"It's like Christmas, except it's warmer."
--Pete Rose, on the thrill of Opening Day
“You look forward to Opening Day like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”
-- Joe DiMaggio
***
On Tuesday, under a brilliant blue sky (at least we hope), the Cleveland Indians will be hosting their 24th home opener at Progressive Field, when they take the field against the Chicago White Sox.
The opener will be the Indians 117th as a charter member of the American League (beginning in 1901), and the 25th consecutive Home Opener sellout, stretching back to the team's final year at Cleveland Municipal Stadium (1993).
This year’s curtain-raiser sold out in all of three minutes on March 6.
So, what’s new at Progressive Field for 2017?
For starters, the Indians have installed a new light-emitting diode (LED), an environmentally friendly two-lead semiconductor light source, which emits light when activated. The new lights are significantly more efficient and will be 20 to 30 percent brighter while reducing glare and shadows on the field.
The Indians reportedly replaced the 674 light fixtures using 1,500-watt bulbs with 456, 1,000-watt bulbs, allowing them to power up more quickly, resulting in a potential 70 percent reduction in electrical use.
Cleveland is only one of 10 major league teams using LED lights.
Progressive Field will additionally be offering free wireless internet to all fans at Progressive Field, with the hope it will make the MLB Ballpark app a more enjoyable experience. Fans should look for the network named IndiansWiFi.
Fans will notice a few new food items at the yard this year.
The Indians have partnered with their 13th local restaurant, the Market Garden Brewery, which will offer beer and food selections at Section 133, including the Nano Slider Trio (don’t ask!).
Another food item, Po’Man (Available at Great Lakes, section 107) includes Smoked Kielbasa, potato and cheese pierogis, sauerkraut and Dortmunder Gold Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard.
And the Terrace Club (which, once again, will be open to the public; seating times can be found on Indians.com; while reservations can be made at OpenTable.com) will be serving up Grilled Asian Salmon: Wasabi Foam, fried rice, baby bok choy.
The Indians have also spruced up their suites.
Eleven suites on the upper level down the third base line — from the Press Box to the Terrace Club — were remodeled into six new Pennant Party Suites, which can now accommodate groups ranging in size from 24 to 240.
For information about other features and policies at Progressive Field, consult the Indians A-Z Fan Guide.
Since the Indians won their sixth American League pennant last year, this year’s Opening Day festivities will include coaches and players receiving their championship rings, while a flag is raised in center field and a banner unveiled in the Right Field Terraces.
In addition, ceremonial first pitches will be tossed out by Cleveland sports legends: Jim Brown, Austin Carr, and Jim Thome.
Pregame ceremonies will come to a rousing climax with the world renowned Cleveland Orchestra string section performing the national anthem to be followed by a thunderous Air Force F-16 flyover.
As widely reported, Major League Baseball has introduced a number of modifications for the 2017 season.
The changes include:
• The start of a no-pitch intentional walk, allowing the defensive team’s manager to signal a decision to the home plate umpire to intentionally walk the batter. Following the signal of the manager’s intention, the umpire will immediately award first base to the batter.
• A 30-second limit for a manager to decide whether to challenge a play and invoke replay review.
• When a manager has exhausted his challenges for the game, Crew Chiefs may now invoke replay review for non-home run calls beginning in the eighth inning instead of the seventh inning.
• A conditional two-minute guideline for Replay Officials to render a decision on a replay review, allowing various exceptions.
• A prohibition on the use of any markers on the field that could create a tangible reference system for fielders.
• An addition to Rule 5.07 stipulates that a pitcher may not take a second step toward home plate with either foot or otherwise reset his pivot foot in his delivery of the pitch. If there is at least one runner on base, then such an action will be called a balk under Rule 6.02(a). If the bases are unoccupied, then it will be considered an illegal pitch under Rule 6.02(b).
• An amendment to Rule 5.03 requires base coaches position themselves behind the line of the coach’s box closest to home plate and the front line that runs parallel to the foul line prior to each pitch. Once a ball is put in play, a base coach is allowed to leave the coach’s box to signal a player so long as the coach does not interfere with play.
A census of Major League ballplayers was recently announced.
A record 259 players on 2017 Opening Day 25-man rosters and inactive lists were born outside the 50 United States with the Dominican Republic, again, leading the Major Leagues with 93 players born outside the United States.
Venezuela ranks second with 76 players, the country's highest total in history, surpassing its previous high of 66 (2012).
The Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers each have six players from the Dominican Republic, while the Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres each have six players hailing from Venezuela.
Footnotes:
• According to SeatGeek, an event ticket marketplace and aggregator of sports, concert, and theater tickets, the average resale price for Indians regular-season games has increased 13 percent, to $79, this season. The average sales price for tickets to the Tribe's home opener has leaped 53 percent, to $176.
• Cleveland Crain's Business reported that the Indians have added almost 4,000 season-ticket holders since the end of the 2016 season; none of that growth, it should be noted, has come from ticket brokers, who have been all too eager to gobble up seats as a result of the club's first World Series trip in 19 years.
• ESPN surveyed 35 of their baseball insiders for their predictions for the upcoming season, and every single one picked the Cleveland Indians to win their division. Sports Illustrated was also eight for eight in picking the Indians to top the division, while all six Yahoo Sports writers picked the Mighty Tribe as well.
• FiveThirtyEight, a website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics, and sports, is giving the Tribe an 88 percent chance of advancing to the postseason and a 12 percent chance of winning the
World Series.
• The Indians and their opponents combined to clobber 52 more home runs in Progressive Field in 2016 than 2015, the fifth biggest leap of any ballpark in the majors. So exactly where does a fan at Progressive want to sit to catch a home run ball? According to SeatGeek, Sections 181 and 103 offer the best chance. See their Home Run Value Guide for Progressive Field.
• UPDATED WEATHER FORECAST. According to Jonathan Belles, digital meteorologist with The Weather Company, an IBM Business: "It looks like there may be some isolated to scattered showers passing through on Tuesday afternoon, but they should be coming to an end before or during the game as it stands right now.'' Temperatures,'' Belles said, "should be in the low to mid 60s and a light breeze."
This Just in…
According to Jon Heyman, the Indians are quietly trying to extend Carlos Santana’s contract, who is a year away from free agency.
Opening Day Teaser!
Francisco Lindor's grand salami! Wednesday night, deep in the heart of Texas, as called by Indians play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton.
Hammy calls his shot. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/aCIWJbPsLh
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) April 6, 2017
See you at the home opener
--Bill Lucey
April 6, 2017
Thanks Bill..much great information. It is fun to hear and great for us worker_bees.
Posted by: Gillian | 04/07/2017 at 08:22 AM
Hi Bill:
I am coming to the Opener for the first time in many years....my father helped to construct the pole which Charlie Lupica sat on back in the day....I was just a kid, but remember it vividly. My friend Judy Dunn (if you are out there Judy...Hi)in the late 1940's and early 1950's...We were members of The Cleveland News Cookie Club...wore our bracelets and sat in the bleachers...have lots of Cleveland history in our memory banks! CLEVELAND MY KIND OF TOWN GOOOO Tribe!!HANKS FOR ALL OF THIS INFO.
Posted by: Gae Stakich | 04/08/2017 at 01:13 PM