Pride and Passion: Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day 2008

There was a different buzz in the crowd Friday evening, as the Jays took on the Red Sox in the home opener.

I had the pleasure of viewing the game from the third base line and normally I’m very happy with these seats. Out of all the sections I managed to buy tickets for the one with the drunkest fans.

Maybe it was the beer talking, but for the first time I saw fans take the Red Sox/Jays rivalry seriously. Any Red Sox fan sitting along the third base line was continually heckled during the entirety of the game.

A fight even managed to break out.

The main theme on opening night seemed to be pride and passion. The pre-game ceremonies featured ex-Jay Roberto Alomar and he got quite the loud ovation. Alomar and Paul Beeston were both welcomed into the Jays hall of excellence. In addition, a tribute was shown for former Jays who had passed on.

It was a very touching tribute and many of the former members got loud ovations for there contributions to the organization. 

The game featured five straight scoreless innings until the bottom of the sixth when Matt Stairs smacked his first homer of the season to right field. From then on, the Red Sox couldn’t stop the Jays’ bats or do anything against the Jays’ pitching.

Despite giving up a three run home run to JD Drew, Shaun Marcum was very dominant striking out eight in seven innings of work.

In the top of the ninth, two topless fans jumped onto the field (a man and woman). The woman was immediately stopped and the male out ran the security for sometime, before being tackled to the ground by eight staff members.

When the game resumed, Mike Lowell immediately hit an infield fly to end the game, with the Jays winning 6-3.

As a die hard Jays fan it was such a rush to have them beat the Red Sox on opening day in front of a packed house. If I had to pick my favorite moment of opening day, it would have nothing to do with the Jays.

Getting to meet Dice-k will always be my favorite memory of opening day 2008 at the Rogers Centre.