Dodgers: Opening Day Is Always One for the Ages

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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 03: Prior to Opening Day game the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres stand during the national anthem at Dodger Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

With only three left days until the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers home opener, with tickets in hand, money in pocket and exorbitant parking already paid for, it brings back memories of the dozens of home openers we’ve attended over nearly four decades.

The first one was in 1981. As a 15-year-old, non-driver’s licensed L.A. native, there had to be a way to get to Opening Day at Dodger Stadium.

In those days, the Dodgers used to play an exhibition game against USC at Dodger Stadium every spring. My friend, Danny, and I asked his mom to take us to the game. She did. We bought Opening Day tickets while we were there, and a tradition had begun.

Different friends have attended Opening Day with me over the past 37 seasons, in which I’ve only missed two – one because I was so sick I actually passed out the morning of the game, and the other because my car engine literally exploded on the drive down from the Bay Area the day before the game (living in the Bay Area was the worst two years of my life). One year, I even went alone in the rain with the flu because I couldn’t find anyone to go with me.

For the past decade, my two sons, Justice and Noah, and my friend, Scott (you can call him Burt), have attended Opening Day with me. (And a huge thank you to my wife, Stacey, for allowing me to spend all that money on tickets and Dodger Dogs).

Our tradition is, if the first pitch thrown is a strike, the Dodgers will win the World Series. It almost came true last season.

But, no matter who has attended with me, Opening Day has been one highlight reel after another.

The Dodgers are 67-63-4 all-time in home openers, including 33-27 since moving to L.A., and 20-17 since 1981.

So, let’s take a look at some of the more memorable Opening Days at Dodger Stadium since 1981.

SAN DIEGO – 1987: Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela /

1980s

For a young Dodger fan, 1980 ended in heartbreaking fashion. The Dodgers finished the regular season with a three-game sweep of Houston to tie for the division lead and force a one-game playoff against the Astros at Dodger Stadium.

We all rushed home from high school that Monday afternoon to watch the game on TV, hoping manager Tommy Lasorda would start this kid named Fernando Valenzuela, who had already started turning heads with his eye-to-the-sky delivery and funky screwball.

But Lasorda went with Dave Goltz, who lasted only three innings, and the Dodgers lost 7-1.

Then came April 9, 1981, which was named the 37^th greatest game in Dodger history, according to The 50 Greatest Dodger Games Of All Time by J.P. Hoornstra.

When scheduled Opening Day starter Jerry Reuss suffered a recurrence of a strained calf muscle the day before the opener, Lasorda called on the 20-year-old Valenzuela, and Vin Scully said it best after the game: “And a little child shall lead them.” (Hear Part 1 of the highlights of that entire season here. This is one of the greatest albums you’ll ever own).

Fernando pitched a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five. Ron Cey and Pedro Guerrero each drove home a run (Steve Garvey both times), and the Dodgers were off and running toward what would become a memorable World Series championship season, culminating with a 4-games-to-2 title over the New York Yankees.

1981 was also the last season Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey played together.

The 1982 home opener was almost as fun as 1981. The first Dodger Stadium World Series ring ceremony during this lifetime was nothing short of amazing.

Sitting in the loge, even with the third base line, this mind can see it clear as day as Dusty Baker chopped a ball over Giants third baseman Guy Sularz’s head into left field, scoring Russell for a walk-off, 4-3 victory.

As a whole, the 80s weren’t great for season openers, as L.A. went 4-6 in the decade. Even the ’88 opener was a bust. Dave Dravecky threw a complete game for the Giants, and Fernando gave up five runs in six innings in a 5-1 loss. But, who cares. We know how that season ended.

The 1989 opener was exciting for one reason only: the ring ceremony. The Dodgers then went out and lost to the Astros, 4-2. But, who cared? We had our second ring of the decade, the only team with two World Series championships in the 80s.

7 Apr 1998: Right fielder Raul Mondesi of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action during the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport /

1990s

The Dodgers went 6-4 in home openers in the 90s, highlighted by five straight Rookie of the Year Opening Day presentations from 1993-97: Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth.

The decade began with Orel Hershiser outdueling Bruce Hurst in a 4-2 victory. Hubie Brooks went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs to lead L.A.

After two years without reaching the playoffs, the addition of Darryl Strawberry in 1991 gave Dodger fans hope that another title was on the way. Strawberry went an unspectacular 0-for-4 in a 4-2 home opener loss.

1992 brought Eric Davis to the team to pair with Strawberry. This was our year! For about five seconds. The Dodgers finished dead last in the West with 99 losses.

The 1995 home opener was memorable only because it was time to finally exhale. The second half of the ’94 season, as well as the entire post-season, had been wiped out by a players’ strike. The ’95 season started three weeks later than normal, and the home opener wasn’t played until April 28.

Pedro Astacio was the Dodgers starter that day. He threw 4.2 innings, and the Dodgers beat the Braves, 9-1. Billy Ashley went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs.

