Behind the Scenes Bulls: The Magic of Opening Day

As the Durham Bulls get set to open the ballpark for the first game of the 2016 season tonight, Capcom wondered what the folks who will never take the field think of all the fun. The Bulls staffers have been working since last September to get ready Opening Night on Thursday, April 7. We checked in with a few to ask the question, “What is your favorite thing about opening day at the Bulls each year?”

Here’s what they had to say:

Krista Boyd, Director of Marketing
My favorite part of Opening Day each year with the Bulls is the moment right before the first pitch of the game. The buzz in the stadium during pregame festivities is electric between Wool E. Bull’s special entrance and the flyover upon the conclusion of the National Anthem. It’s become a tradition over the past five seasons that once the team takes the field, to play Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back in Town.’ As that songs gets played and there are a few seconds to pause before the game begins, I get to look around the ballpark and see all the long hours of preparation and planning our staff has done come to life as we kick off another season.

Brian Simorka, Director of Ticket Sales
My favorite moment is the 90 or so seconds during the National Anthem. That quiet realization that everything we worked for the past six months is finally here. All of the phone calls, meetings and strange hours got us to that point. That’s when Opening Night hits me, every year.

Morgan Weber, Manager of Corporate Partnerships
For me, my feelings about the game and my job are summed up in a few words from one of my favorite movies (A League of Their Own):

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great”.

It is an honor to be part of an organization that works so HARD, makes it looks so easy, and puts on the GREATEST show in baseball! Go Bulls!

Mike Birling, General Manager
My favorite thing about Opening Day is seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces. Doesn’t matter what your age is seeing people’s faces on Opening Day is something that has always meant a lot to me. Our staff puts in so much work to make Opening Day perfect for our fans and seeing all your plans unfold is very rewarding.

Wool E. Bull, Mascot
My favorite thing about Opening Day is the moment where I make my entrance into a packed ballpark for the first time in 6 months, hearing all the fans cheering, music playing and everyone just having a great time.

Sol Prensky, Baseball Business Development Coordinator
This is my first year so I would probably say I’m most excited to see the fireworks show. I’ve heard it’s incredible.

Matt Sutor, Director of Communications
My favorite thing about Opening Day with the Bulls is seeing the DBAP filled with thousands of fans after a long offseason. Watching fans laugh at something Wool E. Bull did, or cheering for a big play makes all the long hours we put in before the season well worth it. Making sure our fans have a fun, enjoyable experience is our main goal, so to see it happen in front of our eyes again is always refreshing.

Patrick Kinas, Baseball Sponsorship Account Executive/Radio Broadcaster
I view Opening Day as a rebirth; a rebirth of life; a rebirth of hope; a rebirth of optimism. The luscious grass has returned. The lines are perfectly chalked. The scorebook is sparkling clean.

The sound of the first pitch popping the mitt of the catcher takes us all back to a safe, pure, innocent place when we were young. It’s a strong, yet undeniable bond.

Opening Day brings me back to a moment in my youth, allowing me the chance to link my past to my present, and my present to my future.

I’ll never take Opening Day for granted.

Thanks to these Durham Bulls staffers for taking time out of their very busy Opening Day prep to share their thoughts. And thanks to the Bulls for these capcom photos.