Last week, we had another “Question of the Week” from Mike Chamernik, and he’s back today with his latest QOTW.
Enjoy!
Question of the Week
by Mike Chamernik
A few years back, my college friends and I got White Sox tickets for Opening Day. We were going to take off work, tailgate before the game, and watch from the upper deck. It was going to be a grand old time. I had never been to an Opening Day before, and I know how important the day is to baseball fans.
Unfortunately, this was March 2020, so Opening Day was postponed and then canceled entirely. I still have the phantom digital ticket stub in my Apple Wallet. No one attended any White Sox games that year (or any team’s games, until the postseason).
Have you attended Opening Day, or a home opener for your team? Did you have to call in “sick” from work or school? Did the atmosphere of the game differ from other regular season games?
What are your plans for Opening Day this year, even if you’re not going to a game? What are some of your favorite Opening Day memories? What makes the day special?
Thanks, Mike — great question again.
And definitely in my wheelhouse — I’ve been to at least 10 Mets opening days over the years (though none of them in decades — all of those 10+ were at Shea) and in every single one I took a personal day from the office to attend. I’ve been to glorious warm home openers (like 80° days, which is almost unheard of in New York in early April), and I’ve also sat — partially undercover thankfully — through cold rain and snow openers. It’s always an awesome time at opening day — if it’s the first game of the season, your team is undefeated and obviously going 162-0. All the pain and suffering (which, as a Mets fan, I can attest to) of the previous season is forgotten, and it literally feels like a rebirth. I won’t go on any longer, I’m sure you get the idea and I’m very much looking forward to hearing how the readers respond to this one!
This year I believe I’m taking my mom to another doctor’s appointment on Opening Day, but I’ll catch as much of the game as I can on TV (or replay). How about you guys?
I do take a day off for opening day (some years I would take Thursday and Friday off) and attend. One time my manager at work would also take a day off for opening day and upon learning how much of a baseball fan I am, he encouraged me to do the same.
I like the extra pomp and circumstance of Opening Day, with the full team introductions and seeing new players make their home debuts. And also it being a new season, a clean slate.
Respect to that manager
I attended THE opening day for Toronto FC, or rather, their first ever home game at BMO Field in 2007. I was 12 years old, and the team I was playing for was selected to be the “mascots” (the kids that walk out with the players before the game).
But in the spirit of the question, no. I’ve always thought about going to opening day at SkyDome/Rogers Centre, but I avoid indoor games as much as possible so I’ve never gone through with it.
I wanna see a game at Rogers Centre
I don’t ever take day off, but Ill pack my family’s lunches with (detroit) coney dogs.
Delicious. I was in Detroit once and I regret not going to a Coney restaurant. Especially one of the two downtown that are right next to each other
I went to Opening Day for the Richmond Flying Squirrels last year. It was a night game, so no need to take any time off. It was fun to see all the celebrations, but it was kind of a cold and damp evening. I think it would a lot more enjoyable if they had a day game, although with the night game we did get to see fireworks.
I’m eager to go to some early season games, but yeah it’s going to be chilly and probably rainy. I’ll have to dress in layers for a baseball game
I went took a day off work for Pirates home openers from 2008-19 and the atmosphere was always better than other regular season games. Two games that stick out was when it heavily snowed the night before one of them and we were dressed like we were going to a late season Steelers games the day of the game. The other was when Neil Walker hit a walk off home run in extra innings on my 30th birthday.
Neil Walker was a good player during the 2010s
Not seeing my comment here for some reason.
I went to THE opening day for Toronto FC, or rather, their first ever home game in 2007. I was 12, and the team I played for was selected to be the “mascots” (the kids that walk out with the players before the game). It was quite surreal to be standing on the pitch listening to the anthems at a professional game in Toronto!
I’ve also been to the first game of the season for two Scottish teams – Celtic (2004) and Hibernian (2009). The latter was memorable, not only because of the Hibs game, but because my team Arsenal trounced Everton 6-1 on the opening day of the Premier League season.
