Opening Day in the “D”…
Today is a great day! It’s great every year. It marks the arrival of spring. It brings people together and captivates all. It’s OPENING DAY for the Detroit Tigers!!
There are some towns that may do it bigger and better – St. Louis and Cincinnati come to mind – but I have to argue that we in Detroit are just about right there.
The sea of orange, blue and white will be inescapable downtown. Local watering holes will be packed! A good many, reviving decade old traditions.
It has become a true “holiday” in the city. The stadium will be full, it was sold out in the dead of winter, but yet thousands more will head into the city. Today’s a little easier to get away as most of us have the day off (Good Friday), but it’s not above many to come down with the “orange and blue flu”.The other thing that is real special about opening day – it’s one of the only afternoon weekday games on the entire baseball schedule. Television has really ruined the beauty of cutting work or school and sittin’ in the sun enjoying a game.
Quick tangent – When I worked in the minor leagues, opening day always excited me. We would have spent a good two weeks, in whatever weather, getting the stadium ready, running through our game day routine. All the bulbs working on the scoreboard? Do we have the latest top 40 tunes? Have we build the player images for the video board? The excitement was palpable. In fact, before my first (and the first ever) Opening Day with the Lansing Lugnuts, I actually had to be hospitalized due to dehydration…I worked and worried myself sick! Needless to say, I learned to manage that better over the other 9 season, but I was ALWAYS excited and filled with anticipation!
Anywho, back to today. Today’s about friends and family and memories and new beginnings! I’ll be starting my day at 10am and have no idea when I’ll be home (probably tomorrow morning – God bless Better Half for putting up with me). I’ll begin at the Detroiter Bar and have the best burger (w/ bacon) in Detroit, then probably the Detroit Beer Company and Elwood’s before going to the game..after that, it’s game on!
It’s a beautiful day! Bless You Boys!!!
4 comments
I will have everyone know that I started dating Michael just before the above mentioned opening day with the Lugnuts and had to hall his ass out of the hospital, buy gator aid for the first time in my life and baby him for days -tru dat!
Opening Day was a blast! Good to hang out again and share a few pops while engaging in crude and immature humor.
back at ya brotha! been too long!
Great hangin’ with you @ The Detroiter, Bacon Boy. It was indeed a great day, aided by Mssrs. Galllaaaraaaggaaa and Cabrera. Let’s make it an annual event.
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