Opening Day 2009: So you're telling me there's a chance.

Lloyd: What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance.
(via Dumb and Dumber, 12/16/2004)

At last, Opening Day 2009.

In the spirit of Lloyd Christmas: There's a chance for the Nationals. At least for one day.

Time to bury the 2008 disaster, put the Winter of the Nationals' Discontent behind us, and hope like hell that 2009 will mark a turning point for an organization that's sorely in need of proving that it is headed in the right direction. Our gut tells us that in the end, this won't be a historically bad team, just a run-of-the-mill sub-.500 one -- with a lot of interesting young pieces to keep tabs on. And because this is the Nationals, lots of big, burning questions.

One question on our minds this morning: does a bad start (and with a brutal April schedule against the NL East on tap, it's a possibility) cost Manny Acta his job? But enough negativity! Let's think positive thoughts!

Without further ado, here are the Official Nationals Enquirer 2009 predictions.

Nationals final record: 76-86, good for 4th place in the NL East. Here's how the East shakes out in '09:

1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Nationals
5. Marlins

MLB:
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Card: Rays
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Braves

World Series: Red Sox beat Dodgers

We'll probably add some additional thoughts before the first pitch this afternoon at 4:10.