Hope Springs Eternal – Kerry Tucker
Opening Day of baseball is a celebration at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker. At its very root, opening day is all about hope. The Pads are 2 and 1, ½ game out of first behind those dreaded Dodgers. They’re looking good with only one defeat.
Five years after the major league Padres came to town in 1969, Dave Nuffer founded Nuffer, Smith, Tucker. He had a spring in his step that day in April of ’74. We’ve been celebrating ever since. Though we don’t close the office in recognition of Opening Day, a few of us wander a few blocks south to Petco, clients in tow. The rest of our brethren share a view of third base from our 19th floor suite on Broadway.
Today we face the Giants – the world champion Giants – with “Boch” and “Flan” returning to what was once their hometown crowd. Will we be in first place at the end of the day? Hope springs eternal …
Fear the Beard – Greg Kershaw
To many, baseball is a boring game, one of many sports you can choose to watch or not watch. To others, including the founding members of NST and many on our current team, it’s a celebrated pastime – something to follow, discuss, joke about and celebrate amongst family, friends, clients and each other.
I’ve always thought Opening Day felt like Christmas, and that’s never been truer than this year. This year, Santa has a black beard, delivers 100 mph fastballs and, oh yeah, has a World Series Championship under his belt. In case you didn’t hear, the San Francisco Giants won it all last season. I still remember every trade, every injury, every bar argument and every expletive uttered late in games that led to a rag-tag group of guys winning baseball’s biggest prize (while the Padres watched at home.) I still see visions of grown men in orange and black dancing on Market Street in San Francisco in rain made out of confetti and I still watch videos of my friends and I celebrating something we hoped would happen for as long as we were old enough to remember. And that dream isn’t over yet.
That’s all to say my vision of what’s possible this year is skewed, and I will be undoubtedly biased and haughty at times – but that’s all part of being a true baseball fan. Any other year, I’d be concerned the Giants were on pace for the worst season in baseball history (they’re 1-3 in 4 games so far), but not this year. This year, I’ll be wearing a Fear the Beard shirt and a smile at Petco Park on Opening Day.
Renewed Excitement – Krystin Williamson
Baseball is back … and thank goodness! As we celebrate the Padres home opener against the Giants today, I’m flooded with fond memories of past seasons full of friends and family. I was with my brother when the Pads clinched the Western Division title in 2006, which marked our first year as season ticket holders together. That night was followed by a host of other very special occasions I am lucky to share with both him, my dad and lots of close friends sprinkled in between.
Coming off opening weekend in St. Louis, I’m also feeling a renewed excitement as we learn about and welcome many new team members to the squad. Watching San Diego native Aaron Harang take the mound will be a special treat, too.
It’s only Kerry, Natalie and myself off to root for the Padres today (as you know, Greg happens to be a Giants fan), but I know many more NSTers will venture over to a game or two (or 20!) before the season is over.
I’m definitely not “fearing the beard” today, but if I see one stupid panda hat this afternoon …
We close our Opening Day post with an amazing picture of our 19th floor view straight into Petco Park. Cheers to baseball and a great season!
