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04/15/2009 6:54 PM ET
Yankee Stadium To Be Inaugurated With First-Ever Regular Season Game
Yogi Berra To Throw Out First Pitch; Kelly Clarkson To Sing National Anthem
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The New York Yankees will inaugurate Yankee Stadium with its first-ever regular season game on Thursday, April 16 at 1:05 p.m. ET vs. the Cleveland Indians.
Gates will open to fans with valid tickets beginning at 10:00 a.m. The Yankees are asking fans to be situated in their seats by 12:00 p.m. in advance of pregame ceremonies. Please budget ample time when planning your trip and be sure to consider using public transportation.
Ceremonies will begin at 12:10 p.m. with the West Point Marching Band performing John Philip Sousa's "Washington Post March" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" in a tribute to the original Yankee Stadium's opener on April 18, 1923, when Sousa performed on field with the Seventh Regiment Band prior to the game. The West Point Band will also play the "Armed Forces Medley."
More than 40 distinguished Yankees alumni, such as Whitey Ford, Rich "Goose" Gossage, Reggie Jackson and Willie Randolph, will be introduced on-field, followed by baseline introductions for both teams. (A complete list of attending alumni may be found at the end of this release). Yankees Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Colors will be presented by a joint FDNY and NYPD color guard. After a 75-foot-by-150-foot American flag is unfurled in the outfield by West Point Cadets, Kelly Clarkson, winner of the first season of American Idol and two Grammy Awards, will sing the national anthem. At the conclusion of the anthem, the 174th Fighter Wing, an Air Force unit based in Syracuse, N.Y., will fly over the Stadium in F-16C Flying Falcons. The unit executing the flyover returned to the United States last August after supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq.
The home plate and pitching rubber to be used in Thursday's game is the same set that was used in the final game at the original Yankee Stadium. It was brought to the current Stadium on November 8, 2008, in a ceremony that included Yankees executives, former players, and two local Bronx high school youth groups, Youth Force 2020, led by Turner Construction, and the ACE Mentoring Program, led by Tishman Speyer. Following the game, the items will be dug up and placed in the Yankees Museum, located in Yankee Stadium near Gate 6.
All fans in attendance will receive an inaugural season commemorative pin.
For information on parking, please visit www.baseball-parking.com or call (866) 330-7275.
Located directly across the street from the site of the original, the new Yankee Stadium is a living museum with architecture that celebrates the spirit and tradition of the franchise. While firmly rooted in the past, the Stadium has a vision toward the future, incorporating the best in technology and state-of-the-art guest services. All of the Stadium's modern amenities exist within the framework of classic elements of the original, most notably the instantly recognizable frieze that again circles the grandstand. Among the countless fan-friendly elements, massive video boards give Yankees fans more information than ever before, and concessions have been placed on open concourses, allowing for continuous viewing of the field.
Alumni Attending Opening Day Ceremonies
• Luis Arroyo
• Jesse Barfield
• Yogi Berra
• Ron Blomberg
• Bobby Brown
• Horace Clarke
• Jerry Coleman
• David Cone
• Chili Davis
• Bucky Dent
• Al Downing
• Dave Eiland
• Ed Figueroa
• John Flaherty
• Whitey Ford
• Joe Girardi
• Rich "Goose" Gossage
• Ken Griffey, Sr.
• Ron Guidry
• Charlie Hayes
• Rickey Henderson
• Reggie Jackson
• Tommy John
• Jim Kaat
• Don Larsen
• Hector Lopez
• Tino Martinez
• Lee Mazzilli
• Gene Michael
• Jeff Nelson
• Graig Nettles
• Paul O'Neill
• Joe Pepitone
• Willie Randolph
• Bobby Richardson
• Mickey Rivers
• Buck Showalter
• Bill "Moose" Skowron
• Luis Sojo
• Mel Stottlemyre
• Ralph Terry
• Bob Turley
• David Wells
• Roy White
• Bernie Williams
• Dave Winfield
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