It will be snowing again in Boston before you know it, and what Julia Fitzgerald wants more than anything right now at the MLB.com Shop is a nice, warm Red Sox Women's Pink Knit Cap.

Retail price: $13.99. Cyber Monday price: $10.49.

Now expand that savings opportunity across the entire MLB.com Shop to include customized jerseys, memorabilia, recliners and even refrigerators, and you can see why this might be the biggest day of the entire calendar year there. Take 25 percent off anything at the Shop from noon to 5 p.m. ET today with this special Cyber Monday five-hour sale, a dream opportunity for those doing their holiday shopping.

All signs point to a blockbuster day of online shopping, thanks to opportunities like this one. The National Retail Federation said it expects 84.6 million adults on Cyber Monday to shop online from either home or work, up from 72 million last year.

"Online retailers have been planning their Cyber Monday promotions for months and are eagerly waiting to debut these deals to shoppers," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, an online division of the NRF. "Many people who didn't want to fight the crowds or get up early to stand in line over the weekend have been waiting until Cyber Monday to start their holiday shopping."

Count Fitzgerald among that large group. The lifelong Red Sox fan and MLBlogger from Sudbury, Mass., said in an email to MLB.com that she also is looking for baseball gifts for two sons, a tweener and a teen. She last purchased a green baseball cap at the Shop for one of them, and she said all fans are benefiting in a tough economy from major discounting such as this.

"I actually do a lot of online shopping. It is so much easier to compare prices and features without having to drive to a lot of places -- and until recently that was very expensive to do," Fitzgerald said. "Also, I find that for many items, the prices are better online even when you factor in the shipping cost -- that is, if the site has shipping costs. On Black Friday, instead of fighting all the crowds, I did my shopping online.

"I think given the current economic crisis, people are going to be cutting back on their spending and looking for ways to stretch their limited funds. I think more and more people will look to online sites as a way to find the better price. A few years ago, I don't think we would have seen this, but as people become more comfortable with making purchases online, I think more retailers -- like MLB has -- will recognize this and will change their marketing strategies.

"While this may not be good for the brick-and-mortar stores, it is good for the consumer. And given the current state of the economy, anything that is good for the consumer is a plus."

Whether you like the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers, Giants or any Major League (or Minor League) club, you will find this Cyber Monday to be an incredible rush. Many fans have been checking out various items in recent weeks at the MLB.com Shop, waiting to seize the moment at just the right sale.

The NRF said the traditional Black Friday start to the overall holiday shopping season was an impressive showing -- and perhaps a good harbinger for the economy. It was reported that shoppers spent $41 billion in the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. The average shopper spent $372.57, up 7.2 percent from the $347.55 spent last year.

"Pent-up demand on electronics and clothing, plus unparalleled bargains on this season's hottest items, helped drive shopping all weekend," NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement. "Holiday sales are not expected to continue at this brisk pace, but it is encouraging that Americans seem excited to go shopping again."

Shoppers on MLB.com have been active since during the World Series, with heavy traffic to the Shop this entire month and no doubt a lot of comparison shopping and "scouting" going on during that time. Now it's Cyber Monday, and the time is here to start getting serious about that list.

While Fitzgerald is just wanting to stay warm, evidently there are a lot of people who have something cold in mind. Just what is it about these new counter-top refrigerators from Boelter that have made them a surprisingly hot commodity in recent days at the Shop?

Just consider the Nationals Fridge as an example. It measures 3.4 cubic feet, and if you click the "Alternate View" feature, you can see that it holds a lot.

Retail price: $449.99. Cyber Monday price: $337.49.

If you want one for yourself or for a special baseball fan on your list -- maybe he or she is a college student -- then now's the time.

Or consider a Brewers Portable Refrigerator as an example of the smaller versions you can bring in the car for tailgating. It features the same kind of full-color graphics on the outside, but this one has a carry-top handle and holds up to 24 cans. Again, click the "Alternative View" to envision exactly how this can be a fan's dream gift.

Retail price: $249.99. Cyber Monday price: $187.49.

Now's the time.

Maybe you want a knit cap like Fitzgerald. The supply is virtually endless. Pay special attention to those new Cooperstown/Modern Reversible Knit Caps. Wear it one way and you have your favorite team's contemporary look and feel; turn it inside out and you're making a throwback statement. Why didn't anyone think of that before? Take the Tigers version for example.

Retail price: $17.99. Cyber Monday price: $13.49.

It's that way all over the place on this day, from noon to 5 p.m. ET. Plan your day accordingly, because it's too good to miss it. And just like a typical regular-season game, you can be sure that you will be part of a massive crowd.

The only difference is that you won't even know it. Convenience matters.

The virtual MLB.com Holiday Catalog and the Gift Finder are cool ways to hone in on the perfect gifts, and Gift Cards will be a solution for many up to and through the winter holidays. Another perfect choice for any baseball fan is a 2009 MLB.TV Premium subscription -- for yourself or that special person on your gift list.