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It’s Major League Baseball’s Opening Day and for the first time since 1968, all 30 teams will play their first games on the same day (March 30). In an effort to make up for the lack of diversity and excitement within the sport, three new rules will also help bring in the 2023 season. The League will implement a pitch timer, limits on defensive shifts and bigger bases to cut down on how long and boring the game has become for the new generation.
The season kicks off with games in New York (Giants-Yankees) and D.C. (Braves-Nationals), with Jacob deGrom set to make his Rangers debut later in the afternoon. The Astros begin their title defense at home Thursday evening against the White Sox, while for those up late, World Baseball Classic MVP Shohei Ohtani will take the ball — and step up to the plate — in the Angels’ season opener in Oakland.
Also, Wieden + Kennedy, the League’s new Agency on Record has just released new films as part of the opening season campaign launch hyping up what’s left of this sport to a fan base that is aging and reminiscent of times before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. The MLB has always been effective at tapping into the heartstrings of its fans through nostalgia, but it is becoming more clear that its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department neglects any opportunity to hire diverse-owned businesses when it comes to choosing its agencies to hire for commercials, sponsorship, marketing and public relations. There’s always next year…
Moving on, the new brand campaign – “Baseball is Something Else” – showcases the endless ways people everywhere love baseball. The campaign modernizes baseball nostalgia and explores why baseball’s fan experience is so incomparable. Made for fans of all ages to enjoy, it features print, digital, out-of-home and television creative, in addition to experiential activations. These efforts begin running today with more new creative, content and events launching throughout the season. The films can be viewed below:
Films
https://youtu.be/RuezgkQvkuQ
https://youtu.be/ff0JRU0cFtM
https://youtu.be/VRHr8IwbSMI
Also, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced their Opening Day 26-man roster ahead of the 2023 regular season, which begins tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Additionally, the club placed infielder Gavin Lux (right knee surgery) on the 60-day injured list, purchased the contract of outfielder Jason Heyward and placed RHPs Tony Gonsolin (left ankle sprain), Daniel Hudson (left knee surgery), Jimmy Nelson (right elbow inflammation), Ryan Pepiot (left oblique strain) and Alex Reyes (right shoulder surgery) on the 10-day injured list. President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman made the announcement.
The Dodgers open the 2023 campaign with six games against familiar foes, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, as they embark on capturing their 10th National League West title in 11 years. Dodger Stadium will debut an array of new food offerings and fan experiences starting with a 7:10 p.m. matchup vs. Arizona tomorrow on Opening Day, presented by Bank of America.
Fans will witness brand-new additions at the iconic Dodger Stadium as the season begins. Newly installed LED lights will grace the field, displaying color-changing features and abilities while enhancing the fan experience. All 600 fixtures will provide better visibility for both players and fans and save energy, an enterprise that adds to the Dodgers’ ongoing green initiative. New water refill stations will be located around the stadium for fans to stay hydrated throughout the season. Fans of all ages can visit the brand-new Vin Scully Ring display located on the Club Level, snack on new tasty delights throughout the stadium, and visit Gil Hodges’ retired number at the Bank of America Retired Numbers Plaza at the Top of the Park in anticipation of the upcoming retirement of Fernando Valenzuela’s number this August.
The Boys in Blue face off with the Arizona Diamondbacks for a four-game series, headlined by left-handed pitcher Julio Urías, who will be making his first career Opening Day start. Fans will witness Dodger history come to life as Cy Young Award winners Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, and Eric Gagné will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Rick Dempsey, Mike Scioscia, and manager Dave Roberts. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will deliver the ceremonial first pitch balls to the mound ahead of the 7:10 p.m. start. Friday’s postgame show will bring forth a new spectacular fit for all ages, with the first of five drone shows, presented by California Pizza Kitchen. The light display will stand alongside Friday Night Fireworks this season and consist of hundreds of lights staggered together to produce fun imagery for the entire stadium to view. On Saturday, the first 40,000 ticketed fans will take home a Freddie Freeman bobblehead, presented by Bank of America, and enjoy the first installment of a postgame performance, a 30-minute musical set performed by SuperSoul in the Centerfield Plaza. The series will wrap up with a matinee on Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
Thursday, March 30, 7:10 p.m. vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Anthem: Keith Williams Jr.
