Opening Day

Hi again everybody! This is an exciting week for sports fans everywhere as professional baseball returns after a winter hibernation. It's a sign of spring and hopefully warmer temperatures on the way.

The nation's top lefty opened Jacobs Field in '94

I have some great Opening Day memories of my own. I remember my sixth grade class at York Elementary school postponing our history lesson for the day on April 4, 1994 to watch the first game at brand new Jacobs Field in Cleveland. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I also remember staying up late to watch openers in California and Seattle with my grandfather because we didn't have cable out in the country! And finally I remember venturing up to frigid Cleveland with my uncle and cousins to see the Tribe. One year we left Kent and it was 70 degrees. By the time we got to the ballpark it was 40 degrees with the lake and wind! We were all dressed in our 70-degree clothes. Yikes.

At Kent State, we have a coaching staff with plenty of MLB experience. So I recently asked them about some Opening Day Moments!

Head Coach Jeff Duncan

"It was Opening Day at Shea Stadium in 2004. We had former President Bill Clinton in the house to throw out the first pitch. I remember taking the field for pregame introductions and getting out to the line and seeing hundreds of snipers and secret service agents on the roof of the stadium. You knew right then it was a pretty important deal."

Associate Head Coach Mike Birkbeck

"Not a very happy memory but I got called for three balks in one inning on Opening Day in 1988. We were at home and the umpires had just established a point of emphasis in the off-season. They wanted pitchers to come to a complete and discernible stop in their motion. We used to just kind of bounce our glove and pitching hand together and then throw. They wanted to eliminate that. So I go out there and Tim McClelland calls me for three balks in one inning. It was also an interesting match-up against the Yankees because Tommy John was pitching."

Assistant Coach Brandon Larson

Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark Opened in 2003

"I remember when we opened Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati back in 2003. President Bush was there for the first pitch and he hung out in our clubhouse. I got the chance to meet him and told him I was from Texas and he mentioned something about it always being a good way to start off the day with someone from Texas. Then I went 0-4. Not cool."

So there you have it. Meanwhile the KSU Golden Flashes are now 16-10 for the year after a doubleheader sweep yesterday at home. They travel to OU this weekend for another big conference series. You can hear the games on our iHeart Radio channel.

And whoever your MLB team is, happy new year! May the next six months bring good games, great memories and fun times for us all!

So long everybody,

TL