Hidden Corners of History Baseball’s Opening Day

Baseball’s Opening Day

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

 “Take me out to the ballgame; take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don’t care if I never get back. Let me root, root, root for the home team, if they don’t win it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game.”

That little song will once again be resonating throughout Major League ballparks all across the nation this week as the opening day of baseball season is officially Thursday, March 27. That date marks the earliest start date in MLB history. Sure, the Dodgers and Cubs played a few games in Japan but that was more of a commercial than anything.

Growing up a Cincinnati Reds fan, I have always enjoyed hearing the play-by-play radio shows and attending the games whenever possible. The game itself has stayed relatively the same for the past through decades with small changes coming every so often.

Some of the changes really ruffled the feathers of fans, but we soon forgot about the pitch clock, larger bases and bans on certain defensive shifts. Each change was initiated supposedly to increase the pizazz of the game and to speed it up. Want my opinion? Sure, you do. If I pay for a ticket to enter Great American Ballpark or any other stadium, do not speed up the game. I want to get my money’s worth.

28 of the 30 MLB teams will be playing on opening day with the Tampa Bay Rays and Colorado Rockies beginning on March 28. No matter if you are a fan of a particular team or not, to consider the precision of the offensive and defensive players will give you a newfound respect for the sport.

Imagine standing on the pitcher’s mound that is only 60 feet six inches from Homeplate where a batter is waiting to hit your pitch. Your goal is to blow the pitch past him or fool him into a swing and miss. Not to mention the fact that he hits the ball at greater than 100 miles per hour when he hits it. Sort of humbling.

On the flipside, imagine being the batter who stands 60 feet six inches from a man who has a ball in his hand, and he intends to throw it past you or fool you into swinging. Your task is to take a bat and send the ball back in the direction from which it came. Neither side has an advantage when it comes to difficulty.

As far as opening day is concerned, there have been many eventful openings. In 1907 the then New York Giants team were trailing the Phillies. Snow had fallen and there was enough to give the angry fans plenty to turn the scene into a snowball fight that ended the game in a forfeit favoring the Phillies. I hope there are no snow-covered fields this week.

Another notable event occurred on opening day 1947 whenever Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. He became the first black player to play in the major leagues. Robinson was a trailblazer who bridged a gap that was badly needing closed. The name Babe Ruth is quite synonymous with baseball, and it was on opening day 1974 that Hank Aaron tied Ruth’s record when he clubbed his 714th homerun.

In 1970 the Cincinnati Reds established their opening day holiday which essentially shuts the city down. The Findley Market Parade has become a tradition that is recognized as one of the best ceremonies in MLB.

Following the parade, our beloved Reds will begin the season with a series against the San Francisco Giants. Gametime is 4:10 p.m. and if they don’t win it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game.”