Opening Day streaks and memories

[OldRightHander]

Anyone who has been to Opening Day knows that they always put people up on the scoreboard who have been to any number of consecutive Opening Day games. Anyone on here have one of those streaks going? This year will be my 13th in a row. I know there has to be someone on here who can top that.

Also, what are your most memorable Opening Day moments? Here are a few of mine.

Two Opening Day games. Remember the year the Reds started the season with that Sunday night game against the Cardinals? I froze my tail off that night and the Reds lost the game. The next day they had the traditional opener with the parade and the Reds pulled off a win in the 10th inning on a walk off homer by Kevin Mitchell. I still think of that Monday game as the real Opening Day that year. They don't call it Opening Night after all.

McSherry. I will always remember this one, and not necessarily a fond memory. That had to have been the saddest moment I have ever witnessed in a ballpark.

The tie. That 3-3 tie against the Brewers left a bad taste in my mouth.

My all time favorite Opening Day memory. Last year. Dunn and Randa in the ninth inning and I don't think I had much of a voice left for the rest of the day.

[KronoRed]

My steak of 1 is in serious jeopardy

[Cedric]

I have been every year since age nine. Maybe one day I'll be the guy up there that is 80 with 70+ straight years

My favorite opening day memory is probably Griffey's year and the hope that came with it.

[OnBaseMachine]

My all time favorite Opening Day memory. Last year. Dunn and Randa in the ninth inning and I don't think I had much of a voice left for the rest of the day.

This year will be my fourth straight year. I went in 1999 vs the Giants, 2001 vs Braves, 2003 vs Pirates, 2004 vs Cubs, 2005 vs Mets, and this year vs Cubs.

My favorite one was obviously last year. That was the best game I have ever attended. Ever. Dunn's two dramatic homeruns including the game tying shot. Randa follows it up with a walk-off. What a great day that was.

[redsfanfalcon]

This will make 10 out of the last 11 for me. I was there when McSherry passed away too. The only one I missed was 2003 for the opening of Great American, and for good reason too. I went down to Sarasota for spring training, (my first one) and ended up in the Sarasota Hospital. My wife and I flew down on Sunday night from Dayton, and Monday I was in the hospital with an emergency appendectomy. My appendix had burst, and was gangrenous when the doctor took it out. My stay in the hospital ended up being 12 days due to numerous complications. Needless to say, I've been back to Sarasota the last 2 years for spring training, but will miss it this year due to recently graduating from college and picking up my first "real" job. I take my dad every year to Opening Day. It's tradition.

[kbrake]

This year will be my fourth straight year. I went in 1999 vs the Giants, 2001 vs Braves, 2003 vs Pirates, 2004 vs Cubs, 2005 vs Mets, and this year vs Cubs.

My favorite one was obviously last year. That was the best game I have ever attended. Ever. Dunn's two dramatic homeruns including the game tying shot. Randa follows it up with a walk-off. What a great day that was.

Every single thing about this post would have to be the exact same for me with the exception of 2001 vs Braves.

[upsman]

22 straight thanks to the power pack this year,started out just me and a buddy now 12 of us come down every year and hit omallleys then the game,best day of the year

[HotCorner]

5 years straight ... of not going. There's always next year.

[Phil in BG]

ORH, I was at the game after the opening night where Kevin Mitchell hit the home run in the 10th to win. That is my most memorable. What a game.

[gonelong]

This will be my 10th in a row, by hook or by crook as I don't have a ticket as of today. I'll get there one way or another.

GL

[OldRightHander]

ORH, I was at the game after the opening night where Kevin Mitchell hit the home run in the 10th to win. That is my most memorable. What a game.

Also of note is the story that appeared in the Enquirer the next day. Apparently that day Kevin Mitchell's grandmother was in the stands sitting close to the dugout and after the Cards went out in the top of the inning, she passed a note down to the dugout that said, "Kevin, hit one for me." He came up second in the bottom of the 10th and hit it off the facing of the red seats. I was sitting behind home plate in the green seats for that game. All of the Reds' runs came on homers that game. They hit a pair of 2 run shots in the same inning early in the game and the Cards rallied to tie it and send it into extras. Then came Mitchell's walk off. That was a great game, especially after the freezer the night before.

[Reds-aholic]

This will be the first time I haven't gone in 8 yrs. Apparently my lucky streak ran out.

[beb30]

5 years straight, this year there is a possibilty as well still

[redsfan30]

This will be my 3rd in a row and 4th overall. I was at 2002 against the Cubs, 2004 against the Cubs as well and last season against the Mets.

Rest assured, I will be at at least 30 straight Opening Days. I don't care what I have to do, or what I have to pay to get there. Opening Day is like Christmas to me!

[redsmetz]

I have been every year since age nine. Maybe one day I'll be the guy up there that is 80 with 70+ straight years

My favorite opening day memory is probably Griffey's year and the hope that came with it.

I had a 16 or 17 year streak until the new park opened and haven't been able to get tickets and can't afford scalpers. Some memories:

In 1984, my oldest daughter was not quite one - cold as the dickens and everybody wanted to hold her to stay warm. She sipped someone's hot chocolate, I remember that (although that might have been 85 when she was not quite two).

The year against the Cards. My wife grew up in Missouri and her folks came out and her sister came down from Akron and we had an "us against them" thing going on. A large group of us came, including a good friend who brought his dad along. His dad died later that season and that Opening Day was the last time he went to a ballgame with his dad.

One year at the parade, maybe about 5 years ago, Ed the Furniture Fair guy was riding with Anthony Munoz in a convertible. I hollered out, "Hey, Ed! Who's that guy with you?" Both he and Anthony roared with laughter.

The Norm Sherry game was just surreal. We were way up in the red seats behind home plate and he walked away from the plate and out of our view. That's all we saw. Terribly sad.

When our oldest daughter again was a senior in high school, they won a day off of school for meeting their fundraising goal. She suggested to one of the teachers that they select Opening Day and sure enough they did! Our son, at another school developed Scarlet Fever that day. A day in the fresh air cured him of that.

joe