Guardians bringing in Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley to throw first pitches at April 8 home opener
Longtime Cleveland legends Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley will throw out ceremonial first pitches before the Guardians home opener. Former Cleveland teammates Corey Kluber and Micahel Brantley are set to throw out ceremonial first pitches at the Guardians home opener on April 8 against the White Sox. The club's opening day festivities will include pre-game ceremonies and a total solar eclipse. Fans are encouraged to arrive early due to expected traffic congestion and public interest in public transportation. NASA's Chief of Staff at NASA's Glenn Research Center will perform the National Anthem and God Bless America. The team store will temporarily relocate to Gateway Plaza for the 2024 season due to renovations at the ballpark.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Joe Noga, jnoga, Joe Noga | [email protected] in Sports
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Some familiar faces will be on the mound prior to the Guardians home opener on April 8 against the White Sox.
Former Cleveland teammates Corey Kluber and Micahel Brantley are set to throw out ceremonial first pitches as the club announced its opening day festivities ahead of the 5:10 p.m. opener against the White Sox.
Pregame ceremonies will begin a 4:35 p.m. and will include Kluber and Brantley — both key pieces to Cleveland’s 2016 American League Championship team and World Series run — tossing first pitches.
Kluber and Brantley both announced their retirements from Major League Baseball this offseason with careers that included more than 10 seasons each in the Cleveland organization.
Cleveland’s 31st home opener at Progressive Field takes place the same day as a total solar eclipse over the downtown area. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the ballpark will open at 2 p.m.
Also on the April 8 agenda according to the Guardians:
• None Ra-Deon Sledge, Chief of Staff at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, will perform the National Anthem and God Bless America.
• None Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Marines color guard with a flyover from the 910th Airlift Wing out of Youngstown Air Reserve Station
• None American Flag presented on the field by Cleveland Guardians employees and their family members.
More from the Guardians regarding downtown traffic and eclipse viewing:
• None “Fans are encouraged to allow extra time for travel due to expected traffic congestion due to the Home Opener and solar eclipse, and are encouraged to take public transportation whenever possible.”
• None “At solar eclipse totality, the eclipse will not be visible from a significant portion of Progressive Field due to the sun’s location and ballpark architecture.”
Fans should also think ahead and download their tickets to their mobile wallets prior to arriving at the ballpark in case phone connectivity hits a snag. The club will pause ballpark entry from 3:05-3:25 p.m. during the solar eclipse totality.
Per the club, fans WILL be able to exit and re-enter the ballpark via both the left field and right field gates.
Among the fan festivities set for April 8, DJ Kyro will perform in the right field district. Face painters, glitter tattoo and an airbrush artist will greet fans on the family deck.
Fans looking for team merchendise should be aware that the Guardians team store will be temporarily located on Gateway Plaza for the 2024 season due to renovations at the ballpark. The team store tent will open to the public at 10 a.m. on April 8.
The Home Run Porch Bridge connecting the garage to Progressive Field will be closed during the 2024 season due to renovations.
Topics: Baseball, MLB, Cleveland Guardians