4-11-2011

Opening Day 2011

 

 
It was an early start for a 2:10 game left my house at 9:15 to be at breakfast with the Rantics at 10:00. Gates opened at 12:00 so after breakfast we checked out some of the festivities happening on Blake Street. Not to eventful a bunch of radio stations and corporations info farming for free swag. So we headed down to the gates and hung out for about 45 min.

 
  

Heading to Coors after breakfast @ the 20th Street Cafe. If I saw this bunch walking down the street I would so cross to the otherside!!!!!Left to right Pete, Robert, “D” The Rockpile Ranter, Geoff, And Doug

 

 

On our way we saw this guy rockin the Root Sports Logos on his petty cab. Root Sports made their name known all over Lodo from banners in bars and this guy with handle bars! If you were a Rockies Fan living under a rock yesterday Rocky Mountain FSN is Now Root Sports. Good Luck to our friends on Root Sport you guys do a great job.

 

 

 

The Opening day village located @ the opposite of 20th and Blake from Coors Field.

 

 

 

                                   People Gathering outside the B gate!

So then I headed over to the Rockpile gate which if you read the Rox Addict during the winter I have a photo of me standing in front of to be the first online. So the photographic evidence wasn’t enough to be let to cut the 5 people in front of me so I ended up being 6th. Still not to bad. so after waiting for about 20 min or so the magic works came over the radio that it is 12 o’clock and the gates are now opened followed by the gate usher saying Rockpile gate is open and  clear. Here it was after a long-awaited winter Opening day at Coors Field as we entered and received our Rockies Magnetic 2011 Schedule. I ran up the stairs to the main concourse to Head to my spot in the Pavillion for Batting Practice. The Rockies were on the field hitting and the pavilions filled quickly. Next thing I knew people found the need to stand about a foot away from me. Then I started shifting around for the hitters. I came close to a bp ball a few times but by the end I was shut out.

 
The Coors Field grounds Crew getting field ready for the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

look “D” hosers.

Below: putting Down the foul lines on the first base side.
 

 

 

The Opening Day logo on the field with a member of the Coors Field grounds crew who I think was hired just to walk around the logo in circle so you can’t get a good photo of it.I also believe this position is responsible for the $1.00 increase of the ticket window ticket prices.

 

                 The new LED board located below the Mountain Ranch club.

 

Players stretching and warming up for the game. Left to right Todd Helton, Jose Lopez w/conditioning coach and Seth Smith walking off frame.
 
 

Honor Guards from all the Military were included into the Opening ceremonies this is the Navy. Also the Denver Sheriffs Dept. were included.

Announcing the starting line ups. The D’back Manager Kirk gibson with Willie Bloomquist as they announce the starting line up.

 
 

Dexter Fowler Hi Five Vinny Castilla . Check out Dex rockin the DJ Jazzy Jeff Dew!!!!” His at bat  song should be “Parents Just Don’t Understand”

 
 

          The Rockies Starting Line up during the national anthem. R to L. Jim tracy, Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, Cargo, The Deuce troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Ty Wiggington,Jose Lopez and then the bullpen pitches. With Ubaldo warming up in the bullpen.

 

The very large flag covers most of the outfield. It is something like 350 ft by 250 ft or something like that.

 

                                 The F16 from the 120th Fighter Squadron

 

The bullpen staff heading to the Bullpen the Rookie always carries a pink backpack with his equipment in it for the last 2 seasons Matt Daley got to carry it now it is Matt Reynolds turn. at the end of the season all the Minor League call ups get one.

 

Before the game The Deuce and Cargo both got their Hardware from last season both received their Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Awards. these 2 can be two of the best players to ever touch a baseball field. Only time could tell that, But they both had great years last year and signed huge multi-year contracts in the off-season. They would have been higher if it wasn’t for the grounds crew member who walks around the logo.

 

Ubaldo, Chris Iannetta, Bob Apodaca and the roving catching coach head to the field to start the game.

 

After all the pomp and circumstance it was time to head to my seats and the Rockies took the field behind their ace pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez.

 

Ubaldo throws first pitch to the D’Backs Willie Bloomquist who grounded out to the Deuce for the first out of the game. With a quick first that Ubaldo saw 4 batters and only threw 7 pitches the game and the season got off to a great start. Then the Rox headed up to bat Fowler lead off witha walk the advanced to 2nd on a WP to Seth Smith. Smith went on to hit a double to score Dex from 2nd. To Score the first run of the season for the Rockies. After a Cargo Ground out to the D’backs 2nd baseman a Tulo walk a Helton sac fly to left scored Smith for the 2nd run. Ty Wiggington hit to short and Tulo was out at 2nd to end the Inning.

 
 Dex dive back to first during Smiths at bat. Dex ended up advancing on a Ian Kennedy wild pitch.
 
 

                                  Dex crosses home plate after Smiths 2b

 
 

                                            Cargo Grounding out in th first inning.

The Diamondbacks responded in the 2nd with a run. The Rox responded with 1 in the third then the game was uneventful for the next few innings. til the 5th when Helton was called out on a fan interference call on the 3rd baseline. That D’backs outfielder Gerado Parra had no shot on and the fan did try to catch the ball but was a BS call and jim Tracy came out to argue the call. In the Top of the fifth the Diamondsbacks scored 3 on aJustin Upton 3 run HR scoring Kennedy who was walked and Bloomquist who hit a single.the score at that point was 4 to 3 d’backs. Then they went on to score 2 in the 6th.

 

The Deuce at the plate in the 8th inning the deuce ended up hitting for the gooose. He went 0 for 5 with a walk in the 1st and struck out in the 8th and the 11th as he was swinging for the fences instead of getting on base nobody said he was a clutch hitter just a good hitter mostly at the wrong time, but it is all about the #####’s and he will still hit over .300 with 110+RBI’s and 30 or so Homers.

 

                                  Matt Lindstrom pitching in the 11th inning

So the game went 11 inning the D’Backs scored off a Matt Lindstrom wild pitch which scored Gerrado Parra from third.

It was a fun day at Coors even with the Rox losing 7-6 to the D’backs and the 2 really bad calls by the Ump’s including the Helton out in the 5th and the Smith catch in Left that was called no catch in the 8th or 9th inning. All and all had a great day hanging out with fellow Rantics and the return of baseball to Colorado for the start of the 2011 season. It can only get better from here. and looking forward to the rest of the season. I am the Rox Addict and now that the season is underway I will see you at the ballpark.

I will be at tonight’s game. root Sports will be giving away a Carlos Gonzalez t-Shirt

 
           Here is the awaited BNW to show off my mad photo skillz!!!!!! Navy guy macking on the merch chick!!!Yes that is the guy from the Honor Guard that s why I chose the Navy Photo instead of the others.