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Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season brings a raucous, party-like atmosphere for fans. But while fans take it in as a singular moment on the calendar, it’s an experience that’s been cultivated in the weeks and months prior to that first pitch.
Whether it’s ticketing, concessions, merchandise — you name it — there is a small army of people busy enhancing your game-day experience, both in person and at home. We spoke with the people who make Opening Day, and every other game, possible.
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There’s never really an offseason for Spader and his crew, as they maintain a hallowed, 114-year-old stadium, which is the oldest in MLB and among the National Register of Historic Places.
“There is no typical other than be ready for the unexpected,” he said. “At Fenway Park, the moment the final out of the season is recorded, the clock starts ticking again. … Instead of walk-up songs, concessions, and celebrations, the ballpark is filled with ladders, hoses, and the constant echo of work being done.”
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Maintaining a century-old ballpark is tough enough, but when you factor in the cold New England temperatures and potential for snow, that can throw a massive wrench in their plans.
“Every nook and cranny has a story, but it also has cracks and quirks that will surprise you,” Spader said. “It takes some extra tender love and care to maintain and some quick pivots and innovative thinking to work.”
Spader said everything leading up to the first pitch is just a blur, but once the National Anthem is sung and the umpire shouts “play ball,” they can all finally take a deep breath and relax.
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The week leading up to Opening Day is what Rodriguez calls “controlled chaos.” A typical day starts with walkthroughs of the stadium’s retail locations to ensure their fixtures, product placement, and related technology are fully operational. The team coordinates deliveries, receives merchandise, and replenishes inventory across more than 25 locations.
At the same time, they are finalizing staffing and training more than 150 team members on point-of-sale systems, customer service standards, and product knowledge. This is all done while staying in constant contact with operations, leadership and vendors to ensure everyone is aligned and 100% ready for game day.
All of the products fans see in those retail locations are carefully orchestrated behind the scenes, with Rodriguez and his team making selections and arrangements based on factors such as expected demand, a player’s popularity and even game day traffic flow. Each retail location is customized to enhance the fan experience.
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The biggest challenge, though, is timing and coordination at scale. Rodriguez and Co. are managing large volumes of inventory, last-minute deliveries, and ensuring every location is fully stocked with the right mix of products. Staffing is another significant piece of the puzzle, and that includes hiring, training, and deploying a large workforce in an efficient manner. On top of all of that, they are testing systems like Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) and self-checkout to offer fans seamless transactions on game day.
“It is a balancing act between logistics, people, and technology, all under tight deadlines,” he said.
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For Dreyer and his team, preparing for Opening Day is far more complex than simply cooking food. The work starts months in advance, and the week leading up to the opener is filled with staff training, testing equipment, and conducting menu tastings, as well as daily walks through the stadium with other leaders that can total as much as 15 miles.
“It’s a lot of coordination across people, product, equipment, and timelines, but with strong planning and communication, we bring it all together,” he said.
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Jaco Dreyer
Dreyer, a proud F-150 Lightning owner, stressed the importance of maintaining your composure when the unexpected occurs, such as equipment failures or last-minute vendor changes. These curveballs will test your patience, and remaining flexible is critical to delivering a seamless experience for thousands of guests attending each game.
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The week leading up to Opening Day is always a whirlwind, with Eberhart and her team putting the finishing touches on projects and tackling last-minute details such as updating signage and photo opportunities, rolling out new initiatives, and creating an all-around welcoming experience for fans.
For the Cardinals, each Opening Day includes the traditional parade of the famed Clydesdale horses around the field. That is followed by Cardinals Hall of Fame players being escorted in Ford Mustang cars and then current players riding in Ford trucks, which presents an opportunity for Eberhart to get in a quick chat with the players before they take the field.
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But all the planning in the world can’t prevent bad weather, especially in the spring. Eberhart enjoys the additional challenge that Mother Nature can throw into the mix on Opening Day.
“It’s always tough to predict what will happen once the gates open,” she said. “The most memorable moments are when we have to deviate from the ceremony script for one reason or another. It’s always a fun challenge to get everything back on track.”
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Preparation for the season’s first game rivals only that of the postseason opener for Doak and her team, whose schedules can vary significantly from day to day in the lead-up. Her job includes ensuring every aspect of the on-field Opening Day pregame ceremonies are ready for execution, which requires close collaboration with multiple departments across the Mets organization, including the grounds crew, security, and baseball operations.
Key gameday details include, in part, making sure the day’s emcee has their script, first pitch participants are in place, and special guests are ready for their introductions. It’s also Doak’s responsibility to make sure players are introduced in the correct order by the team’s radio voice, Howie Rose.
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The performance of the national anthem is just part of the day’s ceremonies, but requires a great deal of attention from Doak, due in part to the half-second delay in the Citi Field sound system that requires performers to wear in-ear monitors for immediate playback. But once it goes off without a hitch, she and her team can breathe easily.
“It’s the pinnacle of our pregame ceremonies, the exact time the crowd really comes alive and the moment all my hard work and preparation with my team pays off,” she said. “I often get emotional and feel a great sense of pride and relief that hit me at the same time. Once the anthem is over, I can take a deep breath and soak in the moment and feel excitement that we’re off to another season.”
Dan Barbossa is a member of the Ford Communications team.
