FIRST DAY, FIRST PITCH
From the field to the team, Hens' fans cheer a winner

Home run ball catcher Jeremy Altstaetter wound up with the first home run ball - hit by Toledo's Eric Munson. (THE BLADE/ALAN DETRICH)

By MICHAEL D. SALLAH
BLADE NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER

Just as the baseball soared over the fence, Jeremy Altstaetter spun around in his seat, reached over, and pounced on the blurry white sphere as it bounced on a picnic table.

As the crowd cheered, he jumped up and held the baseball over his head - the first home run ball ever hit at Fifth Third Field.

"I feel like the luckiest guy in Toledo," he said, grinning before the cameras.

More than 12,000 others could have said those same words.

For the first time in 83 years, professional baseball returned to downtown Toledo yesterday afternoon with the opening of Fifth Third Field in a celebration that lasted well into the evening.

And the Mud Hens even won.

"You can say this is a new era," said actor Jamie Farr, the Toledo native who joined 10 others in tossing the first ceremonial pitch.

Indeed, after 36 years of playing at the antiquated Ned Skeldon Stadium in Maumee, the Mud Hens are now officially roosting in America’s newest minor league ballpark - a $39 million structure that many hope will serve as another catalyst in Toledo’s downtown revival.

Though the stadium has a capacity of 10,203, the official count for yesterday’s game against the Norfolk Tides was 12,143 - the difference coming from tickets sold to standing-room-only fans.

Farewell to The Ned. Hail to the Hen House.

Forget the days when the downtown Warehouse District was boarded up and almost empty, with local critics telling City Council the area would never come back.

In the words of 67-year-old Mud Hens fan Tom Murnan: "This is the most exciting thing I’ve seen happen in downtown Toledo in many years."

Dozens of politicians and celebrities, including Gov. Bob Taft, Mayor Jack Ford, and County Commissioner Sandy Isenberg, helped kick off the 1 p.m. opener with speeches delivered on the infield and a ribbon-cutting at the main entrance. But the day belonged to the fans.

To 11-year-old Nick Strauss of Toledo, it was about watching baseball in a place that "feels like a real stadium."

To 26-year-old Kurt Aey of Toledo, it was about discovering a reason "to come to downtown Toledo."

To 74-year-old Haldon Huntebrinker of Woodville, it means finally seeing the Mud Hens play in a new ballpark. "What took so long?" he groused.

Even before dawn, vendors were setting up tents along St. Clair Street to hawk beers and hot dogs in what would be one of the largest gatherings for a sports event in the downtown’s history.

By 11 a.m., the gates were open, and people were rushing to the main entrance at Huron and Washington streets - many toting rain coats and cameras.

Some of the patrons had already started celebrating at the nearby Durty Bird and Bronze Boar bars.

"Think about it," said Joe Napoli, general manager of the Mud Hens. "Who would have ever thought that there would be a party in downtown Toledo on a Tuesday morning? They’re partying in the bars. They’re partying in the taverns."

But the real party was inside Fifth Third Field.

Many of the fans who first ventured through the gates said they were struck by what they saw - the green, landscaped field below, and the downtown skyline towering over the walls. "It’s breathtaking," exclaimed Colleen Pedro Taylor of West Toledo, "and I’m still in Toledo. Wow."

Fans were greeted by Muddy the Mud Hen dancing in the concourse and a mime dressed in a Mud Hens uniform tossing a ball to anyone willing to catch it. The smells of popcorn and hot dogs lingered in the air.

There were the usual ceremonies for opening day: police and sheriff honor guards, a flyover by F-16 fighter jets, and the national anthem sung by Toledo native Sara Weaver. Mr. Farr, the onetime M*A*S*H* star who made the Mud Hens one of the best known minor league teams in America, was among the 11 celebrities and politicians who tossed out the first pitches of the game.

The third person to pass through the gates, Mr. Farr said he was elated by the site of the new ballpark just blocks from where he grew up in North Toledo. He predicted the facility will spark more development in the surrounding Warehouse District.

"You wait and see" said the actor, wearing a Mud Hens hat and sweat shirt. "This city will never be the same. This is the beginning of something good."

Several fans said they felt a sense of pride in the downtown - a feeling they had not experienced in years. "This," said Rick Strause, walking with his 11-year-old son, "makes me proud to be a Toledoan."

Not since Portside festival market place opened in 1984 have so many people appeared for the opening of a downtown venue. But when Portside was closed and mothballed in 1992 because of failing businesses, it cast a cloud over the downtown, said several fans.

One person who knows that firsthand is Tom Murnan, who organized the opening events for Portside. "But this is going to be different," he said as he stood at the ballpark entrance. "This is a place that has a good [tenant] and is going to draw people from all over."

One of those fans was Debbie Blitz of Bedford Township, Mich., who admitted she never had a reason to go to the downtown. "I’m really not a downtown person, but I’ll definitely come to more games. This is exciting."

In a scene reminiscent of Chicago’s Wrigley Field, hundreds of people gathered on rooftops of the parking garage and other structures surrounding the stadium to watch the game.

A cookout was hosted on the roof of the three-story 20 North Gallery on St. Clair Street, and people were standing on the fire escapes of the Commodore Perry. Since the game was sold out, hundreds stood at various times along the fence on Monroe Street.

"I was too late in getting tickets," said 18-year-old Chase Mitchell, peering through the wrought-iron fence.

"So this is the next best thing. This place is beautiful."

Mayor Ford, sporting a Mud Hens cap, said he hopes that fans visiting the stadium from other areas will discover the downtown is not a crime-ridden area - a popular misconception by people who often don’t visit there, according to city surveys.

Some of the people who were most excited about the ballpark are the players, said outfielder Craig Monroe. "You can really get up for games when you see crowds like this," he said. "We really like this place. It’s a great setting. It really makes you want to get out there."

Several fans predicted that there will be a "novelty" to the new stadium, drawing good crowds for at least a season.

"But in the long run, they have to start winning," said Mr. Huntebrinker, referring to the Hens records of only eight winning seasons since 1965. "People like the stadium. Now they want to see good teams."

While the Mud Hens won yesterday 7-5, the man who probably walked away with the best memories of the game was Mr. Altstaetter.

The Toledo resident left the stadium holding a piece of history: the first home run ball hit in the stadium.

"I didn’t expect this." he said, of the ball hit over the right field wall by first baseman Eric Munson. "It’s unbelievable."

Photo albums related to this article »

A few more pictures from opening day