Post by Fish Troll on Apr 3, 2007 0:14:00 GMT -5
Baseball's back with a flourish
Pageantry and performance punctuates games across America
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
The feeling is the same for everyone but unique in its own way. For some, it is the first glimpse of a "real" pitch again. For some, it is the satisfaction of learning a "new" name on someone's roster. It is that personal tradition of being at the ballpark no matter what it takes, or of having a live game on your own computer at work.
It's Opening Day, and that feeling hit Phillies manager Charlie Manuel at about 7:30 in the morning when he arrived at Citizens Bank Park before the opener against Atlanta and saw the line of fans already "backed up for tickets."
"That's the first time I'd seen a line so early," Manuel said. "That stood out to me. Just the smell of hot dogs and Cokes get me excited."
And so it begins. No one ever knows how it will end, only how it will begin. And even then, you never really know for sure. You know there will be flyovers and giant flags, emotional first pitches, spine-tingling renditions of the national anthem, player introductions, Clydesdales, a Gold Glove presented to Ichiro, and all of the timeless pageantry and excuses to get out of work.
But you never know when:
Ben Sheets will throw a two-hit shutout against the Dodgers; Edgar Renteria will homer once to tie it and then again to win it in extras; Alex Rodriguez will be booed by home fans in the very first inning because of a T-ball-looking error and then a whiff, and then cheered late in the game on an insurance homer; Hanley Ramirez will have four hits and Craig Monroe will have four strikeouts; the Four Tops will miss a pregame show and Fernando Rodney will give up a pair in the 10th.
There are 13 openers being played on Monday, following that Sunday Opening Night victory by the Mets over the Cardinals. Then there will be one last one on Tuesday when Barry Bonds resumes his longball countdown for the Giants against the Padres. Here is an in-progress look around the Opening Day excitement:
Yankees 9, Devil Rays 5
Even though the Yankees had won nine consecutive home openers (1998-2006) and 20 of their last 23 since 1984, Derek Jeter still said of Opening Day, "You get butterflies. You get excited. Everyone's a little bit excited just because it's the first game. You look forward to getting this game out of the way so you can get into a routine of playing every single day, but this is special, especially here in New York."
There were apparently more butterflies at Yankee Stadium than above Machu Picchu. Starting with Rodriguez's bungled pop foul (and whiff) in the first inning and including Jeter's bad throw, Josh Phelps' wild throw to second and Melky Cabrera stumbling on the bases, it was a high-slop effort by the Yankees but still good enough to beat the Rays. A-Rod vindicated himself with a two-run homer late in the game, which helped turn the crowd back in his favor -- except, of course, for those fantasy owners who had drafted Mariano Rivera and now were without a save opportunity.
"Opening Day is always significant," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Even though it only counts as one game in the standings, you try to make your decisions with that in mind. All the hoopla, once that's over with, then it's baseball." Remember this one also for Elijah Dukes' first Major League hit -- a Tampa Bay homer.
Melanie Lidle and son Christopher were escorted to the mound by Jason Giambi for the ceremonial first pitch, dedicated to the memory of Cory Lidle, the former Yankees pitcher who was killed in a Manhattan plane crash last postseason. Cory's parents, Doug and Lisa, and his twin brother Kevin also attended the ceremonies.
"It's special," Kevin Lidle said. "Getting down on the field and seeing that memorial that they had was kind of rough, kind of touching -- a little bit of everything. Made you happy. Made you sad."
Blue Jays 5, Tigers 3
With 44,297 tickets sold, this game set a Comerica Park record, topping last season's home opener. Before this game, Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and longtime Tigers administrative assistant Audrey Zielinski unveiled the team's American League championship flag that was raised out beyond center field.
"This is when you feel like a little kid again," Inge said of Opening Day. "It feels like Little League, when you're about 10 or 12 years old. Opening Day came around and you had all the ceremonies and all the teams lined up on the field and you had your $5 uniforms that were falling apart already. You start to feel like a little kid again and get excited about baseball again."
It was an exciting game as well, extra innings to make a great day even longer. But Rodney gave up two runs in the 10th and then B.J. Ryan picked up his first save for the Blue Jays.
