Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson this week likened Opening Day to a holiday in every city in which he has experienced one. And like any big holiday, Opening Day 2012 in Arizona comes with plenty of festivities.
If you can't join in the celebration at Chase Field, FOX Sports Arizona and FOXSportsArizona.com have all the bases covered for thorough and complete enjoyment of Opening Day with the Diamondbacks.
The Chase Field gates will open to fans earlier than usual, at 2 p.m. ahead of the 4:10 p.m. first pitch. The first 50,000 fans through the turnstiles will receive a free D-backs T-shirt. Pregame ceremonies will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Our programming begins on the website at 2 p.m. with an special Opening Day webcast from the Sliders stage on the Chase Field concourse. Mark McClune will host the one-hour show, which will feature guest appearances from post-game analyst Joe Borowski, FOXSportsArizona.com Diamondbacks beat reporter Jack Magruder and others. We'll also mingle with the fans and capture all of the atmosphere and festivities outside the stadium as the NL West defending champs prepare to battle their toughest nemesis, the San Francisco Giants. The FOX Sports Arizona girls will be on-site, meeting fans and handing out T-shirts, so be sure to get yours.
The webcast will lead directly into FOX Sports Arizona's one-hour Diamondbacks Live! Pregame show hosted by Todd Walsh and featuring announcing team Daron Sutton and Mark Grace. The show will a guest appearance by CEO and President Derrick Hall, on-field interviews with the Diamondbacks, an extended sitdown with manager Kirk Gibson, presentation of the Manager of the Year (Gibson), Gold Glove (Gerardo Parra) and Silver Slugger (Justin Upton and Daniel Hudson) awards, team introductions and the ceremonial first pitch thrown out by first-year Arizona State and Arizona football coaches Todd Graham and Rich Rodriguez.
Arizona native Drew Ryniewicz, 14, of "X-Factor" fame will sing the National Anthem, and pilots from the 310th Fighter Squadron from Luke AFB will perform a flyover in their F-16CM Fighting Falcons.
Then it's time to play ball, with Sutton and Grace calling all the action and Jody Jackson reporting from the field in the first of 150 live telecasts on FOX Sports Arizona. FOXSportsArizona.com will out at the stadium in full force, providing live updates and an interactive chat with reporters Magruder and Tyler Lockman.
Walsh and Borowski will wrap things up with the post-game show, featuring interviews, analysis and all the highlights. Magruder and Lockman will provide in-depth analysis from both locker rooms with their written reports on FOXSportsArizona.com.
If you can't be at the stadium, be sure to join us starting at 2 p.m. for all the excitement.
