When is the Guardians' home opener? It's coming up on Friday. After starting the season playing in Seattle and Oakland, the Guardians are finally coming home to Progressive Field.
The home opener is an unofficial holiday in Cleveland, and plenty will be going on Downtown. Here's what you need to know:
The game
The first pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. Friday at Progressive Field against the Seattle Mariners. The team announced the game is officially sold out, but standing-room monthly ballpark tickets were still available as of Monday. The game will air on Bally Sports Great Lakes and NBC.
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You can listen to the game on the radio on WMMS 100.7 or WTAM 1100.
Opening Day Festivities
This will be the 30th Home Opener at Progressive Field and will start with 2022 Super Bowl winner and Cleveland Heights native Travis Kelce throwing out the ceremonial First Pitch with his mother Donna Kelce, the Guardians announced.
In memory of Guardians superfan John Adams, the team will wear a "JA" patch that features his signature bass drum mallets for the home opener and once more to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his debut on Aug. 24, the team said. There will be a moment of silence for Adams and Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, who died on Dec. 1, 2022.
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The National Anthem and God Bless America will be performed by Cleveland native Norelle Simpson who recently made her second Super Bowl halftime show appearance, joining Rihanna as a backup singer.
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Members of all six military branches will create a joint color presentation with a flyover performed by the 112th fighter squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard with a 4-ship of F-16s, the team said in a news release.
As the player intros are taking place, the East Palestine Little League players will form a player tunnel to welcome the players onto the field.
The Guardians Block Party will be held in Gateway Plaza from 1:15-3:30 p.m., the team stated. The Block Party, which is open to the public, will feature DJ Kyro, a face painter, airbrush and glitter tattoos, "STAND FOR THE LAND" marquee lights, a Pepsi activation and more.
Rapid
Don't want to deal with traffic and parking? The rapid has all-day passes available for $5.
New food options at Progressive Field
- Pepper Jack Bites: Crusted pepper jack cheese served with ranch dressing. FatHead’s (Right Field District)
- Melt Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl: Signature creamy macaroni and cheese topped with buffalo chicken. Available at Melt Bar and Grill (Right Field District)
- Pimento Cheese & Bacon Burger: 1/3-pound certified angus all-beef patty topped with pimento cheese, bacon and shredded lettuce on a freshly baked brioche bun. Available at Build a Burger (left field)
- Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Signature tenders, crispy fries and a hot honey glaze from the local establishment Akron Honey. Available at Fat Rooster (under the left field bleachers)
- Crab Rangoon Nachos: Tostitos chips topped with white cheddar cheese sauce, sweet chili sauce, shredded crab, sesame seeds and green onion. Available at Loaded Nacho Stands (right field)
- Mac & Cheese Brisket: Creamy mac and cheese topped with Montgomery Inn BBQ Brisket, with pickled & crunchy onions and a drizzle of barbecue sauce. Available at Throwin’ Smoke BBQ (Third Baseline Concourse)
- The Wild Thing: Field Roast Dog (Vegan), House-made vegetable chili, shredded cheddar, diced onion, Flamin Hot Cheetos. Available at Happy Dog (Third Baseline Concourse)
- Noodle Bowl: Ramen Noodles, Asian Sauce, Red Pepper, Carrot, Napa Cabbage, Sesame Seeds, optional ginger chicken addition. Available at Down The Line Bowls (Third Baseline Concourse)
RELATED: Food, merch and cashless options: Here's what's new at Progressive Field for the 2023 season
Cashless payment at Progressive Field
This season, half of the ballpark's concession stands will be cashless and will only accept credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Signage will indicate whether or not each stand is cashless or not.
New this year, the majority of the in-seat vendors offering snacks and beverages will move to cashless payments. Cashless in-seat vendors will wear yellow shirts and vendors that still accept cash will wear green.
Along the third-base line, fans looking to purchase food and drinks quickly can go to the Grab and Go feature, which scans your credit card upon entry and after entering the turnstile, allows customers to pick out items and leave with the charge appearing automatically on the card.
Forecast
Plan on sunshine, little to no wind, and temps only slightly below normal.