The Four Tops were scheduled to sing the national anthem, but were unable to make it in time due to delays in their flight back from a performance Sunday. Lori Couturier, a frequent performer at games who was already scheduled to sing the Canadian anthem, admirably stepped in. Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Braves 5, Phillies, 3
The line to which Manuel was referring was there because the Phillies sold 500 standing-room only tickets in 16 minutes the morning of the game. By almost every measure, it was a perfect day to be a fan of this team. The only real problem was Renteria. The Braves' shortstop tied the score at 3-3 with a homer in the top of the eighth, and then won it with a two-run shot in the 10th.
Phillies players paraded onto the field on a red carpet, and that was followed by the unfurling of a giant U.S. flag to the music of the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Men's Chorale. In addition, 50 state flags were carried by members of the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments. A Navy parachute team skydived into the stadium with the first ball, and it was tossed as the ceremonial first pitch by Vince Vukovich, 26-year-old son of the late and longtime Phillies coach John Vukovich.
Marlins 9, Nationals 2
Now there will be no more Opening Days at RFK Stadium.
That historic ballpark in Washington just saw its last one, and it began with a focus on tradition centered around the ceremonial first pitch. Throwing out this one were Hank Thomas, the grandson of Walter Johnson; Mickey Vernon, Washington Senators first baseman from 1939-48 and 1950-55; Audrey Fields, the widow of Homestead Grays ace Wilmer Fields; Chuck Hinton, first baseman and outfielder for the Washington Senators from 1961-64; and Manny Acta, new Nationals manager.
"It's a huge honor," Thomas said. "My grandfather was the recipient of many presidential tosses. For me to do that is unbelievable. That last season at RFK, I remember when the place opened. That's a great bit of nostalgia. I look forward to the new ballpark."
Acta was taking over for Frank Robinson in front of this crowd, and in the other dugout was another new manager: Fredi Gonzalez. The latter's Opening Day starter, Dontrelle Willis, was solid. But Acta saw a poor outing from John Patterson, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up a big two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera and four hits to Hanley Ramirez.
The Dixie Devils, a New Orleans jazz band, performed outside the main gate in the morning, and the area was filled with balloon artists, face painters and caricaturists to enhance the fan experience. On-field pregame entertainment included a performance by the U.S. Army Chorale, a seven-piece rock band. The National Guard Youth Challenge Program Cadets and Honor Guard presented the giant U.S. flag during the national anthem by the U.S. Army Marching Band and Herald Trumpets. The anthem concluded with a flyover by two F-18 Super Hornets, flown by the VFA-213 Black Lions.
Brewers 7, Dodgers 1
Sheets started his fifth Opening Day in the last six years, and before this outing he said, "The atmosphere is different. You have the ceremonies before and after. But for the most part, when you get out there on the mound everything is the same."
Is it fun?
"It's always fun," he said. "When you go out there, it had better be fun."
It was a lot of fun for Sheets, for the Brewers, for their fans at Miller Park. He pitched what easily could wind up as the best start of this entire season by anyone: 103 pitches, two hits against a Dodgers club expected by every preseason mag to win the NL West and then some.
The national anthem was sung by Joseph Attanasio, the father of the new owner of the Brewers. Attanasio had done this at the Brewers' 2005 home opener. Pregame ceremonies included first pitches by James Kimble and his grandson, 11-year-old Blake Kimble-Jones -- a local Boys & Girls Club member. The pair was selected to represent the strong inter-generational appeal of the game, and that spoke volumes about Opening Day in general. Seventy-five randomly selected season-ticket holders unfurled the giant flag.
Reds 5, Cubs 1
Thousands of fans lined 14 city blocks for the 88th annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade in Cincinnati, and offices went vacant downtown amid a sea of red. It was the "traditional opener" -- a right given to a city that can claim the first professional baseball game back in 1869, when the Red Stockings beat the Cincinnati Great Westerns.
That one was by a 45-9 score, and Adam Dunn would have fit into that lineup very nicely. In this opener 138 years later, he hit career homers No. 199 and 200 in his first two at-bats, and no longer is Cincinnati the Cubs' favorite Opening Day whipping city as in recent years. In fact, the Reds just beat the manager who was debuting for the Cubs against the team he guided to the 1990 World Series title: Lou Piniella.
"The fan excitement here on Opening Day is incredible," said Reds manager Jerry Narron. "I don't know of any other city that has a parade [on Opening Day]. I've been to Opening Day in a lot of places, but in Cincinnati it's unparalleled. Everybody's talking about the Reds today."