As for the spirit of the question – no. I’ve thought about going to Opening Day at SkyDome/Rogers Centre, but I generally try to avoid indoor games, so I’ve never pulled the trigger.
I’ve been going to opening day with my dad most years for the past 15-20 years. It has become a nice little tradition. A couple years back it was neat to book end the Phillies season with my dad, attending the home opener and the last home game, game 5 of the world series (even though it was a loss) together. Looking forward to this year and hoping the forecasted rain holds off.
Fantastic. I love father-son Opening Day stories
Been to (almost) every O’s home opener since 2010, and a smattering of ones prior to 2010. Usually take the full day off, but sometimes do a half day. Never had to fake sick or anything, I just take the vacation, and it’s always worth it. Opening Day is like a holiday in the city, everyone’s out and about in the bars and rooftops, and the game is absolutely a bigger deal compared to an average, everyday game. It’s one of my favorite days of the year, every year, easy.
Do you hang at Pickles before the game?? A buddy of mine works there
Opening Day always holds a special place in my heart. I’ve been to several home openers for the Indians/Guardians and seen some memorable moments. I was there for the Snow-pening day game and memorials for Herb Score, Bob Feller and superfan John Adams. Opening day also happened to be the last day I saw my dad before his passing. When I haven’t been able to attend, I still try and bring the game home having a meal of hot dogs and nachos and other stadium fare. To me though, there is nothing like the environment of a sold out stadium braving the Ohio spring, cheering on the announcement of the players and having all the hope in the world that this is the year.
Going to the Marlins home opener Thursday to see Skenes vs Alcantara. Went to the Rays opener a couple years ago to say goodbye to Miggy. Opening Days definitely feel different than regular season games during the dog days.
That should be a good game this week. Tickets as low as $18
I attended the Islanders’ opening night of the 2012-13 season, hosting the Devils. It was in CY 2013 because a lockout shortened the season. I was in my first year of law school at Hofstra, so the Islanders were right there (I could literally walk from the dorms), and I was so happy to have the NHL back in my life. I went with a few friends, including an Islanders fan, a Devils fan (and cousin of a player whose name a Devils fan would DEFINITELY remember), and somebody who had never seen a hockey game before. I’m a Habs fan, so I was a certified neutral fan that night. I agree, there’s something special about Opening Night…it’s been on the calendar after an offseason when games weren’t on the schedule anymore, and now we’re all back. It’s more special when an Opening Night is delayed even longer.
I went to Opening Night once – 2005 aftercthr NHL lockout. The Captials didn’t sell out.
On the first shift, the teams #1 draft pick checked a BlueJacket into the glass and dislodged it. He then scored two goals. He’s scored 886 since then.
I almost always go to Opening Day, i may have missed 3 or 4 since DC got baseball back.
I enjoy the pageantry, symbolism and optimism of the day.
This year is a 4:05 start which means I will work half a day. I will probably take a bike share from the office since that’s less than 10 minutes away.
If it had been an earlier start, I probably would have taken the whole day and bike commuted all the way from Alexandria to Nationals Park and back. That’s my favorite way to do Opening Day, though with a 4:05 start this year, it may be dark for the last few miles to my house.
Notable Opening Days
2005 – my only OD on the road Philadelphia, seeing a DC baseball team for the first time
2008 – Opening Night at Nationals Park – thr Mr. Walkoff origin
There’s a great book called 50 For 50 about a guy who went to Opening Day every year from 1970-2019. Most of the book occurs in DC/Baltimore, so Mr Walk Off features prominently during his time with the Nats
Yeah I noticed that the Opening Day games all start at 3 or 4pm local times. There’s no 1:05 games.
This is a nice feature. I enjoy reading all the different stories.
Here are a couple of mine:
• In grade school, if you produced a ticket to the Home Opener, our nuns would let you leave early. Very cool of them.
• Watching Rocky Colavito’s first game with the Tigers right after that bastard Trader Frank Lane traded our hero to Detroit. My Dad took my brother and I. It was a cold day in the bleachers in mid-April.
