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04/06/2002 03:05 am ET
Images of Opening Day
By Chris Shuttlesworth / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants marked Opening Day with a mix of solemnity and celebration Friday, presenting an hour-long ceremony that ranged from torch-wielding jugglers to an emotional first-pitch participant.
After a performance by the UC-Berkeley marching band and the Flying Karamozov Brothers and a tribute to the late San Francisco columnist Herb Caen, the Giants paid tribute to three players' superlative 2001 season. Robb Nen was honored for his NL Fireman of the Year award, while Rich Aurilia received a tribute for becoming only the third San Francisco Giant (after Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds) to record 200 hits.
The ceremony turned poignant as the Cal band played America the Beautiful followed by a moment of silence in memory of the victims of Sept. 11 and Padres outfielder Mike Darr, who died in a car crash this spring. Jeffrey Osborne performed the national anthem.
But then the festivities returned, as "Beach Blanket Babylon" cast members -- three in pink gowns and one dressed as an ersatz Barry Bonds -- saluted the four-time MVP with a special version of "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing."
Mayor Willie Brown and eight former MVP winners -- Kevin Mitchell, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, Ernie Banks and Jeff Kent -- honored Bonds for his unprecedented fourth MVP award.
Finally, before a videotaped message from President George Bush, the Giants paid their respects to Capt. Matthew Bancroft, a Marine Corps pilot and avid Giants fan who became the first Northern California casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom when his plane crashed into a mountain in Pakistan on Jan. 9. With tears in her eyes, his widow, Mary Ellen Bancroft, joined Matthew's stepsons Sean and Christian Johnson and their baby daughter, Bailey, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Click any image to enlarge (will open in a new window).
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Russ Ortiz passes out Opening Day calendars to fans entering the ballpark; the Cal band performs with the Flying Karamozov Brothers; cast members of "Beach Blanket Babylon" sing a tribute to Barry Bonds; Navy jets from the "Fist of the Fleet" fly over the park. (MLB.com)
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Dave Righetti honors Robb Nen; Bobby Bonds salutes Rich Aurilia; Barry Bonds dedicates his fourth MVP award to his daughter Aisha; the Padres line up along the first-base line. (MLB.com)
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Managers Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy meet with the umpires at home plate; Reggie Jackson and Ernie Banks honor Barry Bonds; the Giants observe a moment of silence in memory of the Sept. 11 victims and Mike Darr; Kirk Rueter waits as Mary Ellen Bancroft and her children prepare to throw out the first pitch. (MLB.com)
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Chris Shuttlesworth is the editorial producer of sfgiants.com and can be reached at sitecontent@giants.mlb.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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