(By E. Chang)

For some people, the new year begins with a flute of champagne and a midnight countdown. For others it starts with red firecrackers and lion dancers. But for the rest of us, the new year doesn't start until the first umpire points to the pitcher and yells, "Play ball!"

For San Francisco Giants fans, New Year's Day is today. Thank the gods and the Willies.

Today, April 1st, the Giants opened their 128th season and will close it in late October or early November (one hopes). This column will follow them this season, posting weekly, looking at the week that was and the week that will be. There are places you can go for incredible daily updates and recaps, where you can get the latest and greatest in statistical analysis. This isn't that place. This will be where you'll go if you're the type who loves baseball but only makes it out to the ballpark a couple times a year; if you know the core of the team but can't name the entire roster; or hell, if you became a Giants fan in 2010 or 2012. Plenty of room on the bandwagon -- we'll move over for you.

So, last year, the Giants won the World Series. That was fantastic. That makes it two championships in the past three years. That means we're the shit, right? Yes, yes we are the shit, but only Giants fans think that (get used to this, btw, this persecution complex that all Giants fans have). You see, to the rest of baseball, the Giants are the team that are, you know, good, but not thaaaat good. The story is that the Giants got all the lucky bounces and got hot at the right time and somehow managed to steal two World Series trophies from favorites. And although the Giants are the reigning World Series Champions, and although the Giants have the reigning National League MVP, most everyone is pretty much distracted by the shiny boys in blue down south.

Speaking of, the Dodgers. Ugh.

I hate them. HATE them. Gary Radnich, a local sports TV and radio guy, likes to troll Giants fans by asking how they can possibly hate the Dodgers when we don't know any of them. We've never met them, shook their hands, talked to them. They've never kicked our puppies, so how can we hate them? Easily, that's how. I hate the KKK. Never met a single one. Still hate them. Am I actually comparing the dodgers to the Klan? Yep. Hate them both.

Anyhow, over the past few years, much to the amusement of Giants fans, the Dodgers organization has been as functional as North Beach on Saturday night. Divorces, scandals, failed TV contracts, and finally bankruptcy warmed the hearts of many a Giants fan.

Well, no more.

Last year, a new ownership group paid $2 billion dollars for the Dodgers. The Dodgers player payroll is now the largest in all the land. And they think they can make a real run at this. Maybe they can. But we'll worry about that later. What's important now is that the sun is out, the beer is cold, and baseball is back.

The Giants open the season today in L.A. for three games. They come home to San Francisco on Friday for three against the Cardinals and three against the Rockies.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown for he must defend the kingdom. You can hear the rumbling. The armies are forming, their flags flying blue and purple and red. They are Vandals. They are Huns, Visigoths, Mongols. They are Barbarians at the Golden Gate, thirty for noble Franciscan blood. But we are guarded by Freaks and Pandas, Belts and Mad Bums, Angels and Pagans, and pockets full of Posey.

We find refuge in the brick house that Bonds built, but this week, we take the fight to them, to Chavez Ravine to do battle with the boys in blue.

Opening day, ladies and gentlemen. Opening day.

Update: Giants lose, 0-4. Gah.