• A full house at that massive old Municipal Stadium to watch the Tribe and Red Sox in 1992. Sat in right field upper deck. They beat us on a two-run homer in the 19th inning.
I’ve heard stories like that, where strict teachers or nuns will excuse you if you go to a big ball game. Pretty cool
They don’t make GMs like Frank Lane anymore. (Maybe Jerry Dipoto, kinda sorta?)
My only in-person Opening Day was a great one — 1975 in Cincinnati. I was a sophomore at Ohio State, and my girlfriend — who was from Cincy — bought me opening day tickets as a birthday gift. It was a Monday, so we must have blown off classes for the day.
As you all know, Opening Day in Cincinnati is a civic holiday, with a big parade and a lot of ceremony. I honestly don’t remember any of that, but I do remember the game, a 2-1, 14-inning win over the defending NL champion Dodgers, who were the Reds’ big NL West rivals in those days. The winning run scored on an infield hit by George Foster.
It was a bright sunny day, but our seats were in an auxiliary (i.e. football) press box down the right field line, in full shade, so we were pretty chilly by the end of the long game.
That turned out to be the first of 108 regular season wins in what would be the first world championship year for the Big Red Machine. They’d had a great team for years but hadn’t won a championship yet and so had a pretty big monkey on their back as a result. We didn’t know it yet, but that day turned out to be step one in finally getting it off.
Opening Day for one of the best baseball teams ever is pretty good
1993 opening day at the Cell. Bo Jackson hits a home run vs the Yankees in his first AB after missing all of 1992 getting the hip replacement.
Wild how much Sox Park has transformed over the years. Looks completely different from the early 1990s
I took off from a day off classes in college and attended a windy and chill opening day once. The Pirates were already in mid-season form that day.
A few years ago I took one of my kids to their first baseball game for what was the second day of the season. It snowed steadily on and off throughout the game, a first for me as well as them. We dressed for the cold weather and had a memorable time.
I’m not a baseball person, but opening weekend in San Francisco (usually the first Saturday home game of the season) has been an on-and-off tradition for several years now. Weather in SF is always great, but first week of April is absolutely perfect.
My most memorable opening day was one that didn’t happen. I worked for the Cleveland professional baseball club during college, bouncing around departments a bit over three seasons.
By senior year I was working in Ballpark Ops. This meant being among the earliest to clock-in on game days. For opening day I was in by 6AM. Before 7 we were informed that incoming snow was going to postpone the game. But since we had actually gotten to the stadium before most other staff were out of bed, we were going to have to cover some essential roles.
I was assigned to man the front desk of HQ and, essentially, the entire empty ballpark. I spent 10 hours watching the snow pile up on Onatrio St., while occasionally fielding a phone call from a flabbergasted fan trying desperately to find the game on the radio.
They ended pushing the whole series, and then played their next few home games in Milwaukee.
Cleveland gets a lot of snow for opening days link
It was April 10, 1975 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, 2 of my friends and I caught the “Chene” bus in Hamtramck to go watch opening day. We were in our early teens, The Tigers played the Baltimore Orioles. Lee May hit a 2 run homer for the Orioles off of Joe Coleman of the Tigers in the very 1st inning. Jim Palmer pitched a 3 hit shutout and Baltimore walloped the Tigers 10-0. We sat in the upper-deck center field bleachers for a $1.00. It was a beautiful spring day temperature about 65 degrees. Even though the Tigers lost, we had fun and enjoyed the wonderful experience of attending “Opening Day”. Those are memories I’ll never forget.
Love it!
Opening day. A definite yes, without hesitation—I’ll be there, just as I have been for years rooting on the tribe which are now the Guardians. It’s more than just a game; it’s a family tradition, passed down like a treasured heirloom. Since I was a boy, the magic of opening day has been etched into my heart. I am blessed to come from a large, loud, and loving family where baseball was not just a game—it was a way of life. My father and grandfather, both passionate fans, shaped my love for the sport, and every year, without fail, they made sure that opening day wasn’t just a date on the calendar.
