Ray Lemoine

After enduring two years of pain, Red Sox Nation’s diaspora returned to their East Village sanctuary, Professor Thom’s on Second Avenue, today. Opening Day was versus the hated Yankees, but Sox fans aren’t expecting the season to end in a rematch of the epic ALCS series of last decade. On Saturday The Times noted that due to spate of injuries, the team could end last in its division as easily as it could finish first.

In case you hate Boston and/or don’t pay attention to baseball, in September 2011 the Sox had one of the worst collapses in Major League history, losing 20 games in a month. Last year, after retooling and signing manager Bobby Valentine, they were predicted to win the American League. Instead they came in last place. “I just hope I don’t waste another year rooting for this team and then they lose at the end of the season like chumps,” said a beer-drinking, hooky-playing banker, who didn’t want his job to know he was not in fact out sick with the flu.

So far, so good: the Sox won in an 8-2 victory that saw much of Yankee Stadium leaving early.

It was also Opening Day at the MLB Fan Cave, over on Broadway and East Fourth Street. Here’s a shot of this year’s lucky “cave dwellers.”