Hours before heated Red Sox relief pitcher Brendan Donnelly was ejected from an otherwise tame home opener, a crimson sea of new and born-and-bred Red Sox fans erupted onto Yawkey Way to take part in the chilly, but official start to summer for the Fenway Faithful.
Despite the dreary weather, the 35,847 fans inside Fenway Park’s confines, as well as the thousands more who congregated outside the stadium to celebrate the return of baseball season, were part of the stadium’s 308th consecutive sellout and left in a cheery mood after the Red Sox dismantled the visiting Seattle Mariners, 14-3.
“Opening Day always feels good,” said Brian Smith of Medway, a veteran salesman of the team’s popular street-side memorabilia stand. “Just baseball — the pennant race, the warm weather — well, not today — but, just everything.”
Amid a collection of foam fingers, pricey jerseys and caps, Smith said that he is excited for newcomer Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, a player he called “very special.”
“The pitching’s really good this year,” he said. “I think we really have a shot, but I guess we say that every April.”
“He’s one player that’ll bring a lot of juice and energy,” said Marblehead resident and 1992 BU graduate Paul Robertson, referring to Matsuzaka, affectionately known by fans as “Dice-K.” Robertson also praised Red Sox manager Terry Francona’s decision to keep pitcher Jonathan Papelbon as the team’s closer.
“It’s a good move,” he said.
Robertson, a season-ticket holder who said he usually prefers enjoying the game outdoors, admitted yesterday he would have liked an indoor luxury seat with “McNuggets and hot chocolate” to keep out of the brisk April weather.
“He’s been a fan as long as he’s had the accent,” interjected his friend, Cohasset resident Steve Whetstone.
In addition to the excitement for the addition of Matsuzaka, School of Management sophomore Tim Chaves called the starting staff the “best rotation in the majors” and said he believes the collection of talented hurlers will lead the club in a return to October glory one season after the Sox missed out on the playoffs.
“The Red Sox are better than they were in 2004,” Chaves said. “In 2007, we will win the World Series, guaranteed.”
A Third-generation salesman for the “Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews” stand outside Fenway Park who referred to himself as Nicky “Peanuts,” said the Sox’ home opener always draws an excited crowd.
“It’s a little hectic, but it’s well anticipated,” he said. “As a person, I sometimes build it up too much and get tired of thinking about it, though.”
“Peanuts” said that he has seen the best and worst of Boston sports, including meeting the late Sox legend Ted Williams.
“We got to shoot a commercial together for bread or something,” he said.
“I love telling stories about the things I’ve seen,” he continued. “I heard that a guy once took a bag of my peanuts, put a ring at the bottom and proposed to his girlfriend. It’s the best story I’ve heard.”
As a fan stopped to collect a bag of salted cashews, “Peanuts” reluctantly took a bill from the man’s outstretched hand for which he was instructed to keep the change.
“Look, I just got 10 dollars for a bag of peanuts!” he said. “Don’t worry about it — he’s a friend of mine.”
Tim Heintzleman contributed to the reporting of this article.