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Blue Crabs sprint to great start
Stadium is ready to open right on time
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by GARY SMITH
Pinch, the mascot, joins youth league ballplayers, above, as they run from center field into Regency Furniture Stadium on Friday night.
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‘‘Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Regency Furniture Stadium,” bellowed Charles County commissioners’ President F. Wayne Cooper (D) in front of the stadium gates as the crowd pressed toward him.
Just four hours before, at 1:30 p.m., county inspectors had finally issued a use and occupancy permit, declaring that the facility was suitably completed and safe to open to the public.
‘‘Baseball is not only America’s favorite pastime, but it also creates jobs,” said Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), giving a brief statement before the ribbon cutting.
And those job-holders were hard at work up to the very last minute before opening. Workers scrambled to prepare food, direct VIPs, arrange piles of free souvenirs, find a replacement wooden railing for a metal one that had failed to arrive on time, prep the field, and even steamroll the freshly paved parking lot.
The stadium still bore signs of continuing construction at game time, but they were largely in places that did not fall under contractor Skanska USA’s purview. The bumper boat area, a late addition to the stadium plans, was still incomplete, and the parking lot paving, a separately contracted project, was still in need of asphalt and striping touchups.
But those details quickly waned in the minds of officials who were overcome with the ecstasy of Southern Maryland finally having an upscale outdoor entertainment venue. Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D), who worked for two decades to bring a stadium to the region, composed his ribbon-cutting remarks to hammer home that theme.
‘‘Down through the ages, building a stadium has been an expression of a community’s self confidence, pride and optimism,” Hodge said. ‘‘This new stadium is truly a symbol of our prosperity, our vitality, and our vision for the future. ... This new stadium shows how serious we are about investing in the quality of life of our citizens. We are sending a message to corporations and investors looking for places to bring high quality jobs, that Charles County is a great place to live, raise a family and do business.”
The county has bet heavily on that optimism, going so far as to shoulder responsibility not only for its third of the $27 million construction cost, but also backing the debt held by its private partner, Opening Day Partners LLC.
For its part, Opening Day Partners delivered plenty of bang for fans’ opening day buck, flooding the senses with a rush of events and performances.
Fans were treated to performances by a jazz trio and fire twirlers while waiting to enter the stadium.
Once inside, the first few hundred were given complimentary hats and lanyards. And before the first pitch was thrown, the entire stadium witnessed a rock show by The Smithereens, a dancing magic show, a confetti shower, fireworks and even a coordinated parachute jump.
Season ticket holders were treated to a free buffet of burgers, crab cakes, stuffed ham sandwiches, beer and wine on the stadium’s picnic patio.
‘‘This is a major thing for us,” said Commissioner Reuben B. Collins (D), looking over the field and grinning ear-to-ear. ‘‘I never would have expected it to be this lively.”
‘‘I think it’s wonderful,” said U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th), who flitted from skybox to skybox, shaking hands and chatting with stadium sponsors. Hoyer said that the more than 7,000 attendees were ‘‘obviously excited about the opportunity.”
Toward the end of the night, Hodge’s face settled into a semi-permanent grin as he watched the children scurrying through the stadium’s vendor concourse.
‘‘It’s the people who breathe life into this stadium and bring the magic,” Hodge observed. He gestured toward the children and said, ‘‘Now they have a place to enjoy themselves with their parents.”
