University School revives Opening Day tradition

University School revives Opening Day tradition
By Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer
April 12, 2010, 9:00PM
US.jpgThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerUniversity School students enjoy the Indians home opener Monday at Progressive Field. From left are: Morgan Karon, Sandy Cohn, Spencer Krantz, Stefan Leonard and Eli Weisblat.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Even before the first pitch, the day was made for a group of first-graders taking in Monday's Indians home opener.

The traditional Opening Day pageantry of reds, whites and blues etched on the field of green is what the youngsters from University School will remember.

Jay Jarvis, 7, couldn't stop talking about the giant American flag carried onto the field.

"I loved that flag and the stars that were also there," said Jay, of Cleveland. "I thought I'd be happy just seeing Slider [the Indians mascot]. What I wonder is how they got that flag cut out."

The patriotic colors presented in a different form got to Nicholas Nordell, 7.

"I go crazy over balloons," said the Gates Mills resident, "and it was cool when they launched them."

Nicholas had a great perch from which to watch the balloons drift out of Progressive Field. The 15 pupils sat in Section 575, way up and out in left field, in the general direction the wind carried the balloons.

The first-graders were at the game in part as a revival of a University School tradition. From 1890 to 1926, the school was on Hough Avenue, on Cleveland's East Side. Nearby was League Park, where the Indians played.

Starting in 1909, the school closed on Opening Day to let students and teachers attend the game. The practice continued even after both the Indians and the school moved out of the neighborhood. The Indians went downtown, and the school headed for Shaker Heights. In 1969 -- the year before US added a campus in Hunting Valley for its older students -- the school changed its policy and required staffers and students to have game tickets to get the day off, said Dick Parke, a University School math teacher and graduate.

The trip to Progressive Field was folded into the integrated theme curriculum the all-male private school has in its lower grades, said teacher Diane Meister. The first grade's current theme is Cleveland, with a focus on how sports developed as the city grew.

The idea on Monday was to participate as the community came together for a common goal -- to cheer the home nine to victory, and to see that it takes a whole lot of workers to make a sports team successful.

It was the first field trip for the kids. "We didn't have to twist any arms for them to go," said teacher Madeline Yano.

They took the rapid transit to the game, and had several interesting experiences.

Those sitting in Row R had to scramble in the third inning when a fan behind them spilled his beer. Luckily, nobody got an unwanted baptism.

Student Spencer Krantz, of Pepper Pike, was chewing on nachos at the end of the first inning, and lost a baby tooth that he was quick to display. Could that have prompted another tradition Monday night -- a visit from the tooth fairy?