Ausmus On Opening Day: 'The Energy ... For Me It's Akin To The Super Bowl'
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - In the grand scheme of a major league season, Opening Day is only one of 162 games, no more important than any other. For everyone who loves baseball, however, the opener holds a unique appeal.
"There's something different about Opening Day, especially if you're in kind of the cold weather belt where I grew up," Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Monday. "It kind of signifies the beginning of spring, the end of winter, and I know it was a tough winter. There was always something special for me as a kid for Opening Day, and I think it still applies now, and I think that's how Tigers fans feel about it.
"The energy is, for Opening Day, for me it's akin to the Super Bowl," Ausmus added. "For Michigan, for Detroit, Opening Day is an unofficial holiday. It's a lot of fun not only to play but it's fun to even be part of it."
Veteran designated hitter Victor Martinez - who worked back from an offseason surgery to be ready to go - still gets a little jittery for Opening Day, even though he has been through it many times.
"It doesn't get old," Martinez said. "You want to be part of this, and especially this great team that we have. Like I said, it took a lot of work to be here today, but I'm happy that it worked out.
"I think when you're driving into the ballpark, just seeing all the fans outside with grills, all the traffic, and the fans wearing all the gear, then you go outside and ... you have to walk to the lines for them to introduce you and all that stuff, I think that's what it means," Martinez added.