It became a sacred occasion. My dad, always working hard, would let us skip school except college but there was always an invite—an act of rebellion, a break from the routine, just for us. He’d gather my brothers, my sisters, and me, and we’d set out together, the excitement buzzing in the air like a crowd roaring at a first strikeout. We’d pile into the car, heading downtown, enjoyed the day together as the anticipation building as we walked in together, as one. The ritual of wearing the same sweatshirt and hats, one of those little traditions that made it all feel even more special. It wasn’t just about the game; it was about being together, sharing something we loved.
Over the years, we’ve lost some of the faces that used to fill our family circle, but in their place, new ones have emerged—our children, our families growing as we continue the tradition. The voids left behind by those we’ve lost are filled with laughter, chaos, and joy once more. But every year, I still feel them—my father’s presence in the crack of the bat, my grandfather’s spirit in the roar of the crowd. Those memories, tied to the rhythm of the game, are never far from my heart.
As I stand at the ballpark now, I can’t help but think of all those days my dad took me. And now, as I pass on the baton, I find myself mimicking the same things for my own kids. We share the same early mornings, the same excited whispers, the same wide-eyed wonder as we step into the stadium together. The game might be the reason we’re there, but the memories—the moments between pitches, the shared smiles, the time spent together, all the high fives, the predictions—are what make it truly magical. And in those moments, I know this tradition, this family bond, will live on forever all thanks to two men who loved baseball.
Sad to say, for all my years growing up in Cleveland, never got to Municipal Stadium for an opener. I did, however, get to the first game at Jacobs Field (having seen the final Municipal games in ’93). Since moving to Minnesota, I don’t think I’ve missed an opener in 35 years! I get group tickets for that game, so I’m usually joined by 40-100 other friends and family for it. The strangest was Opening Day 2021, when blocks of seats were blocked off so only 3-4 people sat together at the most.
2021 was wild times
A good part of my college years was spent actively doing all I could not to attend classes, especially in the spring when the psychotic weather in the Midwest and later the Ohio Valley would cooperate. I regularly would skip school to buy tickets for the Royals and later on the Reds at old Riverfront Stadium and happily ditch class again for the games themselves with friends. I kept the tradition alive after graduating. I ending up in academia and just cancelled my classes and office hours for the day, it was usually in my syllabus calendar too, no need to make up a story about being sick.
On a side note, I mourn the loss of physical paper tickets. I have the stub for nearly every event I’ve ever gone to in my life up until a few years ago. I have resents of them on my phone in some app, but it’s not the same, anyway…
With digital tickets, I’ve noticed if that you don’t save them before the game (like adding them to Apple Wallet or taking a screenshot) then they disappear forever after the game ends
To Phil’s point, even with all that “pain and suffering” as a Mets fan, the Mets hold the best Opening Day record at 41-22: link
Even after they lost their first 8 open days games in franchise history (1962-69).
Personally, I attended the last Opening Day games at both Tiger Stadium and Shea Stadium.
The atmosphere at Tiger was what can best be described as a party. This was largely because it was a beautiful day in Detroit and there were a ton of Bars along Michigan and Trumbull.
The atmosphere at Shea was a bit more restrained. Hard to “celebrate” before the game outside Shea if you didn’t have a car.
Great stuff, everyone!
For Thursday, I’ll probably bring my tablet into the office so I can watch the Brewers game.
Never been to Opening Day, but I’ve been to a few 2nd and 3rd games of the year. I’m probably going to go to the White Sox game on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, as long as the weather isn’t brutal.
I was in New Jersey with my brother (both of us came up from Houston) for a funeral in late March of 2019. It just so happened that Opening Day at Yankee Stadium fell on a day we had no plans, and even better (for me), my Orioles were playing the Yanks. Going to the game was a spur-of-the-moment decision we made over coffee and bagels at a deli in North Jersey, and we jumped on the bus to the city and bought overpriced tickets thru StubHub while the bus chugged towards the Lincoln Tunnel. It was a gorgeous day, and we had a great time despite it being a lousy game for the Orioles, who were on their way to another rock-bottom season. We ended up in Brooklyn for Italian food that night. Quite a fun day. That’s the only Opening Day I’ve attended in person.
