‘You don’t take these for granted’: What Opening Day means for Miami Marlins

About three hours before his team took the field to officially start the 2024 season, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker summed up what this day meant perfectly.

“You don’t take these for granted,” Schumaker said. “Any Opening Day in the major leagues is a special day. I think it should be a holiday. ... I don’t think anybody, any player takes these for granted. Only a couple hundred people get to do these things [each year].”

But to each individual person inside the Marlins’ clubhouse, each Opening Day has an opportunity for its own personal significance.

Here’s what Thursday means for five Marlins players.

Luis Arraez

This is the fifth consecutive year second baseman Luis Arraez has been on an Opening Day roster and second with the Marlins since being acquired ahead of the 2023 season.

But Thursday marks the first time his parents, Ernesto and Maria, are in the stands when the season begins.

Arraez’s parents obtained their visas last September and finally saw their son play in the big leagues for the first time late last season.

Now, they are able to be with him for the full ride.

“It means a lot,” said Arraez, who has won batting titles each of the past two seasons. “I’ve waited for this and I thank God my family’s here. I’m excited to see them.”

Sixto Sanchez

Right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez’s journey to this point has been long documented. He made his MLB debut midway through the 2020 season and helped the Marlins reach the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened season.

He hasn’t been back in the big leagues since, with a pair of shoulder surgeries and a slew of setbacks keeping him sidelined for the past three years. He made the Opening Day roster this year.

When he appears in a game, it’ll be the first time he does so with fans in the stands.

“I believe it’s better pitching with fans,” Sanchez said. “The adrenaline, the strength that you get, the emotions of the fans is even better, and it’s more exciting.”

Anthony Bender

This is Anthony Bender’s second time on an Opening Day roster, but there was a one-year gap in between. The right-handed relief pitcher missed all of the 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

“It’s a lot of excitement,” Bender said of his return. “I know warming up, there will probably be some jitters in the beginning, but once you step onto that field, the competitive juices take over and you’re just ready to rock.”

While Bender has already gone through the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day before, he agreed the feeling never gets old.

“Even just driving to the field today was super exciting,” Bender said.

Jesus Luzardo

Left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who grew up in Parkland and graduated from Stoneman Douglas, was a frequent attendee of Marlins games growing up. Thursday marks his first time pitching on Opening Day and he’s doing it for his hometown team. Luzardo said he left tickets for about 65 people but expects more will likely show up at loanDepot park.

As for what makes Opening Day special to Luzardo...

“You see the big American flag in center field. You have the flyovers. You get the intros,” Luzardo said. “It’s just something that I feel like — even as a kid — it’d make your hair stand up, give you goosebumps, and I feel like I still feel that now.”

Jonah Bride

Infielder Jonah Bride wasn’t originally slated to make the Opening Day roster. The Marlins optioned him to Triple A Jacksonville midway through spring training.

But after Miami traded Jon Berti to the New York Yankees on Wednesday, a spot opened up. Bride filled it.

“It’s always special getting called up,” Bride said. “Getting the call [Wednesday] and making the phone call to the parents — it’s the first Opening Day for me — was awesome.”

How did he find out the news?

“I was [in Jacksonville] and we were about to head over to the field,” Bride said. “I got the call and actually didn’t recognize the name. I was playing Call of Duty so I missed the first call and then saw the second one. It was [Jumbo Shrimp manager Darren Brown] telling me to head down here. I picked up my stuff from the Jacksonville clubhouse and drove down.”