9 hrs 39 mins | SPORTS and RECREATION | BaseballOpening Day is the biggest regular season baseball game of the year. Michael Ortman never missed it, not once, for 50 years.
Opening Day: 50-for-50 is a baseball tribute like no other—a well-researched work of love representing a half-century of great stories and historical context linked to each of those 50 days. This emotional journey connects three cities, six stadiums, five home teams, and four generations while overcoming life events, baseball’s labor unrest, and the 33-year absence of a hometown team. Along the way, Ortman encountered five U.S. Presidents and more than 50 future Ha...
Opening Day is the biggest regular season baseball game of the year. Michael Ortman never missed it, not once, for 50 years.
Opening Day: 50-for-50 is a baseball tribute like no other—a well-researched work of love representing a half-century of great stories and historical context linked to each of those 50 days. This emotional journey connects three cities, six stadiums, five home teams, and four generations while overcoming life events, baseball’s labor unrest, and the 33-year absence of a hometown team. Along the way, Ortman encountered five U.S. Presidents and more than 50 future Hall of Fame players, coaches, and broadcasters: from Reagan to Obama, Robinson to Scherzer, Weaver to Torre, Caray to Kalas and hundreds more.
| # | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 Open |
0 mins 19 secs |
| 2. | 2 Dedication and Acknowledgements |
2 mins 31 secs |
| 3. | 3 Introduction |
13 mins 35 secs |
| 4. | 4 Ch 1970 Roundy |
15 mins 07 secs |
| 5. | 5 Ch 1971 Curt Flood Dred Scott in Spikes |
25 mins 03 secs |
| 6. | 6 Ch 1972 Charting A New Course Strike 1 |
7 mins 12 secs |
| 7. | 7 Ch 1973 Curt Flood II Dave McNally |
9 mins 32 secs |
| 8. | 8 Ch 1974 Boooooog |
6 mins 36 secs |
| 9. | 9 Ch 1975 Yaz, Hank Stram, and Notre Dame |
10 mins 30 secs |
| 10. | 10 Ch 1976 Where's Reggie |
10 mins 25 secs |
| 11. | 11 Ch 1977 My Banner Day Go Senators |
8 mins 50 secs |
| 12. | 12 Ch 1978 Al Who |
6 mins 19 secs |
| 13. | 13 Ch 1979 Comiskey Park |
8 mins 59 secs |
| 14. | 14 Ch 1980 Busted Sitting Out in the Cold |
7 mins 51 secs |
| 15. | 15 Ch 1981 Our Olympic Moment Throw A Strike You Bum |
11 mins 22 secs |
| 16. | 16 Ch 1981-R Swing and a Miss Strike 2 |
7 mins 37 secs |
| 17. | 17 Ch 1982 Harry's Wrigley Debut |
6 mins 30 secs |
| 18. | 18 Ch 1983 The Voice of Opening Days and Presidents Charlie Brotman |
11 mins 07 secs |
| 19. | 19 Ch 1984 The Mourning After, a Banner Day on TV |
10 mins 31 secs |
| 20. | 20 Ch 1985 Fatherhood |
6 mins 23 secs |
| 21. | 21 Ch 1986 The Presidential Opener |
14 mins 28 secs |
| 22. | 22 Ch 1987 Remembering Jackie Robinson, Kind Of... |
10 mins 21 secs |
| 23. | 23 Ch 1988 0-21 |
9 mins 19 secs |
| 24. | 24 Ch 1989 What a Difference a Year Makes |
5 mins 59 secs |
| 25. | 25 Ch 1990 Locked Out |
7 mins 22 secs |
| 26. | 26 Ch 1991 Complete Game Don't Count on It |
15 mins 51 secs |
| 27. | 27 Ch 1992 Oriole Park At Camden Yards |
7 mins 42 secs |
| 28. | 28 Ch 1993 Cal Ripken Jr. |
16 mins 13 secs |
| 29. | 29 Ch 1994 Country Boy Comes Home |
11 mins 35 secs |
| 30. | 30 Ch 1995 The Woman Who Saved Baseball Strike 3 |
12 mins 24 secs |
| 31. | 31 Ch 1996 Baseball Bill Clinton |
11 mins 41 secs |
| 32. | 32 Ch 1997 Peanuts, Get Your... Poison |
10 mins 52 secs |
| 33. | 33 Ch 1998 Ken's Column |
9 mins 57 secs |
| 34. | 34 Ch 1999 Yet Another Expansion Team (Grrrr!) |
8 mins 55 secs |
| 35. | 35 Ch 2000 Mike Hargrove |
9 mins 24 secs |
| 36. | 36 Ch 2001 The Orange Carpet |
7 mins 33 secs |
| 37. | 37 Ch 2002 Mariano Rivera The Final 42 |
12 mins 27 secs |
| 38. | 38 Ch 2003 The Steroid Era |
18 mins 03 secs |
| 39. | 39 Ch 2004 Thank You, Peter Angelos |
15 mins 04 secs |
| 40. | 40 Ch 2005 Baseball's Back |
15 mins 41 secs |
| 41. | 41 Ch 2006 Alfonso Soriano |
11 mins 34 secs |
| 42. | 42 Ch 2007 Farewell to RFK |
8 mins 39 secs |
| 43. | 43 Ch 2008 Mr. Walk-Off, Ryan Zimmerman |
8 mins 50 secs |
| 44. | 44 Ch 2009 Harry Kalas, RIP |
12 mins 14 secs |
| 45. | 45 Ch 2010 John McNamara |
15 mins 31 secs |
| 46. | 46 Ch 2011 Edward DeMarco |
12 mins 01 secs |
| 47. | 47 Ch 2012 Let Teddy Win |
8 mins 14 secs |
| 48. | 48 Ch 2013 D.C.'s Greatest Sports Fan |
11 mins 22 secs |
| 49. | 49 Ch 2014 Wheel Me In, Coach |
10 mins 02 secs |
| 50. | 50 Ch 2015 Baseball Superstitions Same Seats |
7 mins 37 secs |
| 51. | 51 Ch 2016 No Ticket No Problem |
6 mins 51 secs |
| 52. | 52 Ch 2017 Mr. Opening Day Bryce Harper |
9 mins 08 secs |
| 53. | 53 Ch 2018 #ALLCAPS |
13 mins 48 secs |
| 54. | 54 Ch 2019 Made It 50-for-50 |
8 mins 34 secs |
| 55. | 55 Epilogue |
13 mins 02 secs |
| 56. | 56 END |
0 mins 19 secs |
Download app from
