There are many reasons why baseball's Opening Day holds a special place in the hearts of sports fans. Yesterday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies started their 2005 campaign on a perfect day for enjoying the national pastime.
The fans arrived under a cloudless blue sky with a crisp breeze that made the outfield flags snap from left to right. With the skyline of Center City in the background, a Mummers string band played outside the stadium's main entrance.
"Its just wonderful to get through the period without baseball from October to April," said Phillies president and Penn alumnus David Montgomery, who has worked with the team in various capacities for 34 years.
But in other ways, yesterday was far from typical. For one thing, not all of the red hats in the crowd had a script "P" on them. Quite a few had the "W" of the Washington Nationals, the team that is representing the nation's capital on the baseball field for the first time in 34 years.
It seemed as if there were almost as many members of the media from Washington as there were fans, with all the TV stations represented and large regiments from both of the city's daily newspapers.
"You'd think it was the playoffs or something," one person said of the packed press box.
The Nationals, who used to be the Montreal Expos, are certainly a big deal in their new hometown -- more than 20,000 season ticket-equivalents have been sold, even though the team will play at 44-year old RFK Stadium.
But the first Nationals home game is not until next Thursday, so all eyes in Washington were on Citizens Bank Park yesterday.
There was plenty to take in before the first pitch -- from the big American flag unfurled in the outfield to the pockets of fans who jeered the Nationals as they were introduced.
The announced sellout crowd of 44,080 took a while to settle into their seats, with many people standing in line through Ashburn Alley for a Tony Luke's roast pork sandwich or a Geno's cheesesteak.
While the applause for new manager Charlie Manuel was rather muted, shortstop Jimmy Rollins -- the popular and speedy leadoff hitter -- got a big hand. Placido Polanco was booed, maybe because fans wanted to see Chase Utley at second base instead. But the applause turned loud again for star first baseman Jim Thome, and even stayed warm for much-maligned outfielder Pat Burrell.
A moment of silence for Pope John Paul II was faithfully observed before the singing of the national anthem.
There was even a short movie of the Phillie Phanatic taking a trip to D.C., with stops at RFK Stadium and the National Mall. Judging from how the Phanatic stomped on a Nationals cap, it seems as if there won't be a detente in sporting relations between Philadelphia and Washington any time soon.
"We think that Washington will end up being a great rivalry for the Phillies," Montgomery said.
Stadium public address announcer Dan Baker was more cordial, noting that former Phillies third baseman Del Unser -- a member of the Phillies' World Series-winning team in 1980 -- was a member of the last Washington Senators team in 1974.
Unser threw out the ceremonial first pitch yesterday, wearing a replica Senators jersey.
At 3:05 p.m., the Phillies finally took the field. The game's first pitch was thrown by Jon Lieber at 3:07, with the game-time temperature announced by official scorer John McAdams -- the same John McAdams who does the public address at the Palestra -- as 59 degrees. A bit on the cool side, but paradise compared to Saturday's downpours.
Brad Wilkerson led off for the Nationals and blooped a single into right field on a 1-2 count, prompting a fresh set of boos from many of the home fans.
Yes, they were booing on the fourth pitch of the ballgame. But if it makes you feel any better, Burrell was given a standing ovation for catching a fly ball from Jose Vidro in the corner of left field.
On the whole, there wasn't much buzz in the ballpark yesterday. The Phillies won, 8-4, but neither team played particularly well.
The only times the fans got to really wave their white rally towels were after a three-run home run by new Phillie Kenny Lofton in the fifth inning and as Wil Cordero grounded out to end the game.
Utley came in as a pinch-hitter and got a big hand for a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh inning -- a smash to left field that looked for quite a while like it was heading over the fence.
If only it were this easy every day.
But it's not, which is why the curse of expectations is worse than anything that could come from a billy goat or a bad trade.
The Phillies have played a big role in the 22-year championship drought among Philadelphia's major sports franchises, with last year's August collapse still fresh in the minds of many.
Phillies fans seem to know their team won't make the playoffs this year, although that doesn't ease the pain much. Montgomery, however, is the eternal optimist.
"Who knows what the year will bring?" he said.
The Nationals also have few expectations, but in a different way. Even though they will likely finish last in the division, Washington's fans are happy just to have a team.
Yesterday, though, the future didn't matter. Opening Day is about sunshine, green grass and a ballgame, which at this time of year is good enough for anybody.
Jonathan Tannenwald is a junior urban studies major from Washington, D.C. His e-mail address is jtannenw@sas.upenn.edu.
