One of the things I love about the first week of the baseball season is that DirecTV provides its MLB Extra Innings package on a trial basis. So, while I was trying to keep up with the day job at the same time there was plenty of channel surfing going on this afternoon.

I watched parts of probably three-quarters of the games. How much time I spent was largely determined by players I have on various fantasy baseball teams. One guy I wish I had on more is Atlanta rookie Jason Heyward.

Heyward has been most experts’ Spring Training Golden Child, both for his athletic skills and his solid personality. I’ve never met the man so I can’t speak to his attitude. But I watched his first at-bat against Chicago today. The 20-year-old rookie shook off any nerves he might have been feeling and took a couple pitches. He then ROCKED a pitch several rows deep into right-centerfield for a no-doubt homerun in his first Major League at-bat.

Heyward added another hit and another RBI on the day. One game is too quick to judge, but the kid looks like he has it in him to be a star. And while, again, I’ve never met him, quotes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game make it look like he at least knows the right things to say. “The Braves won today, not just myself,” he reminded a reporter.

Few got off to better starts than Albert Pujols (not surprisingly) and Garrett Jones (slightly more surprising), both of whom hit two homers. I didn’t see either of Pujols’ bombs, which came as part of a four-hit game for St. Louis. I did see the first one Jones hit, which cleared the ballpark and landed in the Allegheny River. Maybe last year wasn’t a fluke.

The Pirates enter 2010 with the league’s lowest payroll, just under $35 million. But I think there might be an ounce of hope in Pittsburgh for the first time in years. They won’t compete for the playoffs this year – after all, Zach Duke was their opening day pitcher and he should be more of a back-end-of-the-rotation guy.

But they’ve got Andrew McCutchen to build a lineup around. Akinori Iwamura is underrated in the infield. Jeff Clement has the potential to wield a legitimate stick. And arguably the best prospect of them all, Pedro Alvarez, was sent back to the minors for more seasoning. I still question management’s commitment. Will they pay when these guys reach arbitration years? There are only two guys remaining from the guys who started on opening day in 2008. But if ownership does decide they finally have some talent worth keeping and building around, better days might actually, finally be ahead, after two decades of futility.

Finally, go figure, Chone Figgins is doing just what the Seattle Mariners signed him to do. In the first four innings of the opening night game against Oakland, he’s walked twice, stolen two bases and scored two runs. The Mariners lead 3-0.

I’m not going to stay awake to watch the end of that game or the Twins/Angels tilt, but today has been a lot of fun. It’s good to have baseball back.