Fantastic! Love serendipity like that
Been to half a dozen Tigers’ opening day over the years, including the final one at Tiger Stadium, Always a party, some people are vaguely aware of a baseball game going on. Guarantee there’s thousands of people in the area that have gone to parties around the game without actually having tickets or attending the game at all. Inside, it’s special for the first inning or so; after that, just another ball game.
I was at that last one at Tiger too. Sitting in the bleachers. There were also three then current Red Wings players in there with us. Chris Draper for sure…I forget the other two.
I say “in there” for those of you unfamiliar with the Tiger Stadium bleachers – there was one way in and they were double height fenced so you couldn’t access other seats from them. Like a cage really.
The female fans in said bleachers were rather “exuberant” that day as well. Or it was really hot as many of them felt the need to air out their tops repeatedly.
Likely plenty of anti-freeze consumed on that day. We were in the right field corner, not quite to the pole, in the upper deck (the BEST place to watch a ball game, unless you were on the rail in the lower deck).
For a big ballpark, that place was quite intimate; during quieter moments, you could hear Ernie Harwell’s play-by-play, and you didn’t need a radio to do it.
Been to half a dozen Tigers’ opening day games, including the final one at Tiger Stadium. Big party atmosphere, there’s always hundreds of people that go just for the party, and are vaguely aware of a game being played. Inside, it’s different for the first inning, after that, it’s just another ball game.
My favorite baseball game I went to, I was hardly watching the game. It was a Sox game and I don’t even remember the opponent. I was having a blast hanging with buddies and tailgating before the game.
4/9/85 – Mets vs. St. Louis at Shea. Temps were in the high 30s/low 40s with 20 mph winds resulting in a higher than normal hard liquor consumption amongst the fans and leading to at least one fight per inning on my side of the stadium. I thought I was at a Jets game. Mets won 6-5.
“higher than normal hard liquor consumption amongst the fans and leading to at least one fight per inning on my side of the stadium”
Yeah, sorry about that. I used to get into frequent rows in those days…
Well damn, I guess I need to set some new priorities…
When Dad was alive and living in Dallas, they had season tickets right behind home plate. I am pretty sure I went to Rangers Opening Day the year the first “Ballpark in Arlington” was built. I actually have our actual seats from Arlington Stadium – they sold then when Arlington Stadium closed.
I enjoyed baseball back then – but now I am ALL IN. Usually do not even attempt Opening Day at the Astros in the last few years. But clearly, that needs to change. Thanks for the “push” for next year.
I think about 30 years ago I attended a Tigers home opener with my dad and best friend. My dad was never much for pre or post-game celebrations so we drove down there and as soon as the game was over we left. I don’t even recall who the opponent was or even the final score. My workplace has a Tigers home opener luncheon: game on the big screen in the lunchroom, hot dogs, cracker jacks, nachos, etc for lunch. The place is all decorated and we’re allowed to wear Tigers gear. Our company also has offices in Minnesota and they get the same treatment, albeit for the Twins.
I like the Tigers party
I have been to several Reds Opening Days since 1983. Not so many here lately, but many at Riverfront Stadium. These were when the Reds played the traditionally first game of the season.
As it should be…
At least they are at home tomorrow
Attended Opening Day for the Colorado Rockies in the early 2000’s and even though it cost me an arm and a leg to park, the pomp and circumstance was well worth it – it was a bucket list item for me! Also went to the first-ever night game for the Rockies in 1993 (game was officially snowed out) but I can say that I was in the stadium in my assigned seat when they officially postponed the game vs the New York Mets!!!
I went to the Montreal Expos Opening Day games back in 1986 and 1988. ’86 was cold, but by ’88 they’d finally put a roof on the Olympic Stadium.
Of course, the ’88 game was where Darryl Strawberry hit the roof of the Big Owe with a mammoth hit. I remember the ball leaving the bat and seconds later, coming down and bouncing off the Astroturf (“Huh…what happened?”).
link