For millions of fans, the arrival of Opening Day is signaled not by the first pitch but by a triggering of the senses: the smell of fresh-cut grass mingling once again with the comforting aromas of ballpark food, the roar of a crowd that has been waiting all winter, and the unmistakable crack of the bat that means baseball is finally back. It is the most exciting day on the sports calendar, and the history behind it is just as compelling as the games themselves. Here are some of our favorite facts about the most beloved day in baseball.
The Only Day Every Team Starts in First Place
No other sport offers the psychological reset of Opening Day. Every team, regardless of what happened last season, begins the year tied for first. As Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio once put it, Opening Day feels like “a birthday party when you’re a kid—you think something wonderful is going to happen.” That clean-slate optimism is a big part of what makes the day so electric, even for fans of teams with long odds.
A Presidential Tradition Dating Back to 1910
The ceremonial first pitch has been a fixture of Opening Day for over a century. It all started on April 14, 1910, when President William Howard Taft threw the first ball at a Washington Senators game, establishing a tradition that nearly every sitting president since has honored. Harry Truman took it a step further, famously throwing ceremonial pitches with both his right and left arms in 1950. Here in San Diego, The Westgate Hotel’s own General Manager, Annie Fitzgerald, joined that distinguished lineage of first-pitch honorees in April 2025, taking the mound at Petco Park as Vice Chair of the San Diego Tourism Authority’s Board of Directors.
The Padres’ Opening Day Moment You Probably Forgot About
San Diego fans have their own piece of Opening Day history worth celebrating. On April 13, 1987, the Padres pulled off one of the rarest feats in all of baseball: three consecutive home runs to open the bottom of the first inning. Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn, and John Kruk each went deep in succession, giving San Diego a lead before most fans had finished their first hot dog. Back-to-back-to-back home runs have happened fewer than 25 times in MLB history, and the Padres are the only team to have done it in the first inning on Opening Day. The Padres may not talk about it enough, but that moment belongs in the highlight reel of this franchise’s history.
The Only No-Hitter in Opening Day History
In 162 games, a no-hitter is a rare and stunning feat. Pulling one off on Opening Day, in front of a packed house full of energy, against a team that has had all spring to prepare? Only one pitcher in MLB history has done it. On April 16, 1940, Cleveland’s Bob Feller, just 21 years old, no-hit the Chicago White Sox to open the season. It remains one of the most remarkable individual performances in baseball history, and no one has matched it since.
MLB Has Gone Global
Opening Day is no longer confined to American soil. In recent years, MLB has launched seasons in Tokyo, Sydney, and London, bringing the game to international audiences and giving fans around the world a taste of baseball’s most anticipated day. The 2025 season opened in Tokyo with a marquee matchup featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. Whether on the streets of San Diego or halfway around the world, the first pitch of the season carries the same charge.
Your Best Seat Starts Here
When the Padres take the field at Petco Park this season, the action is just a short walk from The Westgate Hotel. We have been part of this city’s baseball story since the very beginning, and we would love to be part of yours. Book the Westgate Park Package and celebrate the season in style.