Home Opener: What to Expect at Dodger Stadium

The home opener is finally here.  If the Angels-Yankees game isn't postponed or delayed by rain today, the Dodgers will technically be the final MLB team to host it's first home game, today at 1:10pm against Arizona.  Here's what to expect today:

• Normally stadium gates open 90 minutes prior to game time, but today they open one hour earlier.  From the Dodgers:

Fans can enter the stadium parking lots as early as 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday and the stadium as early as 10:40 a.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, carpool and take the Dodger Stadium Express shuttle from Union Station to help alleviate parking congestion. The Dodger Stadium Express will pick up fans at the Patsaouras Bus Plaza adjacent to the east portal of Union Station every 10 minutes prior to the start of the game starting at approximately 11:00 a.m. and drop them off in the parking lot behind left/center field. Dodger tickets will be honored as fare.

• Former Dodgers Tommy Davis  and Maury Wills will be signing autographs before the game in Autograph Alley beyond center field.
• From the Dodgers: "United States Navy FA-18C Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron 97 will fly over Dodger Stadium at the start of the game. The Hornets recently returned from an eight-month combat cruise in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are based out of Lemoore Naval Air Station."
• Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier will receive their 2009 Silver Slugger awards from none other than 1995 Silver Slugger winner and all-time Los Angeles Dodger home run leader Eric Karros
• Kemp will receive his 2009 Gold Glove award from Steve Finley, the last Dodger center fielder to win the award (Finley played 58 of his 162 games that season with the Dodgers, but ended the year with them, in grand fashion)
• LeAnn Rimes will sing the national anthem before the game
• Larry King will announce "It's time for Dodger baseball"
• Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will throw out the ceremonial first pitch
• Cl.ay.ton of the Dodgers will throw out the real first pitch, somewhere near 1:10pm
• The game will be televised by Prime Ticket, which begins with an hour-long "Dodgers Live" starting at noon that will show the pregame festivities.  For those outside the Los Angeles area or Arizona, Vin Scully's call will be simulcast on MLB Network, starting live at 1pm.

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