Prior to the Reds/Cubs game, the red carpet was rolled out for various celebrities and dignitaries who participated in on-field ceremonies. Atlanta Records recording artist Gia Farrell, whose hit song "Hit Me Up" was featured in the animated film "Happy Feet," performed the national anthem, highlighted by a flyover of four F-16 jets from the 178th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard based in Springfield, Ohio. Also during the national anthem, an American flag was unfurled by 85 members of the United States Air Force.
Indians 12, White Sox 5
It was 65 degrees, bright and sunny, spectacular pregame pageantry complete with an astronaut throwing out the first pitch, but Grady Sizemore pretty much ruined everything for the crowd at U.S. Cellular Field by homering on the second pitch of the game. Cleveland rolled to the victory, ending its four-year Opening Day losing streak.
"Really disappointing," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It was a beautiful day, everyone was pumped up and the White Sox fans were really pumped up at the game today, especially with the weather."
Joan Higginbotham, a NASA astronaut and Chicago native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mark Buehrle, in front of a crowd that included commissioner Bud Selig. Higginbotham, a graduate of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Southern Illinois University, made her first space flight aboard Discovery last December. She carried a White Sox jersey into space and presented the jersey to the Sox franchise; it will go to Cooperstown for posterity this summer.
Chicago's own national recording artist Umphrey's McGee performed the national anthem. It is the third time Umphrey's McGee has had this honor at a White Sox home game, and this rendition was accompanied by a U.S. flag unfurling in center field and a flyover by VFC-12 Ambush (Fighter Composite Squadron Twelve) F/A-18C Hornet Naval aircraft from Oceana, Va.
Royals 7, Red Sox 1
From those first three baserunners off of Curt Schilling to Joel Peralta's strikeout of Manny Ramirez to end the game, it was about as perfect a day that anyone in Kansas City could expect. Perfect weather, incredible increase in excitement surrounding the start of a season, Royal blue everywhere, tailgating, a first look at Alex Gordon and Gil Meche. And a dominating victory over Boston in the opener.
This was the day when REO Speedwagon performed the national anthem, fitting for a Royals fan base that has been riding the storm out for a while now. Those fans showed up hours before the start of the game, celebrating a season that many people have been looking forward to since October. Inside Kauffman Stadium, fans supplied every player with a loud cheer, including a strong ovation for Zack Grienke, Thursday's starter who has battled back from emotional problems.
After player introductions, blue and yellow confetti fell from the top of the stadium. Then the new-look Royals took the field against a Boston club that is widely expected to be a World Series contender. Meche was an immediate payoff, allowing only that one run in 7 1/3 innings.
"I am more excited than the past," Royals fan Eric Kilgore said. "It's nice to see what [new GM] Dayton Moore is doing. In the past, we would try to fix a huge wound with a Band-Aid, now we are performing surgery."
Mariners 4, A's 0
"When you're the Opening Day starter, you're also like a leader for the team," Felix Hernandez said before his first Opening Day start. "You have to go out and do your best. I think it's the greatest thing of my life."
Pretty much. Eight innings, no runs, 12 Ks, four hits -- domination by King Felix. Ichiro scored the first run of the Mariners' season, and then Richie Sexson hit a three-run home run to center. Greatest thing of your life, just being there on this day.
Besides the red, white and blue "Opening Day 2007" logos that were painted in front of both dugouts and the big "2007" that was raked into the dirt behind second, a "30th Anniversary" Mariners logo -- with the Space Needle, Kingdome and Safeco Field sharing space -- was painted in the grass behind home plate.
A five-minute Opening Day music video, with a banner of the four Mariners' logos over the past 31 years, was unveiled in center field over the batter's eye. The A's and Mariners players were introduced, with the Mariners jogging in on a red carpet that stretched from right-center to just behind second base. Reliever Arthur Rhodes, returning after a three-year absence, received one of the loudest ovations.
