Results tagged “openingday”

       

Maybe the local teams should have skipped breaking in their new ballparks with preseason exhibition games. After winning both of those unofficial affairs a couple weeks back, the Yankees today joined the Mets in earning a 0-1 home record in their opener. The Yankee bullpen burst apart at the seams today in a 10-2 loss to the Indians.

Tonight begins a new era for the Mets with the christening of Citi Field at 7:10 and there's even a winning record on the line! The Amazins', who are 3-3 so far, open up their new ballpark tonight with the ceremonial first pitch thrown by Tom Seaver to Mike Piazza. The scheduling gods were kind enough to see to it that the Mets' first home series of the year comes against San Diego, ranked last of all thirty MLB teams in ESPN's preseason Power Rankings; they weren't gracious enough however to have the starting rotation slot land on ace Johan Santana. Instead Mike Pelfrey will take the mound.

The Dark Knight has officially opened, and the figures are in: the NY Times reports that the movie took in "$18.5 million in gross revenue at its 12 a.m. opening screenings early Friday morning at 3,040 screens, the most ever for midnight shows." Gawker laments about the movie taking the title from 2005's Star Wars, Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, which previously held it for racking up $16.9 million at 2,915 screens. Meanwhile, the single-day box office record previously held by Spider-Man 3 was also shattered: The Dark Knight took in $66.4 million on opening day (to Spidey's $59.8 million).

Opening day for the Yankees on Monday became opening night on Tuesday after bad weather and -- it seems, more importantly -- the forecast of bad weather persuaded the Yankees to postpone a game that was set for 1:05 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. the next day. That has many of the people with tickets to yesterday's game unhappy.

You may have heard that New York City will have two new ballparks to attend in 2009. Of course that means that Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium will close their doors forever after the 2008 season. And if you want to be there for the last scheduled game at either venue, you better have a lot of money. Tickets for the finale at Yankees Stadium are being scalped online for as much as $17,000 with tickets for the Shea Stadium finale, and last chance to see the Home Run Apple, going for “only” up to $6,000.

It may be the off-season, but Yankees fans can look forward to something other than February 14th (that's pitchers and catchers reporting, not Valentine's Day). With the installation of an etched sign at the new stadium for the Yankees that says "Yankee Stadium," Opening Day, 2009 seems a little closer. The sign, etched in gold-leafed stone, was installed yesterday morning on the facade of the main entranceway to the new field.

With Citi Field construction making progress towards Opening Day 2009, we turn our attention to a relatively small detail at the stadium - the Home Run Apple. There's a movement afoot at SaveTheApple.com to...save the apple as it currently exists at Shea Stadium. While the website points out that renderings of Citi Field show an apple behind the outfield walls, there is no word on whether the apple is the same as the existing Shea apple or a new Citi Field apple.

A look at some noteworthy television this week:

When you're out at the ballpark this baseball season, keep in mind that it's not all fun and games when you're watching in the stands. That's what Ellen Massey found out during Opening Day at Shea Stadium on Monday. It wasn't a bat or ball that caused her injuries, but a man that fell on top of her while she was sitting in her upper deck seats. It happened between innings of the game as Massey and her nephews were discussing Ryan Howard's home run. They felt beer land on them and then Massey had the unfortunate luck of having the unidentified man land on her head and neck. One of Massey's nephews thinks that the man was drunk. There were no apologies by the other fan, as he just scurried away. For her troubles, Massey has a cracked vertebrae and is scheduled for surgery on Friday.

Yankees 9, Tampa Bay 5: Amazingly, Carl Pavano and Alex Rodriguez got through introductions without being booed and the Bleacher Creatures only did a few rounds of a “we want Bernie” chant. That was the start of Opening Day 2007 and the goodwill lasted all of four batters until A-Rod dropped a popup that would have ended the first inning.

The Yankees begin their quest for the elusive 27th championship today when Carl Pavano takes the hill against the Devil Rays.

It doesn’t make up for the NLCS, but the Mets got 2007 off to a great start, pummeling Chris Carpenter and getting a great start from Tom Glavine. Paul LoDuca had 3 RBI’s and Carlos Delgado had 2, while Shawn Green got off to a good start with a 2-for-4 night at the plate.

So, A-Rod worked up a very creative denial to that rumor by telling the Daily News, "Besides loving the Yankees, I love the American League. It's where I've played my whole career. So whoever writes that couldn't be more wrong."

It may have been the first home game of the season, but Gothamist refuses to recognize it as Opening Day until Bob Sheppard shows up. Maybe that was the way the Yankees felt because they struggled for far too long before beating the Royals 9-7.

Saturday is Opening Day in Prospect Park and Gothamist is hoping we're wrong about the weather. The annual spring celebration kicks off with the Little League Parade at 10am, which starts at 7th Ave and Carroll Street and ends at the Bandshell. For the more civic minded New Yorker, an Opening Day Clean-Up is planned for 10am-2pm (meet at the Tennis House). For the nature minded, electric boat tours are being run from 12-4:30pm, with the first two being special bird-watching cruises. Of course, if you just want to have fun, there's nothing wrong with a nostalgic ride or two on the carousel (open from 12-5pm). Gothamist is morbidly curious about Spring Wash Day (1-4pm). You get the privilege of washing the Lefferts Historic House's 19th century reproduction clothing with only period tools (washboards, lye soap, water heated over a fire). Sounds like crazy hard, and kind of gross, work, but you do get lemonade when you're finished.

If you needed a reason to look to the skies, now you have one. The folks over at New Era, Major League Baseball's official cap supplier, are donning two Manhattan watertowers with inflatable baseball caps in time for Opening Day. A Mets cap will be fitted on a watertower near the 59th Street Bridge this week, while the Yankee cap won't be up in midtown until next week. New Era says there will be two more inflatable caps on Manhattan watertowers later. If you think you have a large hat size, you ain't seen nothing. The inflatable hats are a size 61.5 (we would think larger) and are 14' high by 16' wide.

Through seven innings of the pitcher's duel between Martinez and John Smoltz, it looked like the Mets would remain winless, but the bats came alive for 5 runs in the 8th. Smoltz picked up the loss despite 15 strike outs. For his part, Martinez had 9 K's and retired the final 16 batters to end the game.

The win was no cakewalk though. Mike Piazza won the game for the Mets in the 8th inning when he hit a two-out single that scored Gerald Williams. Braden Looper worked a perfect 9th for his second save since August 14th and his 26th overall. Steve Trachsel, the starter for the Mets, pitched 6 innings and gave up two runs in the no decision.