Opening Day win



Opening day magic was in the house at Progressive Field. Rookie slugging sensation Chase DeLauter  hit a two-run homer and went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 runs as the Guardians knocked off the Cubs,4-1 

Before a sellout crowd. 


That crowd saw Laila Edwards throw out the first ball. 

DeLauter hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give the Guardians a 4-1 lead. It was a magic blow that went soaring into the right field seats. I could see its arc as I stood on the mezzanine along the first base line.

Gabriel Arias hit a go-ahead homer earlier in the inning.

The day had all the pomp and circumstance of a home opener for baseball. It’s a symbolic day in Cleveland. It marks the end of the winter and the unofficial start of spring/summer. Everybody is in a great mood at the ballpark. DeLauter going deep and the Guards getting the win made it all the better.


DeLauter had an RBI hit early in the game to tie the affair at 1-1 Cleveland is 5-3 on the year.

Joey Cantillo started and went 5 ⅓ innings. Cade Smith struck out three while working a scoreless 9th inning to pick up the save. This is the 125th year of Cleveland AL baseball, which was recognized in a pregame ceremony.

Laila Edwards tossed a strike on her opening day pitch. There is a picture. Before the game I snuck down close to the field behind home plate.I spotted Rob Edwards and then Laila. I told her to make sure she throws a strike. Gold medal throw.

Fans were standing all over the ballpark on the summer-like day.

Lots of Cubs fans and Ramirez jerseys. I bought a $5 cracker jack and $7 diet Pepsi.

In my travels around my park I moved down to the good box seats in the ninth inning. Right behind the plate. Scouts like to sit in them, that’s how good this seat was. On my way down I saw a bunch of DeLauter jerseys. Being the reporter that I am, I put two and two together and I asked are these people related to DeLauter for the Guardians. One guy told me they indeed were. He said one woman was the grandmother of the burgeoning slugger. Another was a sister..they were gracious and humble. 

Seeing the DeLauter family brought me back to how my day started. I went to the cemetery to visit Ray Champman’s grave. The namesake of the blog is buried at Lakeview Cemetery. The former Indian is the only player to die from the result of being hit by a pitched ball during a game.

After the visit to Chappie it was down to Little Italy to park and then a stroll over to the Rocky Colavito statue. From there I take the train from the Little Italy station down to Tower City and walk over to the ballpark.

That’s the Opening Day ritual.

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