After the introductions, there was a moment of silence for the late Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former Mariners coach and one-game interim manager Marty Martinez, Bill (The Beer Man) Scott and Becky Cruz, wife of former Mariners second baseman Julio Cruz. The Seattle Symphony and Chorale sang the national anthem after the colors were presented by the Bellevue Fire Department Honor Guard. The Safeco Field roof re-opened and Ryan Schroeder, a 10-year-old from Maple Valley, handled the annual Make-A-Wish Ceremonial Run around the Bases. He was greeted at home plate by Sexson and Jarrod Washburn. And, of course, Ichiro was given that sixth straight Gold Glove.
Former Mariners players Alvin Davis and Jay Buhner, along with broadcaster Dave Niehaus, the only three members of the franchise's Hall of Fame, threw out the first pitches in the 31st season of Mariners baseball to Willie Bloomquist, Raul Ibanez and J.J. Putz. Niehaus has called the play-by-play for every Mariners season opener.
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 6
Before the Rockies' loss to the Diamondbacks, Coors Field was alive with a military march involving personnel from the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. A military flyover occurred to grand cheers at the end of the "Star-Spangled Banner," sung by the Air Force Academy Choir.
During player introductions, some of the loudest applause went to new front office assistant Vinny Castilla, who worked on the field during Spring Training and was in uniform for introductions. First baseman Todd Helton's applause was almost as loud.
There were mostly cheers, but also some scattered boos for right-handed reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, who during Spring Training expressed disagreement with the decision to put him in the bullpen and said he wanted to be traded to a club that needed a starter.
Manager Clint Hurdle, whose two-year contract extension was announced before the game (as was that of general manager Dan O'Dowd), presented left fielder Matt Holliday with the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for his offensive performance in 2006.
Four ceremonial first pitches were thrown by: Steve Miner, an original season ticket holder from 1993, Russ Dispence from King Soopers, Colo., Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.
The good news for the Rockies is that they weren't beaten by reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, the day's starter. The bad news was that the bullpen lost this one, as LaTroy Hawkins gave up three runs in the eighth for the loss, and that means a successful start to the Sedona Red era in Arizona.
Twins 7, Orioles 4
The Twins' day was full of tributes -- one to Brad Radke, and the other to longtime radio broadcaster Herb Carneal, who passed away on Sunday. Radke received a standing ovation as he threw out the first pitch. The Twins gave him the pitching rubber from his final start of last season and Radke threw a strike to manager Ron Gardenhire.
There was a video tribute to both Radke and Carneal, with Carneal's ending in a moment of silence as the video delivered a shot of his old microphone and a photo of him sitting by his now-empty chair with flowers alongside it. Video tributes ran the entire game from people such as Harmon Killebrew.
ormer "American Idol" finalist and Edina native Paris Bennett sang the national anthem to a sellout crowd, many of whom got the full Opening Day experience starting with a Breakfast on the Plaza early in the morning and then a Twins Rally at the Mall of America and a Concert on the Plaza just before the game.
Justin Morneau, the reigning AL MVP, picked up where he left off by homering back-to-back with Torii Hunter in the second inning. Johan Santana, a typical slow starter, gave up four runs but still was good enough to notch the win. It was a day to remember in Minnesota, kind of like the final day of the last regular season, when the surprising Twins somehow wound up with a division title. But there's no question about it: An air of sad nostalgia hung over this one as a familiar voice to generations was remembered.
Pirates 4, Astros 2
Craig Biggio received the loudest ovation when longtime radio announcer Milo Hamilton introduced the Pirates and Astros, and Biggio soon moved one hit closer to the 3,000 milestone (he needs 69 more). With one out in the ninth, the Astros had Brad Lidge in the game and the perfect ending to a perfect day was at hand at Minute Maid Park.
Then Xavier Nady homered to force extra innings, and Jason Bay crushed a two-run shot into the Crawford Boxes in the 10th. Sometimes you just can't plan these things, no matter how much you try.
The pregame ceremony began with a performance by country music recording artist Clay Walker. The U.S. flag was presented by the Woodlands Highlanders 5AQ state and national baseball team, and the school's Diamond Dolls. For the first pitch, the honors were handed to seven of Houston's "Good Guys" -- quintessential Houstonians who make Houston a great place to live and work.
