Opening Day Nostalgia

"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come." -James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams

Opening day represents one of the greatest days of the year for baseball fans all around the country. It represents hope. Hope for a playoff birth, for a chance at glory, for a turnaround season. Every fan of every team, from the Royals to the Yankees, enters opening day with thoughts of October dancing in their heads. Writer Thomas Boswell even wrote a book about it, Why Time Begins on Opening Day, a great read for any devout baseball fan.

Opening day in Cincinatti is a city-wide holiday, as the league's first ever professional baseball team actually has a parade every opening day, celebrating the rebirth of a new season. The Reds are the only team in baseball that has the benefit of opening at home every year on opening day.

On Opening Day, the garauntee of a stellar matchup is there too, as it's your ace against their ace. Adrenaline pumping and nerves mounting, as the first ABs of the season and the first 6-4-3 double play combinations are tested in games that count. Hall of Famer pitcher Early Wynn once said, "[a]n opener is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all."

Crazy things happen on opening day as well...
-In 1940, Hall of Famer Bob Feller pitching for Cleveland threw the only no-hitter ever on Opening Day.

-My dearest "Teddy Ballgame" batted .449 in Opening Day games, hitting 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 14 games.

-On Opening Day in 1974, Hammerin' Hank tied the Sultan of Swat Babe Ruth's all-time home run record when he blasted his 714th home run at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinatti.

-Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson recorded 9 SHUTOUTS in 14 opening day starts throughout his illustrious career.

-Hall of Famer Frank Robinson hit 8 home runs throughout his career on Opening Day

-Soon to be first-ballot Hall of Famer Greg Maddux is a perfect 6-0 in 7 starts on Opening Day

While opening day victories usually don't mean much as a forecast for how a team will perform throughout the season (the Devil Rays share the current winning streak with a few other teams of 3 straight Opening Day wins), the excitement and aura of the baseball diamond cannot be downplayed on this day of days. So take a sick day this Monday, tell your wife you'll mow the lawn or clean out the garage tommorow, grab a 6-pack, sit in the easy chair and soak up the magic of Opening Day. Because on Tuesday, you might just be another Pittsburg/Kansas City/Tampa Bay/Florida fan talking about next season.