballparks, it probably means something similar to every club out there: 0-0. A clean slate. Everybody’s in first place. 162 games left to make or break a season.

Certainly, the Colorado Rockies are approaching Opening Day 2009 with that attitude. Coming off an unsuccessful defense of the NL pennant last season, hope still springs eternal for the Rockies to return to the postseason this year. Surely, the memories of that magical run in the fall of 2007 remain vivid.

But the month of April has been just about anything but smiles and sunshine for the Rockies. In a month where postseason dreams can form over the ocean of the regular season, those aspirations can just as easily be dashed across the rocks below. Take a look at the Rockies’ history in April:

1993: 8-14, 6 games back after April 30. Finished 67-95.

1994: 10-12, 1 GB. Finished 53-64.

1995: 4-1, 0 GB. Finished 77-67. Won NL Wildcard.

1996: 11-14, 5 GB. Finished 83-79.

1997: 17-7, 0 GB. Finished 83-79.

1998: 11-16, 8 GB. Finished 77-85.

1999: 9-10, 4.5 GB. Finished 72-90.

2000: 11-14, 5 GB. Finished 82-80.

2001: 13-11, 1.5 GB. Finished 73-89.

2002: 10-16, 6 GB. Finished 73-89.

2003: 15-12, 4.5 GB. Finished 74-88.

2004: 9-12, 4.5 GB. Finished 68-94.

2005: 6-15, 8 GB. Finished 67-95.

2006: 15-10, 1.5 games ahead. Finished 76-86.

2007: 10-16, 5.5 GB. Finished 90-73. Won NL Pennant.

2008: 11-17, 9 GB. Finished 74-88.

Totals: 169-196 in April, 4.1875 GB on April 30 on average.

That’s five winning Aprils in sixteen seasons, including the 1995 April that only had five games due to the intrusion of the 1994 strike. Of those five winning Aprils, one resulted in the NL Wildcard berth (1995) and another in a 83-79 finish (1997), meaning a successful April translates to a Rockies’ winning season 40% of the time. Of the eleven losing Aprils, one resulted in the NL Pennant (2007) and two others netted a winning season (1996 and 2000), meaning an unsuccessful April translates to a winning season 27.3% of the time.

Granted, it is a small sample size because the Rockies have only existed since 1993, but the conclusion is that the Rockies have a better chance at a winning season (And thus, a better chance at making the playoffs) when they play well in the first month of the season. And the Rockies are 27 games below .500 all-time in April.

Now, with the premise that a successful April is better for a team than an unsuccessful April, let’s take a look at the Rockies schedule for the opening month:

Three game set @ Arizona.

Three game set in Denver again Philadelphia.

Two game set @ Wrigley against Chicago.

Three game set @ LA.

Return to the desert for three more @ Arizona.

Open a homestand with three games against LA.

Continue the homestand with three against San Diego.

That’s six games on the road against a team that went 82-80 last year and returns Brandon Webb and Dan Haren (probably the best 1-2 pitching combination in the NL), three games with the defending World Series champions, six games against the defending NL West champions that returns Manny Ramirez, two games against the defending NL Central champions, and three games against a San Diego team that appears to be the only reprieve on the schedule.

Ouch.

And here are the Rockies all-time regular season records against those teams:

Arizona: 77-108

Los Angeles: 109-140

San Diego: 127-122

Philadelphia: 51-67

Chicago: 64-73

Double ouch.

It is clear that the schedule maker did the Rockies no favors, but we’ve seen that a good start to the season may be vital to the Rockies’ ultimate success. Even though the regular season is often described as a marathon, the Rockies may need to make it a sprint these first three weeks and get themselves into a position to contend in an improved division.

While the schedule could make it an April of our discontent, the season might be made glorious by the suns of Cook, Jimenez, Street, Atkins, Helton, and Spilborghs. Hope certainly springs eternal from this Rockies’ fan. After all, they’re in first place and there’s still 162 games to lengthen their lead.