The Dodgers will open the 2011 season on Thursday, March 31. Pre-game festivities on Opening Day, including the ceremonial first pitch, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Opening Day in 1981.
Grammy Award-winning singer Plácido Domingo will perform the National Anthem and Broadway actor and singer Davis Gaines will perform God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch.
Before the National Anthem, the Dodgers will observe a moment of silence for those whose lives were lost as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) have joined together to contribute $500,000 toward earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan to UNICEF. Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda has made a personal donation to the cause and the Dodgers will also collect donations for UNICEF at locations throughout the stadium.
Thursday, March 31 vs. San Francisco Giants – Opening Day – 5:00 p.m.
Opening Day will be televised nationally on ESPN as the network’s first Thursday Night Baseball game of the season. PRIME TICKET will deliver a special one-hour pre-game show from Dodger Stadium beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Individual game tickets to Opening Day are sold out, but fans can still get tickets to Thursday’s game by purchasing a mini plan or season seats. More information can be found here.
Auto and stadium gates will both open early on Opening Day and fans are encouraged to carpool and arrive early, as auto gates will open at 1:00 p.m. and stadium gates will open at 1:30 p.m. Fans can also take the free Dodgertown Express Bus Service from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, as they can for every game this season. More information about the bus service and parking are available here.
The first 50,000 fans at Thursday’s game will receive Magnet Schedules presented by Automobile Club of Southern California.
Approximately 136 members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Coast Guard, LAPD and LAFD will unfurl a giant flag on the day during pre-game ceremonies. A Joint Services Color Guard will present the colors and pre-game ceremonies will conclude with a flyover by a B-2 from Whiteman Air Force Base.
More information about Opening Day festivities, as well as the rest of the homestand, here.