The group included astronaut Jeff Williams, Port Authority executive director Tom Kornegay, Methodist Hospital Nurse of the Year Jan Flewelling, country crooner Walker, America Red Cross disaster relief volunteer coordinator for Hurricane Katrina Nancy Laughbaum, firefighter Tony Perez and police officer Dan Starr.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Pageantry and performance punctuates games across America
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
The feeling is the same for everyone but unique in its own way. For some, it is the first glimpse of a "real" pitch again. For some, it is the satisfaction of learning a "new" name on someone's roster. It is that personal tradition of being at the ballpark no matter what it takes, or of having a live game on your own computer at work.
It's Opening Day, and that feeling hit Phillies manager Charlie Manuel at about 7:30 in the morning when he arrived at Citizens Bank Park before the opener against Atlanta and saw the line of fans already "backed up for tickets."
"That's the first time I'd seen a line so early," Manuel said. "That stood out to me. Just the smell of hot dogs and Cokes get me excited."
And so it begins. No one ever knows how it will end, only how it will begin. And even then, you never really know for sure. You know there will be flyovers and giant flags, emotional first pitches, spine-tingling renditions of the national anthem, player introductions, Clydesdales, a Gold Glove presented to Ichiro, and all of the timeless pageantry and excuses to get out of work.
But you never know when:
Ben Sheets will throw a two-hit shutout against the Dodgers; Edgar Renteria will homer once to tie it and then again to win it in extras; Alex Rodriguez will be booed by home fans in the very first inning because of a T-ball-looking error and then a whiff, and then cheered late in the game on an insurance homer; Hanley Ramirez will have four hits and Craig Monroe will have four strikeouts; the Four Tops will miss a pregame show and Fernando Rodney will give up a pair in the 10th.
There are 13 openers being played on Monday, following that Sunday Opening Night victory by the Mets over the Cardinals. Then there will be one last one on Tuesday when Barry Bonds resumes his longball countdown for the Giants against the Padres. Here is an in-progress look around the Opening Day excitement:
Yankees 9, Devil Rays 5
Even though the Yankees had won nine consecutive home openers (1998-2006) and 20 of their last 23 since 1984, Derek Jeter still said of Opening Day, "You get butterflies. You get excited. Everyone's a little bit excited just because it's the first game. You look forward to getting this game out of the way so you can get into a routine of playing every single day, but this is special, especially here in New York."
There were apparently more butterflies at Yankee Stadium than above Machu Picchu. Starting with Rodriguez's bungled pop foul (and whiff) in the first inning and including Jeter's bad throw, Josh Phelps' wild throw to second and Melky Cabrera stumbling on the bases, it was a high-slop effort by the Yankees but still good enough to beat the Rays. A-Rod vindicated himself with a two-run homer late in the game, which helped turn the crowd back in his favor -- except, of course, for those fantasy owners who had drafted Mariano Rivera and now were without a save opportunity.
"Opening Day is always significant," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Even though it only counts as one game in the standings, you try to make your decisions with that in mind. All the hoopla, once that's over with, then it's baseball." Remember this one also for Elijah Dukes' first Major League hit -- a Tampa Bay homer.
Melanie Lidle and son Christopher were escorted to the mound by Jason Giambi for the ceremonial first pitch, dedicated to the memory of Cory Lidle, the former Yankees pitcher who was killed in a Manhattan plane crash last postseason. Cory's parents, Doug and Lisa, and his twin brother Kevin also attended the ceremonies.
"It's special," Kevin Lidle said. "Getting down on the field and seeing that memorial that they had was kind of rough, kind of touching -- a little bit of everything. Made you happy. Made you sad."
Blue Jays 5, Tigers 3
With 44,297 tickets sold, this game set a Comerica Park record, topping last season's home opener. Before this game, Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and longtime Tigers administrative assistant Audrey Zielinski unveiled the team's American League championship flag that was raised out beyond center field.
"This is when you feel like a little kid again," Inge said of Opening Day. "It feels like Little League, when you're about 10 or 12 years old. Opening Day came around and you had all the ceremonies and all the teams lined up on the field and you had your $5 uniforms that were falling apart already. You start to feel like a little kid again and get excited about baseball again."
It was an exciting game as well, extra innings to make a great day even longer. But Rodney gave up two runs in the 10th and then B.J. Ryan picked up his first save for the Blue Jays.
