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Good Morning Rays fans! By this time tomorrow, I’ll be getting ready to clock out at work and head down to Tropicana Field with my father for the Rays Opening Day game against the Orioles!
Here’s some tips you’ll want to remember if you’ll be attending the game tomorrow!
1) Timing- Parking lots will open at 11:00 AM, Gates are at 12:10 PM (Rays players will be scattered around at all entrances greeting you as you enter the Trop), and the game is set to start at 3:10 PM.
2) What to Bring- Double check that you have your tickets for the correct date ready to go! Dust off those cowbells and make sure your favorite jersey is washed (or not washed if you’re "that" kind of superstitious). Open those wallets and ensure you have cash on hand for parking and stadium vendors. Or, bring your own waters and snacks, but remember, no opened bottles or alcoholic beverages are allowed to be brought inside the stadium. Bar 410 has outlets, so take your phone charger with you if you must stay on your phone during the game. My personal favorite item to bring- a baseball glove- because nothing is better than snagging homerun balls during batting practice! Opening Day Festivities are always exciting, so bring a camera and pack extra batteries, just in case! (Please don’t bring your iPad and use that as a camera, you look silly!)
3) Make a sign- I love seeing the creativity of fans around the league portrayed on handmade signs, so I highly encourage making your own! Smack talk Baltimore, cheer on our reigning Cy Young winner who will be pitching, or play off of the new "Welcome Home" motto for the 2013 season.
4) What to avoid: THE WAVE! Only time that's acceptable is if we are blowing out the other team, which even then I still frown upon it. The team store will be flooded with fans, and so will the areas around the dugouts with people trying to get autographs. Seriously, if you want to get autographs before a game, go on a weekday and get there when the gates open and hang out by the dugout until the game starts. Also, avoid leaving the game early; let’s start this season off on a high note and let our team know that their fans are there to support them. Plus, with a 3:10 game, if you leave early you’ll get stuck in rush hour traffic, so stay in those seats until the final out!
5) Turn on mobile notifications from @RaysBaseball and have their tweets sent to your phone! If they continue with their "twivia tweets", they typically are sent out during the 3rd inning at every Rays home game. You’ll have to respond with the answer AND your seat location, so be aware of your section, row and seat number!
Most importantly, bring a smile because RAYS BASEBALL IS HERE! Cheer loud, ring those cowbells, and let’s get this 2013 season off to good start. See you all at the Trop tomorrow!
Beyond The Fences:
- Luke Scott was officially placed on the 15-Day DL yesterday, with Shelley Duncan taking his place in the lineup. Scott could be out for up to five weeks. Stephen Vogt and Robinson ‘Honey Nut’ Chirinos were DFA’d as Jamey Wright and Juan Carlos Oviedo (60 Day DL) were added to the 40-man roster.
- Reid Brignac has made the 25-man active roster for the Colorado Rockies and he spent all of Sunday retweeting fans who were congratulating him, most of which were Rays fans.
- Having never pitched a game above the High A class in the minors, Jose Fernandez has found himself in the starting rotation for the Miami Marlins. His first start is expected to be April 7th against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
- MLB’s Beat The Streak is back this year. All you have to do is pick a player, from any team, each day that you think will get a hit and beat the record of a "56-game hitting streak" to win $5.6 Million. I think I got a high of around 17 last year.
- Either the Red Sox or the Yankees are going to sit in first place of the AL East this evening, as they face each other at 1:05 PM today. Here’s the complete list of matchups around the league.
- Congratulations to the Houston Astros who are officially in first place of the AL West after defeating the Texas Rangers 8-2 last night. Carlos Pena went 1-4 on the night with 3 strikeouts, which means his batting average is currently above the Mendoza line!