Whose ready for some Red Sox baseball?

They say beginnings are often picked up right where they left off. Well, for the 2009 Red Sox, that will be the case as they kick off the 2009 season right where they finished the 2008. On Monday afternoon at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox will take on the 2008 ALCS Tampa Bay Rays.

The last time these two ball clubs played, it didn’t end pretty. Three days after the Red Sox pulled off a historic comeback in Game 5 of the ALCS, they ended up losing in Game 7: 3-1. The Rays ended up moving on to the World Series, while the Red Sox went home and were done to next year.

Now it all begins again. This time with Josh Beckett pitching his first opener in a Red Sox uniform, and James Shields pitching for the Rays. This match up will be the first of 18 meetings between the teams, not including a possibility for another ALCS rematch. This will be the first Opening at Fenway for the Sox since 2002, and they are looking forward to the challenge of facing one of their top competitors right out of the gate.

Unlike 2008, the Rays will no longer be a surprise team of the MLB. Aside from this awesome matchup, the Red Sox have several stories of their own for the opener.

It will be the first game at Fenway for Rocco Baldelli, Brad Penny, Takaski Saito, and Ramon Ramirez. Oh yeah! Don’t forget, this is also Jason Bay’s first Opening Day as a Red Sox. When asked about this special day, Bay said, “It will be fun. I mean, I kind of had my first Fenway opener last year on some level. This is a little bit different---Opening Day.” Also, this will be Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie’s first Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Definitely one that he’ll remember.

Seal will sing the National Anthem for the Season Opener. Also, the Boston Pops will perform “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch.

You can catch the Red Sox season opener on Monday, April 6th. Coverage starts at 2:05 pm/eastern on NESN and ESPN2.