The Four Tops were scheduled to sing the national anthem, but were unable to make it in time due to delays in their flight back from a performance Sunday. Lori Couturier, a frequent performer at games who was already scheduled to sing the Canadian anthem, admirably stepped in. Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Braves 5, Phillies, 3
The line to which Manuel was referring was there because the Phillies sold 500 standing-room only tickets in 16 minutes the morning of the game. By almost every measure, it was a perfect day to be a fan of this team. The only real problem was Renteria. The Braves' shortstop tied the score at 3-3 with a homer in the top of the eighth, and then won it with a two-run shot in the 10th.
Phillies players paraded onto the field on a red carpet, and that was followed by the unfurling of a giant U.S. flag to the music of the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Men's Chorale. In addition, 50 state flags were carried by members of the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments. A Navy parachute team skydived into the stadium with the first ball, and it was tossed as the ceremonial first pitch by Vince Vukovich, 26-year-old son of the late and longtime Phillies coach John Vukovich.
Marlins 9, Nationals 2
Now there will be no more Opening Days at RFK Stadium.
That historic ballpark in Washington just saw its last one, and it began with a focus on tradition centered around the ceremonial first pitch. Throwing out this one were Hank Thomas, the grandson of Walter Johnson; Mickey Vernon, Washington Senators first baseman from 1939-48 and 1950-55; Audrey Fields, the widow of Homestead Grays ace Wilmer Fields; Chuck Hinton, first baseman and outfielder for the Washington Senators from 1961-64; and Manny Acta, new Nationals manager.
"It's a huge honor," Thomas said. "My grandfather was the recipient of many presidential tosses. For me to do that is unbelievable. That last season at RFK, I remember when the place opened. That's a great bit of nostalgia. I look forward to the new ballpark."
Acta was taking over for Frank Robinson in front of this crowd, and in the other dugout was another new manager: Fredi Gonzalez. The latter's Opening Day starter, Dontrelle Willis, was solid. But Acta saw a poor outing from John Patterson, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up a big two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera and four hits to Hanley Ramirez.
The Dixie Devils, a New Orleans jazz band, performed outside the main gate in the morning, and the area was filled with balloon artists, face painters and caricaturists to enhance the fan experience. On-field pregame entertainment included a performance by the U.S. Army Chorale, a seven-piece rock band. The National Guard Youth Challenge Program Cadets and Honor Guard presented the giant U.S. flag during the national anthem by the U.S. Army Marching Band and Herald Trumpets. The anthem concluded with a flyover by two F-18 Super Hornets, flown by the VFA-213 Black Lions.
Brewers 7, Dodgers 1
Sheets started his fifth Opening Day in the last six years, and before this outing he said, "The atmosphere is different. You have the ceremonies before and after. But for the most part, when you get out there on the mound everything is the same."
Is it fun?
"It's always fun," he said. "When you go out there, it had better be fun."
It was a lot of fun for Sheets, for the Brewers, for their fans at Miller Park. He pitched what easily could wind up as the best start of this entire season by anyone: 103 pitches, two hits against a Dodgers club expected by every preseason mag to win the NL West and then some.
The national anthem was sung by Joseph Attanasio, the father of the new owner of the Brewers. Attanasio had done this at the Brewers' 2005 home opener. Pregame ceremonies included first pitches by James Kimble and his grandson, 11-year-old Blake Kimble-Jones -- a local Boys & Girls Club member. The pair was selected to represent the strong inter-generational appeal of the game, and that spoke volumes about Opening Day in general. Seventy-five randomly selected season-ticket holders unfurled the giant flag.
Reds 5, Cubs 1
Thousands of fans lined 14 city blocks for the 88th annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade in Cincinnati, and offices went vacant downtown amid a sea of red. It was the "traditional opener" -- a right given to a city that can claim the first professional baseball game back in 1869, when the Red Stockings beat the Cincinnati Great Westerns.
That one was by a 45-9 score, and Adam Dunn would have fit into that lineup very nicely. In this opener 138 years later, he hit career homers No. 199 and 200 in his first two at-bats, and no longer is Cincinnati the Cubs' favorite Opening Day whipping city as in recent years. In fact, the Reds just beat the manager who was debuting for the Cubs against the team he guided to the 1990 World Series title: Lou Piniella.
"The fan excitement here on Opening Day is incredible," said Reds manager Jerry Narron. "I don't know of any other city that has a parade [on Opening Day]. I've been to Opening Day in a lot of places, but in Cincinnati it's unparalleled. Everybody's talking about the Reds today."
