What Makes Opening Day Special for the Diamondbacks Players?

It's Opening Day now that it's March 27, and the entire nation is excited for a new baseball season to get started, especially those who are Arizona Diamondbacks fans. The best parts for many fans include the pre-game ceremonies that include the player introductions, the flyover, the anthem, and much more. It's a true American holiday, such as baseball is America's pastime.

The Diamondbacks face the Chicago Cubs at 7:10 p.m. with Zac Gallen on the mound, squaring off against Justin Steele. It will be a packed house with a sell-out expected, and the energy. and vibes will be extremely high.

For a full run-down of everything that will happen before the game, be sure to read this article.

Ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes shared a very detailed and strong answer as to his own preferred part of Opening Day, "It's just the excitement, the energy, not even necessarily in the stadium, in the clubhouse. It's just around America, really. Everyone knows the day on the calendar. Everyone looks forward to checking the box score of their favorite team that night.

"For a lot of people, it provides a lot of happiness that they know what their next six months are going look like every night when they're coming home to watch baseball or the Sunday day games, whatever it is.

"Just the excitement here in the city you go into, obviously being at home now, just the excitement of people you run into that are excited for Opening Day. It seems like it's a fun day a lot of people that can start tuning into their televisions for the next six months and kind of get lost in a sports team."

Outfielder and DH Randal Grichuk shared what his favorite part of Opening Day is, "If it's not that games matter, the buzz. There's a lot more buzz, guys have the energy. It's a new outlook on the year, obviously. Bad teams have a chance. It's kind of anybody's year type of attitude and vibe, and there's baseball in the air. Fans and everybody around the game. It's a pretty exciting time, atmosphere-wise."

"For me, just the energy of the season" shared reliever Joe Mantiply. "I feel like it's kind of like the first day of Spring Training and everybody's back together. First day, Opening Day, it's like everything just means a little bit more. It's the kickoff to the start of the season, and just being in front of all the fans, it's just a different kind of energy,"

Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez spoke on what he loves about Opening Day, "I think the feeling during the anthem. The flyover is my favorite."

New first baseman Josh Naylor gave an expounded but very thoughtful answer to his favorite parts. "Probably seeing the stadium super packed, the intros. Probably knowing I have family too coming in for the opening weekend every year whether it was in Cleveland years before or in San Diego years before that.

"Just the support as a whole from family, from fans, from friends back at home who tune into the game. I have a lot of teachers who have followed me and my brother's careers. Those are probably the coolest things about Opening Day. The baseball itself, the baseball doesn't change.

"Spring Training doesn't really count or matter stats-wise, doesn't mean you don't take it seriously, but I feel like it's the same game. You're still playing to have fun. You're still playing for your teammates. Now, it matters a little bit more...so I'll just kind of let it ride and have fun."

All-Star shortstop Geraldo Perdomo will experience his fourth Opening Day. He spoke on his most cherished part below.

"The flyover, the F-22s. Everybody happy for Opening Day. Everybody's happy they know the season's going to start. I think that's the most important or the most interesting because everybody's going to be together. Everybody is smiling. Just a different feeling from everything."

Fellow All-Star, left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., shared his own view on the best parts of Opening Day. "The start of a new season. Everything is a new goal, everything is new, everything is getting started. The feeling is good."

New utility infielder, Garrett Hampson, shared his own thoughts. "The lineups getting introduced, that whole pregame ceremony. It's of kicking off the year. It has a special feeling towards it. That's where it really feels like now it's baseball season. We're in it for the long season but just to kick it off like that with the flyover, the opening ceremonies, that kind of thing. It gives you chills every time."

Reliever Ryan Thompson shared this, "Honestly, it's just getting back into the routine. I think that baseball season is what we know and what we love.

"So, offseasons are sometimes a little bit hard for some of us, and Spring Training's a difficult schedule for us. Games don't really matter, building up anticipation for Opening Day. So, it's kind of just having a culmination of all the preparation we've been putting in the last six months, so it's just the excitement."

Young starting pitcher, Brandon Pfaadt shared his own thoughts on what the best part of Opening Day is, "It was definitely new, it almost felt like the postseason games, but the flyover and the national anthem, I think that was the coolest part. Getting to the beginning of the game, the fans galore out there and I think that was my favorite part. It's your first taste of the season."

Of course, one couldn't not get the favorite part of Opening Day from manager Torey Lovullo about how Wednesday night felt like the night before Christmas.

"A very dear friend of mine just had opening day for his four year old son the other day, and they had the same feeling with walking with their banners that I'm going to have tomorrow. It doesn't matter where you are. It's always Opening Day.

"And I say it the same way, pretty much around the same time of the year, a couple of days prior to Opening Day, maybe even on Opening Day. Everybody's 0-0, we all have the same dream, the same aspirations. And we know what we have to do each day to get to where we want to get to. We've got a good team. We've got a really good team here. And I'm just excited to see what they're going to roll out each day."