Former D-backs pitcher Brandon Webb to throw out first pitch on Opening Day
Aaron Hill to receive Silver Slugger Award during pregame ceremonies
Former D-backs Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to open the 2013 Arizona Diamondbacks season this Monday at 7:10 p.m. at Chase Field. In addition, Aaron Hill will be presented with the Silver Slugger Award on the field during pregame ceremonies.
Hill became just the second player in the modern era of Major League Baseball to hit for two cycles in a season when he accomplished the feat on June 18 and June 29. He led all National League second basemen in average (.300), home runs (26), doubles (44), RBI (85), total bases (316), on-base percentage (.358) and slugging percentage (.521) which earned him his second Silver Slugger Award.
Webb, the 2006 National League Cy Young Award Winner, was a three-time All-Star for the D-backs (2006-08) and helped lead the team to the 2007 NL West Division title and League Championship Series. He ranks second in franchise history in wins (87), strikeouts (1,065) and innings pitched (1,319.2) and third in ERA (3.27). Webb was the D-backs' Opening Day starting pitcher for four consecutive seasons (2006-09) and finished his career with an 87-62 record (.584).
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the D-backs Street Festival starting at 3 p.m. located at the Fourth Street and Jackson intersection. The Street Festival will feature food trucks, live music, D-backs inflatables, activities and much more. The D-backs will hand out 50,000 magnet schedules, courtesy of Pepsi, to fans as they enter Chase Field.
The national anthem will be sung by 16-year-old Karlie O'Hearn and color guard will be posted by the Arizona Army National Guard. O'Hearn has been in remission for 10 years after being diagnosed with Leukemia when she was five years old. She is a native of Yuma, Ariz. and currently is a junior at Centennial High School in Peoria.
All players, managers, coaches, umpires and on-field personnel will wear a symbolic ribbon patch and, with fans, observe a pre-game moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in a league-wide effort to remember the 26 individuals who lost their lives on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.
Limited tickets are still available for Opening Day and tickets are still available for the rest of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals (April 1-3) and can be purchased online at dbacks.com/tickets, by calling 602.514.8400 or at the Chase Field Box Office.