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The afternoon started with a ribbon cutting ceremony and ended with a fireworks show. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and New York Mets Team President Sandy Alderson congratulated one another over the cut red ribbon. For 13 months, Syracuse had been unable to host the Mets’ Triple-A minor league team.

COVID-19 shut down the 2020 minor league season and NBT Bank Stadium — a $25 million stadium renovation project funded by Alderson and Gov. Andrew Cuomo that stood still for a year — before it even started. But on Tuesday, 2,163 fans gathered outside NBT Bank Stadium for the first time since August 29, 2019.

“After what can only be described as the longest rain delay in the history of baseball, we are back and ready to play,” said Jason Smorol, Mets general manager, in the game program.

Denise Waller, a fan, and her friend Cristel Powers grabbed the Mets’ winter hat and moniker giveaway as they walked into NBT Bank Stadium. Waller was excited to see the new grassy areas that made up the far ends of the lower level. The “Berm Area” allows for families to sit together on AstroTurf, or for Syracuse Mets mascot Scooch to dance around on. Last year was “terrible,” Waller said.

Fans arrived early on Tuesday and presented proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test. Most seats had stayed closed, held together by zip ties or covered with orange netting. Fans sat in groups no larger than six people and spaced out to maintain social distancing. The Mets had installed air purifiers and a system explaining how their stadium will be professionally cleaned after each game.

As fans filed in, a few children walked down to the edge of the AstroTurf. For the first time in two years, they could ask players from the visiting team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, to autograph souvenirs. When the game became too slow for them, they played tag and rolled down the hill giggling.

Thirty minutes before first pitch, Smorol stood in the Berm Area. Four fans and a group of photographers gathered around him, positioning themselves for Smorol’s speech. He thanked those who contributed to the stadium that kept the Mets in Syracuse more than one year after the pandemic and cancellation of the minor league season.

“It has been over 600 days since I’ve been able to scream into a microphone, and I want to welcome you all to Opening Day!” Smorol said.

Tyler and Dan Fellows used to work for the Syracuse Mets. Tyler worked in sales, and Dan worked wherever he was needed, but they attended Tuesday’s game as fans. The Fellows were excited to get back in the stadium after a yearlong hiatus. Not having the Mets play last year was “brutal for the whole community,” Tyler said.

The Syracuse Mets beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, 5-2, on opening day. Gavin Liddell | Staff Photographer

Cameron, a 9-year-old from Liverpool, was at the game for his eighth opening day in a row. He announced “play ball” at 6:36 p.m., prior to the first pitch. Gray clouds slowly covered Tuesday afternoon’s sunny sky, and by the time Luke Voit smashed a double off the wall in dead center on the first pitch from Jerad Eickhoff, it was 68 degrees and completely overcast.

Derek Dietrich hit the first foul ball that fans could grab. It bounced off the wall of a lower-level suite as a person in a light blue dress shirt and khakis outstretched their hands to catch the ball. They failed, and the ball fell to the lower level, where a fan in the seventh row grabbed it and raised their arms in triumph. Fans in their pod and the surrounding seats applauded the snag.

Fans cheered “Charge” and “Let’s go Mets” throughout the game. They booed the pitcher when he threw over to first and shouted “Woo” when players such as Wilfredo Tovar stole second — as he did in the bottom of the first. They screamed when Deivy Grullon softly tapped a ground ball between home plate and the pitcher’s mound. They jumped and clapped when Miguel Andujar grounded into an inning-ending double play in the top of the third. And in the seventh inning, they sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” together.

When two consecutive passed balls placed the Mets up 4-2, fans were louder than they had been all game, all year.

The roars of a crowd increased once again. It slowly crescendoed as Drew Ferguson found himself caught in a rundown, but the excitement died down when Ferguson was tagged out.

Published on May 5, 2021 at 12:08 am

Contact Anthony: [email protected] | @anthonyalandt