Home Opener 2018
The first time I attended the Indians home opener was in 2002* when they beat the Twins 9-5. Why I was in Cleveland on a Monday in early April I cannot say, as I was still 6 weeks from starting my Cleveland job and was living in North Dakota still. The only theory I can come up with on short notice is that I might have been in town for my fraternity formal and snagged tickets
Since then, I've only missed two openers. In 2003** I was on the road for one of the less than ten work trips I've taken in the last 16 years. I opted to skip it in 2010 after a several year run of bad weather, which I regretted almost immediately. Still, 14 of the last 16 is pretty good for baseball. Unfortunately for the Tribe, their record in openers when I've attended is mediocre, weighing in at 6-8 with one game called due to blizzard just short of being official.
2002 - Win (pre-Livejournal)
2004 - Loss
2005 - Loss
2006 - Win
2007 - Called due to blizard.
2008 - Win
2009 - Loss
2011 - Loss.
2012 - Lost in 16 innings.
2013 - Loss
2014 - Win
2015 - Loss
2016 - Loss
2017 - Win (no post)
2018 - Win
Since I pick fourth in the season ticket draft, I have to buy home opener tickets separately. Fortunately, since 2013 the Tribe has sold them at my office, so I had a pair of aisle seats up in 561 behind home plate. The 2018 edition was on a Friday afternoon, so I ducked out early. I had a beer at Great Lakes Brewing and took the shuttle across to Progressive Field. M also ducked out early and met me at the park early specifically so we could see the pageantry.
The only thing that could really be said about the weather was that it wasn't raining. It wasn't even in the top 3 coldest openers I've attended, but that doesn't say all that much. It was grey, very windy and at the very end of the game threatened rain. Fortunately, beer provides a nice cushion in situations like that, and the game was actually pretty good in spite of the conditions. All of the runs in a 3-2 Tribe win were scored in the first inning. From there, both starters pitched well, and the bullpen kept the status quo. In the 8th Andrew Miller gave up two base runners before striking out three in a row, and in the 9th Cody Allen walked the lead hitter before striking out the next batter and getting a GIDP on the last pitch. His timing was good, as it was just starting to rain/sleet.
We were able to force our way back on to the Great Lakes shuttle (M has lots of practice working through rough queues due to two years in Guatemala). We got dinner at Deagan's with a few more beers and had an early night to close Friday.
*In 2001 I went to the second game of the season, which was the end of the Indians record 455 game sellout streak. Prior to 2001, it was impossible to get tickets for virtually any day of the season. let alone the home opener.
**This post says I missed in 2004 not 2003, but my lists say it was 2003, which also makes more sense for the work trip in question. More to the point, I also wrote about it in 2004.
Since then, I've only missed two openers. In 2003** I was on the road for one of the less than ten work trips I've taken in the last 16 years. I opted to skip it in 2010 after a several year run of bad weather, which I regretted almost immediately. Still, 14 of the last 16 is pretty good for baseball. Unfortunately for the Tribe, their record in openers when I've attended is mediocre, weighing in at 6-8 with one game called due to blizzard just short of being official.
2002 - Win (pre-Livejournal)
2004 - Loss
2005 - Loss
2006 - Win
2007 - Called due to blizard.
2008 - Win
2009 - Loss
2011 - Loss.
2012 - Lost in 16 innings.
2013 - Loss
2014 - Win
2015 - Loss
2016 - Loss
2017 - Win (no post)
2018 - Win
Since I pick fourth in the season ticket draft, I have to buy home opener tickets separately. Fortunately, since 2013 the Tribe has sold them at my office, so I had a pair of aisle seats up in 561 behind home plate. The 2018 edition was on a Friday afternoon, so I ducked out early. I had a beer at Great Lakes Brewing and took the shuttle across to Progressive Field. M also ducked out early and met me at the park early specifically so we could see the pageantry.
The only thing that could really be said about the weather was that it wasn't raining. It wasn't even in the top 3 coldest openers I've attended, but that doesn't say all that much. It was grey, very windy and at the very end of the game threatened rain. Fortunately, beer provides a nice cushion in situations like that, and the game was actually pretty good in spite of the conditions. All of the runs in a 3-2 Tribe win were scored in the first inning. From there, both starters pitched well, and the bullpen kept the status quo. In the 8th Andrew Miller gave up two base runners before striking out three in a row, and in the 9th Cody Allen walked the lead hitter before striking out the next batter and getting a GIDP on the last pitch. His timing was good, as it was just starting to rain/sleet.
We were able to force our way back on to the Great Lakes shuttle (M has lots of practice working through rough queues due to two years in Guatemala). We got dinner at Deagan's with a few more beers and had an early night to close Friday.
*In 2001 I went to the second game of the season, which was the end of the Indians record 455 game sellout streak. Prior to 2001, it was impossible to get tickets for virtually any day of the season. let alone the home opener.
**This post says I missed in 2004 not 2003, but my lists say it was 2003, which also makes more sense for the work trip in question. More to the point, I also wrote about it in 2004.