Prior to the Reds/Cubs game, the red carpet was rolled out for various celebrities and dignitaries who participated in on-field ceremonies. Atlanta Records recording artist Gia Farrell, whose hit song "Hit Me Up" was featured in the animated film "Happy Feet," performed the national anthem, highlighted by a flyover of four F-16 jets from the 178th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard based in Springfield, Ohio. Also during the national anthem, an American flag was unfurled by 85 members of the United States Air Force.
Indians 12, White Sox 5
It was 65 degrees, bright and sunny, spectacular pregame pageantry complete with an astronaut throwing out the first pitch, but Grady Sizemore pretty much ruined everything for the crowd at U.S. Cellular Field by homering on the second pitch of the game. Cleveland rolled to the victory, ending its four-year Opening Day losing streak.
"Really disappointing," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It was a beautiful day, everyone was pumped up and the White Sox fans were really pumped up at the game today, especially with the weather."
Joan Higginbotham, a NASA astronaut and Chicago native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mark Buehrle, in front of a crowd that included commissioner Bud Selig. Higginbotham, a graduate of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Southern Illinois University, made her first space flight aboard Discovery last December. She carried a White Sox jersey into space and presented the jersey to the Sox franchise; it will go to Cooperstown for posterity this summer.
Chicago's own national recording artist Umphrey's McGee performed the national anthem. It is the third time Umphrey's McGee has had this honor at a White Sox home game, and this rendition was accompanied by a U.S. flag unfurling in center field and a flyover by VFC-12 Ambush (Fighter Composite Squadron Twelve) F/A-18C Hornet Naval aircraft from Oceana, Va.
Royals 7, Red Sox 1
From those first three baserunners off of Curt Schilling to Joel Peralta's strikeout of Manny Ramirez to end the game, it was about as perfect a day that anyone in Kansas City could expect. Perfect weather, incredible increase in excitement surrounding the start of a season, Royal blue everywhere, tailgating, a first look at Alex Gordon and Gil Meche. And a dominating victory over Boston in the opener.
This was the day when REO Speedwagon performed the national anthem, fitting for a Royals fan base that has been riding the storm out for a while now. Those fans showed up hours before the start of the game, celebrating a season that many people have been looking forward to since October. Inside Kauffman Stadium, fans supplied every player with a loud cheer, including a strong ovation for Zack Grienke, Thursday's starter who has battled back from emotional problems.
After player introductions, blue and yellow confetti fell from the top of the stadium. Then the new-look Royals took the field against a Boston club that is widely expected to be a World Series contender. Meche was an immediate payoff, allowing only that one run in 7 1/3 innings.
"I am more excited than the past," Royals fan Eric Kilgore said. "It's nice to see what [new GM] Dayton Moore is doing. In the past, we would try to fix a huge wound with a Band-Aid, now we are performing surgery."
Mariners 4, A's 0
"When you're the Opening Day starter, you're also like a leader for the team," Felix Hernandez said before his first Opening Day start. "You have to go out and do your best. I think it's the greatest thing of my life."
Pretty much. Eight innings, no runs, 12 Ks, four hits -- domination by King Felix. Ichiro scored the first run of the Mariners' season, and then Richie Sexson hit a three-run home run to center. Greatest thing of your life, just being there on this day.
Besides the red, white and blue "Opening Day 2007" logos that were painted in front of both dugouts and the big "2007" that was raked into the dirt behind second, a "30th Anniversary" Mariners logo -- with the Space Needle, Kingdome and Safeco Field sharing space -- was painted in the grass behind home plate.
A five-minute Opening Day music video, with a banner of the four Mariners' logos over the past 31 years, was unveiled in center field over the batter's eye. The A's and Mariners players were introduced, with the Mariners jogging in on a red carpet that stretched from right-center to just behind second base. Reliever Arthur Rhodes, returning after a three-year absence, received one of the loudest ovations.
After the introductions, there was a moment of silence for the late Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former Mariners coach and one-game interim manager Marty Martinez, Bill (The Beer Man) Scott and Becky Cruz, wife of former Mariners second baseman Julio Cruz. The Seattle Symphony and Chorale sang the national anthem after the colors were presented by the Bellevue Fire Department Honor Guard. The Safeco Field roof re-opened and Ryan Schroeder, a 10-year-old from Maple Valley, handled the annual Make-A-Wish Ceremonial Run around the Bases. He was greeted at home plate by Sexson and Jarrod Washburn. And, of course, Ichiro was given that sixth straight Gold Glove.