1996 was one of those years where you entered Dodger Stadium knowing you were in for trouble. The World Series champion Atlanta Braves were in town, and future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine was on the mound. The Dodgers countered with their own ace, 1995 Rookie of the Year Nomo.

Raul Mondesi singled to right to score Brett Butler with two outs in the bottom of the third for the game’s only run. Glavine went seven innings, allowing the one run on five hits with nine strikeouts. Nomo did him one better: nine innings, three hits, six strikeouts.

And there isn’t an Opening Day that goes by that we don’t talk about the 1999 game, arguably the most exciting Opening Day in Dodger Stadium history. For those who were there, it still seems like only yesterday. The Dodgers were facing the Arizona Diamondbacks and future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who would go on to win the first of his four straight Cy Young Awards that fall.

Leading, 2-1, entering the top of the sixth, Dodger starter Kevin Brown suddenly lost it. Bernard Gilkey hit a 1-2 pitch into the seats to lead off the inning. Five batters later, Jay Bell hit a three-run home run. Brown was gone, and things didn’t get much better.

Pedro Borbon then allowed a Matt Williams RBI single and, just like that, the Dodgers found themselves trailing, 6-2, with Johnson still mowing down batter after batter.

That’s when a horrific Opening Day became the greatest Opening Day ever. Trailing, 6-3, Mondesi hit a two-out 3-0 pitch just inside the left-field foul pole to tie the game. It was the loudest regular season cheer I had ever heard at Dodger Stadium. And it was about to get louder.

Jeff Shaw retired six straight batters in the 10^th and 11^th innings, and when Gary Sheffield drew a two-out walk to bring up Mondesi again, this happened. And that then became the loudest regular season moment I had ever heard at Dodger Stadium.

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Orlando Hudson /

2000s

While the Dodgers were a pedestrian 5-5 in home openers in the 2000s, the decade opened in fun fashion as Hershiser allowed one run over six innings in an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, followed by a 1-0 victory over Milwaukee in 2001 behind seven shutout innings from Chan Ho Park.

Brown got lit up for seven earned runs in four innings against the Giants in 2002, followed by home opener losses to Arizona in 2003 and San Diego in 2004.

The home opener of the decade was a 2005 tussle with the Giants. Jeff Weaver faced Kirk Rueter … and neither made it past the fifth inning. Weaver gave up five runs in the first and eight over three innings. Rueter gave up two in the first and one in the second.

The Giants led, 8-5, entering the bottom of the ninth with closer Armando Benitez on the mound to face Jason Phillips, Ricky Ledee, and Cesar Izturis. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jeff Kent drew an RBI walk, bringing Milton Bradley to the plate.

Bradley stroked a 2-2 pitch into left field, scoring Izturis and J.D. Drew. An error by left fielder Jason Ellison allowed Kent to score all the way from first for an improbable 9-8 victory.

An 11-1 whipping of the Giants in 2009 was a great way to end the decade. I can still see it like it was yesterday as Orlando Hudson slid headfirst into third base to complete the cycle, the first Dodger cycle since Wes Parker in 1970.

Hudson’s first three at-bats that game resulted in an infield single, a home run and a double … off Randy Johnson! Johnson, by the way, gave up seven earned runs and didn’t make it out of the third inning.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Clayton Kershaw /

2010s

The 2010s have been the decade of Clayton Kershaw. He got his first home opener start in 2010, allowing two earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out seven in 5.1 innings to earn the 9-5 victory over Arizona.

Kershaw got the first of his seven straight Opening Day starts for the Dodgers in 2011 (he is scheduled to make his franchise-record eighth straight Opening Day start Thursday at home against the Giants).

His seven innings of shutout ball with four hits and nine strikeouts in a 2-1 victory began the first of his three Cy Young Award-winning seasons.

Kershaw won again, 2-1, against Pittsburgh, in the 2012 home opener.

But it was April 1, 2013, where Kershaw cemented his legacy among Dodger fans in what was the best Opening Day of the 2010s.

Facing Matt Cain and the Giants again, the game was scoreless going to the bottom of the eighth.

Kershaw hit the first pitch of the inning from George Kontos over the center field wall for a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers tacked on three more runs in the inning against Kontos and Santiago Casilla, and Kershaw allowed a mere single in the ninth for a complete game, four-hit, no walk, seven strikeouts, 4-0 shutout.

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Last year, Kershaw allowed one earned run over seven innings in a 14-3 shellacking of the San Diego Padres. Joc Pederson hit a third-inning grand slam just inside the right-field foul pole and Yasmani Grandal hit two home runs to back Kershaw’s effort.

That makes the Dodgers 6-2 so far in the 2010s, with the Giants coming to town to kick off the 2018 season Thursday at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers are 6-6 all-time in home openers against the Giants but are 5-1 in their last six home openers versus San Francisco. The scheduled starters are Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner.

Kershaw is 4-0 in his career in home openers; the Dodgers are 6-0 in home openers started by Kershaw.

Once again, an epic battle is sure to unfold.

Next: In-depth look at the division rival Colorado Rockies

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