They might be the two best words in all of sports. “Opening Day”
“One of my favorite memories of Opening Day from the Astros was in 1980 when my dad opened the home game in the Astrodome after signing the first million dollar contract. It was the Astros vs. the Dodgers and my dad hit a home run off of Don Sutton in that game and the fans went crazy!” – Reid Ryan, former Astros team president.
Richard Hidalgo launched 171 home runs in his major league career but none for him were more special than opening day 2000 at the old Three Rivers Stadium versus the Pirates.
On April 4th, 2000, Hidalgo would hit the first ever Astros Grand Slam on an Opening Day in a 5-2 victory. “That day was special. That’s the day that the numbers start to count. I loved that day. On that day, you know you have to do your job and I always wanted to start out good.”
Pitcher Scott Kazmir was no stranger to the pageantry, playing portions of 15 big league seasons across the major leagues. However, for the 3x All-Star, the Houston native immediately recalled his 2015 transaction to the Astros telling us of a midsummer debut which constituted an “Opening Day” in its own right.
“Being traded to Houston in 2015 was something really special for me.
I grew up in Houston, so putting on an Astros uniform and pitching in front of my hometown crowd was a dream I’d carried since I was a kid. My home debut at Minute Maid Park is a memory I’ll never forget. The atmosphere in that ballpark felt like a true homecoming. When the roof is closed and that crowd gets going, it’s electric in a way you can’t fully describe until you’ve felt it.
That whole stretch with the Dodgers coming in for that home series in August was incredible. Houston fans showed up with so much passion, and you could feel the city really believing in that team. Being part of the first Astros playoff run since 2005, getting to experience that postseason atmosphere at Minute Maid as a Houston kid, that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”
Kazmir would pitch seven scoreless innings in his hometown debut in a decisive victory over Kansas City. His acquisition would fuel a post season berth for the first time in a decade. Eleven years removed, it’s still a vivid memory for the pride of Cypress Falls.
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