A Season of Promise

By John Conroy

For Opening Day 2016, the Kansas City Royals have taken the catchphrase of the legendary Ernie Banks—“Let’s play two!”—and supersized it. “What’s unique about this year is we’re actually going to have two Opening Days,” said Don Costante, senior director of event presentation and production for the Royals. On April 3, the team will raise its 2015 championship banner before its prime-time “Sunday Night Baseball” game on ESPN against its World Series opponent, the New York Mets. Then, at the Tuesday afternoon game against the Mets on April 5, the Royals will hold a more traditional Opening Day celebration featuring a ring ceremony, a video montage of last year’s eight come-from-behind postseason wins, the ceremonial first pitch and a B-2 bomber flyover. The name of the national anthem singer is being kept “under lock and key” as a surprise, Costante said.

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