Former Mariners players Alvin Davis and Jay Buhner, along with broadcaster Dave Niehaus, the only three members of the franchise's Hall of Fame, threw out the first pitches in the 31st season of Mariners baseball to Willie Bloomquist, Raul Ibanez and J.J. Putz. Niehaus has called the play-by-play for every Mariners season opener.
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 6
Before the Rockies' loss to the Diamondbacks, Coors Field was alive with a military march involving personnel from the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. A military flyover occurred to grand cheers at the end of the "Star-Spangled Banner," sung by the Air Force Academy Choir.
During player introductions, some of the loudest applause went to new front office assistant Vinny Castilla, who worked on the field during Spring Training and was in uniform for introductions. First baseman Todd Helton's applause was almost as loud.
There were mostly cheers, but also some scattered boos for right-handed reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, who during Spring Training expressed disagreement with the decision to put him in the bullpen and said he wanted to be traded to a club that needed a starter.
Manager Clint Hurdle, whose two-year contract extension was announced before the game (as was that of general manager Dan O'Dowd), presented left fielder Matt Holliday with the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for his offensive performance in 2006.
Four ceremonial first pitches were thrown by: Steve Miner, an original season ticket holder from 1993, Russ Dispence from King Soopers, Colo., Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.
The good news for the Rockies is that they weren't beaten by reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, the day's starter. The bad news was that the bullpen lost this one, as LaTroy Hawkins gave up three runs in the eighth for the loss, and that means a successful start to the Sedona Red era in Arizona.
Twins 7, Orioles 4
The Twins' day was full of tributes -- one to Brad Radke, and the other to longtime radio broadcaster Herb Carneal, who passed away on Sunday. Radke received a standing ovation as he threw out the first pitch. The Twins gave him the pitching rubber from his final start of last season and Radke threw a strike to manager Ron Gardenhire.
There was a video tribute to both Radke and Carneal, with Carneal's ending in a moment of silence as the video delivered a shot of his old microphone and a photo of him sitting by his now-empty chair with flowers alongside it. Video tributes ran the entire game from people such as Harmon Killebrew.
ormer "American Idol" finalist and Edina native Paris Bennett sang the national anthem to a sellout crowd, many of whom got the full Opening Day experience starting with a Breakfast on the Plaza early in the morning and then a Twins Rally at the Mall of America and a Concert on the Plaza just before the game.
Justin Morneau, the reigning AL MVP, picked up where he left off by homering back-to-back with Torii Hunter in the second inning. Johan Santana, a typical slow starter, gave up four runs but still was good enough to notch the win. It was a day to remember in Minnesota, kind of like the final day of the last regular season, when the surprising Twins somehow wound up with a division title. But there's no question about it: An air of sad nostalgia hung over this one as a familiar voice to generations was remembered.
Pirates 4, Astros 2
Craig Biggio received the loudest ovation when longtime radio announcer Milo Hamilton introduced the Pirates and Astros, and Biggio soon moved one hit closer to the 3,000 milestone (he needs 69 more). With one out in the ninth, the Astros had Brad Lidge in the game and the perfect ending to a perfect day was at hand at Minute Maid Park.
Then Xavier Nady homered to force extra innings, and Jason Bay crushed a two-run shot into the Crawford Boxes in the 10th. Sometimes you just can't plan these things, no matter how much you try.
The pregame ceremony began with a performance by country music recording artist Clay Walker. The U.S. flag was presented by the Woodlands Highlanders 5AQ state and national baseball team, and the school's Diamond Dolls. For the first pitch, the honors were handed to seven of Houston's "Good Guys" -- quintessential Houstonians who make Houston a great place to live and work.
The group included astronaut Jeff Williams, Port Authority executive director Tom Kornegay, Methodist Hospital Nurse of the Year Jan Flewelling, country crooner Walker, America Red Cross disaster relief volunteer coordinator for Hurricane Katrina Nancy Laughbaum, firefighter Tony Perez and police officer Dan Starr.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070402&content_id=1875741&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
