| Opening Day the Start of My Year |
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Written by Jonathan Leshanski (Contact & Archive) on April 06, 2009
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There is no day of the year that excites me as much as Opening Day.  Not Christmas, not my birthday, not even Halloween, Thanksgiving or New Years Eve, all of which rank high on my list.  No, Opening Day is special, very special, and for me itâs the equivalent of all the others rolled into one. To me, thatâs the true start of the year. And the sign that things have started isnât the ball falling in Times Square, but the umpire stepping to up, and calling out âPlay Ball!â at home plate. New Year came a little early in my world, after all it was not just a game, but a new ballpark, and my daughterâs first Major League game to boot. And Citi Field is gorgeous, with its own unique features and character, but todayâs article isnât about that (Iâll give you a full review of Citi Field after the opening series to give them a chance to work out a few of the kinks). But even on a damp night where the game was delayed for about a half hour it was a glorious event. Watching the Mets and Red Sox face off brought back memories of 1986, and not just to me. Red Sox nation made their presence known, as busloads of fans came down from Boston to check out the new stadium and root on their hometown nine.  Things got edgy for a few moments as the Mets faithful started chanting â1986â to the New Englanders who answered with â2007â time after time.  Tempers seemed about to flare over this when a peacemaker in the left field boxes started a chant of âYankees Suckâ which all parties seemed to agree with, and join in on, eliciting a wave of laughter that seemed to circle the entire structure. That euphoric feeling lasted the whole night as fans watched what turned out to be a good game, explored the new park and generally enjoyed themselves. It was what every Opening Day should be, one filled with hope, joy and generally enjoyed by all. And the best part of it was that it was just foreplay to last nightâs first game of the season, where the umpire stepped to the plate and cried âPlay Ballâ for real, and the game counted in the standings. I am sooo ready for baseball. |
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