Today is what used to be the biggest day in the city of Boston. It is Boston Red Sox Opening Day!
Years back, kids used to skip school, adults would call in sick from work and the stadium would be buzzing by 10am. Die hard fans used to brave the early spring conditions to watch their beloved Red Sox play their first game. Huge local corporations used to entertain high priced clients and beg for their business as the first pitch was thrown. There would be fans camped out in front of Fenway Park to try and snag a ticket to the game. No matter the temperature or the weather.
All this buzz would go along with a loaded roster of all-stars that would be a perennial contender to win the World Series. The team would throw money around to try and break the Curse of the Bambino.
The kids that went to school would be wearing their Boston hats and shirts. I remember a few of my teachers even throwing the game on during lunch.
Everyone would be excited for the big game.
Fast forward to April 1st, 2021. It’s 42 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 33. Not only that, but it’s pouring. Seems like ideal baseball weather right?
In years past, people would power through the elements to see the game and just be a part of the events of the day. Not today. There was one lunatic camped out in front of the stadium. Even though, due to the pandemic, there are limited tickets being sold, and the team admitted there aren’t any extras.
The bars and restaurants around the stadium have been crippled by Covid-19 protocols. The jovial environment of drinks and ballpark food, is replaced with that of a ghost town of days gone by. It doesn’t inspire excitement like it used to. It brings to mind thoughts of what used to be.
Thankfully, things like weather and a global pandemic are out of anybody’s control. Hopefully, it’ll get better. Remember, there have been some ugly Opening Day’s in the past. Fans still had a decent team to look forward to.
That’s not the case this year. The average fan probably can’t name the starting 9. A team that won the World Series not too long ago, and had one of the best players in the game in Mookie Betts, is now rolling out names like Franchy Cordero and Hunter Renfroe. If you don’t recognize those names, don’t worry I didn’t either. In a matter of a couple years, they went from the upper echelon of Major League Baseball to scraping the bottom of the barrel of the league. If I were a more dedicated fan, I would be insulted by what is set to take the field.
In quite a fitting turn of events, the big Opening Day game against AL East foe Baltimore was postponed. Just like almost everything has been this year.
Just like this once hallowed day has been replaced with drab weather and little to no interest, the hopeful attitude towards the roster has been replaced with almost unanimous dread. It just isn’t what it used to be. Baseball has been replaced by football, basketball and even hockey as the biggest sports in the city of Boston.
Breaking News: Red Sox hopes of success have been postponed to at least 2022.