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Mark it Down! Opening Day Is April 22
The date you all have been anticipating since the final outs of last season is now official: the MMSL's 16th season begins April 22 with the playoffs set for July 22-23 at the spectacular Cabin John Regional Park.

The full eight-week, 16-game schedule will hopefully be released at the spring meeting. But the Opening Day and playoff dates serve as bookends to what we hope and pray is a season without the (Shhh! Don't anyone say that four-letter word!) we have experienced the past three years.

The 2005 season was the first time since 2002 the MMSL has managed to play a full schedule, but even this accomplishment was not done without the use of three (shhh!) dates and some miraculous field spotting, group efforts on the diamond and bold "Go!" decisions by the Retired One.

Once again, the MMSL schedule will avoid holiday weekends and add the (shhh!) date at the end of the regular season--just in case.

Still to come: A firm date for the ladies' spring clinic, a one-day exercise last year that was one of the league's most successful experiments.

Look for the continuation of the parity scheduling the league has used since 2000 but there could be some shakeups in the divisional alignments. Of course, much of this is determined by the number of teams in the league . . . just like the playoff formats.

In 2005, each of the six division winners plus six wild-card teams advanced to the tournament.

Also to be considered: A single-elimination play-in tournament at the end of the regular season for teams that do not quality for the playoffs. The winner would gain a berth to the tournament.

This format was used successfully in the (shhh!) shortened 2003 season, and is a great idea that the league has tried to replicate in 2004 and '05. But the final weekend, or the last (shhh!) date of the season, has been needed each year instead.

Everyone feel lucky in 2006 for a full schedule without (shhh!)?