Red Sox To Honor 60 Years With Jimmy Fund In Home Opener Ceremonies
BOSTON (CBS) - After beginning the season with a 4-2 road trip, the Red Sox finally come home to open the 2013 season at Fenway.
With that comes a day full of ceremonies before the 2:05 p.m. start against the Baltimore Orioles. Here is what the Red Sox have planned for the 102nd Fenway opener, which is expected to get underway just after 1:30 p.m.:
- The team will honor the Jimmy Fund as this marks the 60th anniversary of the official partnership between the Red Sox and the Jimmy Fund.
The Jimmy Fund Chorus, a new group comprising singers who have been touched by the Jimmy Fund or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will sing the national anthem before the game and God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch.
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- Several Jimmy Fund patients who have been treated over the past six decades will participate in the Ceremonial First Pitch.
- To maintain the Opening Day tradition of a fly-over at Fenway Park, two vintage P-51 Mustangs will fly at the conclusion of the national anthem. The Merlin-powered P-51 Mustangs, which first entered World War II combat in December 1943, are provided by the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, and will be piloted by Charles Hainline and Vlado Lenoch.
- At the public address announcer microphone, Dick Flavin will be the voice of Fenway Park during the home opener and for most day games. Charlestown High School teacher Henry Mahegan will handle most of the night games, and former WBZ-TV sports director Bob Lobel will be at the microphone most Saturdays. Other Boston and baseball personalities will make guest appearances at the microphone from time to time.
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Flavin, Mahegan, and Lobel were chosen after an extensive search that began in January. A total of 342 people tried out for the public address duties this offseason.