- Pregame ceremonies will include:
- Members and veterans of all branches of the military will unfurl a giant American flag in center field during the National Anthem.
- A flyover from two F-35 planes and one F-22 plane will occur during the National Anthem.
- Ceremonial first pitch: Cy Young Award winners Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, and Eric Gagné will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Rick Dempsey, Mike Scioscia, and manager Dave Roberts
- Ceremonial First Pitch Ball Delivery: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
- It’s Time For Dodger Baseball: a Vin Scully tribute video
- Centerfield Plaza: Rumba y Clava Salsa Group
- Military Hero of the Game, presented by IBEW & Pipe Trades: Tokuji “Toke” Yoshihashi, a 100-year old Army World War II veteran and native Angeleno
GAME NOTES
The Dodgers begin their 66th season in Los Angeles with the first of four against the Diamondbacks tonight at 7:10 p.m. It will be their first time opening the season at home in three years, since bouncing the San Francisco Giants, 8-1 in 2020. This will be the third time in the franchise history that they will host the Diamondbacks on Opening Day and are 2-0 against Arizona with wins in 1999 (8-6) and 2019 (12-5). The Dodgers are 4-0 against the D-Backs on Opening Day, including wins in 2003 (8-0) and 2014 (3-1) at Chase Field. After the game tonight, the Dodgers will matchup up with their division rivals three more times before they welcome in the Colorado Rockies on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 36-29 on Opening Day since 1958 and are 11-3 in their last 14 Opening Day tilts. Entering the 2023 season, only three teams in the Majors that have posted a better mark on Opening Day than the Dodgers: Team W-L (Pct) New York Mets 40-21 (.656) Chicago Cubs 81-65 (.551) San Francisco Giants 75-63 (.547) Los Angeles Dodgers 72-60 (.545) EL REY: Julio Urías will make his first career Opening Day start this evening after leading team Mexico into the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic this Spring. The Culiacan, Mexico native will become the 12th Mexican-born pitcher to start Opening Day, joining Fernando Valenzuela (6 times), Yovani Gallardo (6), Rodrigo López (3), Teddy Higuera (3), Óliver Pérez (2), Francisco Cordova (2), Jorge De La Rosa (2), Esteban Loaiza (1), Armando Reynoso (1), Marco Estrada (1) and Ismael Valdéz (1). He will be the second Mexican-born Dodger in franchise history to start Opening Day, joining Valenzuela and is the first in the Majors since Marco Estrada in 2017.
IT FELTLIKE YESTERDAY: The Dodgers finished the Spring Training slate, dropping their last twogames to the Halos and finishing the campaign with a 14-13-4 record. Freddie Freeman finished the Spring with a .316 batting average and three homers while James Outman led the boys with a team-best 15 hits, eight extra-base hits and 11 RBI (tied with Freeman). HISTORY LESSON: Last season, the Dodgers became just the seventh team in Major League Baseball history to record 110+ wins in a season and their 111 wins ranks second all-time in National League history, behind only the 1906 Chicago Cubs (116). Additionally, the Dodgers have recorded 323 wins in their last three full seasons (2019, 2021-22), which became a Major League record for a three-year span, surpassing the Cubs, who recorded 322 wins from 1906-1908. DOC TALK: Dodger manager Dave Roberts returns for his eighth season at the helm after leading the Dodgers to another playoff appearance and Dodger franchise record 111 wins in 2022. In seven years with the Dodgers, he has posted a 653-380 record (.632), which is the highest winning percentage by a manager in Major League Baseball history with a minimum of 1,000 games managed. His 653 wins rank fifth in franchise history, while his 45 postseason wins are the most in Dodger history. HOW IT WAS BUILT: The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their 26-man roster this morning featuring 13 pitchers and 13 position players. Pitchers Andre Jackson and Michael Grove, infielder Miguel Vargas and outfielder James Outman will make their first appearance on the Opening Day Roster. The Dodgers will feature three rookies on the OD roster for the first time since 2020 when they had four (Edwin Ríos. Dustin May, Dennis Santana and Brusdar Graterol). Outman and Vargas will make their OD debuts in the starting lineup, becoming the first set of Dodger rookie teammates to start OD since 1985 (Sid Bream and Mariano Duncan).
