Fans enjoy revamped park, team
Forget the cold, too.
And forget the hoopla and anticipation that had been mounting to this crescendo since it was announced in September that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise would become the top affiliate of the New York Yankees.
This night was about a region, a commencement, and a fan base eager to see the stars of tomorrow. This was about a people looking for a fresh start.
This was, in a word, a christening.
And after only one night of existence as the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees, with the whole Sinatra-blaring, championship-pedigreed, pinstripe-clad aura in full effect, it was clear that at least one term could not be reasonably used to assess the 10,310 folks who ventured to the ballpark Thursday night: fair-weather fans.
That's because those who made up the sellout crowd were faced with gusting winds and intermittent snow flurries to go with sub-freezing temperatures for much of the night, conditions that couldn't deter Jess Roxby, of Scranton, who was at the head of the line snaking outside PNC Field long before the gates opened at 6 p.m.
"For us, as Yankee fans, you can't even describe it," said Roxby, Yankees fleece blanket in tow. "From here, we're an hour and a half away from the Double-A club and we're two hours from (New York) city. You can't beat it."
After the gates opened and fans roamed the PNC Field (formerly Lackawanna County Stadium) grounds, those on hand were treated to a series of ceremonial first pitches moments before Yankees' righty Tyler Clippard tossed out the first one that actually counted.
Anna Celano, a Yankees fan and a 98-year-old resident of Dunmore, tossed the first ball about 20 feet before receiving a hearty applause. PNC Bank, Northeast Pennsylvania President Peter Danchak followed Celano with a pitch of his own.
New York Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman, who was in Moosic to see the inaugural game, then stepped from the third base dugout steps, took the mound, gave a wave of acknowledgement to the crowd and then hurled a strike.
Bob Koval, of Wilkes-Barre, said the ballpark's facelift, the new affiliation and the game environment have combined to create a sort of gestalt that he hasn't seen in a long while.
"I've seen almost every Opening Day since the Phillies were here," said Koval, who attended Thursday's game with his wife, Joanne. "The grass makes a big difference, and the feel of it is just better. The atmosphere is bigger and better, too.
"I think (the team) has promoted everything a little better (than they had with the Red Barons). The organization has done a better job in the last few months than before."
Eric Williams, of Dallas, Pa., said the anticipation leading up to Opening Day has even crossed state lines.
"It's phenomenal, everybody's excited," Williams said. "I was out at Opening Day in New York and even there everyone was talking about how excited they were to come to Scranton to see the Yankees. It's important in New York, in New Jersey, too."
The Columbus Clippers, who served as the New York Yankees' Triple-A affiliate from 1979 to 2006, used to be the only club that could get Jeff Booth, of Forty Fort, to come see the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise in action.
But Booth said baseball's equivalent of the changing of the guard will be sure to get him to the ballpark more often.
"I've been a Yankees fan for 30 years," Booth, 33, said. "That's pretty much ever since I was being bounced on my daddy's leg. I used to come when the Clippers were in town, but that was about it. My grandmother has been telling me all week that I'm like a little kid because I've been so excited for this game."
Among the tweaks that were made to PNC Field during the off-season are the grass playing surface and the Bullpen Field Boxes, located in both the rightfield and leftfield corners, which will open May 7.
The natural grass was installed in late March by the Motz Group for $522,000. The park's Astroturf was removed in November.
Ed Corbett, of Dallas, Pa., said that for him, something as simple as the playing surface means a world of difference when he's taking in a game.
"The new field really is different," Corbett said. "Baseball is just not meant to be played on turf. It's just not right."
Corbett also said he's noticed the buzz about the team picking up in the last few weeks.
"Everybody's just been excited," he said. "They all can't wait to have the Yankees here. My wife has been a diehard Yankees fan for years. She could not wait for them to get here."
But for others, like Roxby, waiting for Opening Day to come wasn't the issue.
For him, the Yankees' presence in the area is all about proximity and how it will relate to his ability to follow the team.
"With the Yankees here now, you've got the location and the fan base. Everything is right here."