A record sellout Cleveland crowd gathered at Progressive Field on Thursday, April 5 to watch the Cleveland Indians open the 2012 season by hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. The game made headlines within the media for becoming the longest opening day contest in big league history, extending 16 innings and five plus hours.
The view from section 511 at Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field.
Zachary Fenell
While the play on the field proves well-documented, you might wonder, "What was the atmosphere like inside 'The Prog'?"
Guess what? I'm here to tell you! I sat up in the cheap seats in section 511 and everything started great. Indians ace Justin Masterson put us on our feet in the first by striking out the side, the beginning to his 10-strikeout day. Third baseman Jack Hannahan kept the cheers going by hitting a three run home run in what ended up being a four run second.
From there, the game went into cruise control.
Fans kept themselves entertained with alcohol and apparently lots of it. As a result, the atmosphere transitioned from sporting event to college party. I'm 95 percent sure I saw someone throw up dollar bills "to make it rain" in the section to my immediate right.
The enthusiasm showed for the between-inning hot dog race left me laughing hard. As Onion, Ketchup, and Mustard entered from the left field wall, a Cleveland Indians fan behind me roared with great anticipation, 'Hot dog derby!" Predictions regarding which condiment would win rang out as if a legitimate athletic contest remained underway.
Hostility quickly overtook the fun and jokes though when Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez came out to relieve a masterful Masterson. Before Perez even allowed a single run, cries for reliever Vinnie Pestano, "a real closer," emerged. One fan kept yelling something along the lines, "Hair doesn't make you a good closer," obviously criticizing Perez's appearance.
Perez's blown save resulted in a baseball marathon. With the Indians failing to score in the bottom of the ninth the game continued going, inning after inning after inning. Restlessness overwhelmed fans as both the Indians and Blue Jays demonstrated lacking offenses, or perhaps superior bullpens.
Some fans left, others allowed the nippy cold to turn them bitter. When the Blue Jays brought former Cleveland Indian Omar Vizquel into the game, one guy yelled out, "We should have beat the Braves." Yes, at least one Clevelander still remains sour about the 1995 World Series.
In the end, Cleveland's bullpen cracked first and we Indians fans left denied a victory. Yet there remains no denying Thursday, April 5 provided an eventful day for those who made the trek to Progressive Field for opening day.
Zachary Fenell fell in love with the Cleveland Indians during the 1995 season when the Tribe powered their way to the organization's first World Series appearance since 1954. While the Indians lost some allure since the 1990s you will still find Zachary watching the games on TV, listening to them on the radio, or best yet taking in a game from the stands at Progressive Field.
More from This Contributor:
Fan's Take: Exactly How Good Can the 2012 Cleveland Indians Be?
Cleveland Indians Reach Two-Year Deal with Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera: A Fan's Reaction
The Last of the 1995 Cleveland Indians: A Fan's Look
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