The Saturday in Harbor dawned partly cloudy and cold. The temps were not expected to reach much more than the mid 40's. However, this was not a normal Saturday. This was opening day. Before the gates had opened a large crowd had already gather to see the historic game. The first game in the history of the Regional Baseball League.

Harbor's skipper, Casey Brooks, sent Josh Johnson to the mound for the historic start while Hatrack Hines and the Rockport Clippers countered with Javier Vazquez. Ichiro Suzuki was the first hitter to step to the plate. Cameras were out all over the ballpark as Johnson poured in the first pitch. Ichiro wasted no time and bounced the first pitch back to Johnson for an out. The second hitter, rookie top level player Chris Coghlan, collected the league's first hit as he hit a slow roller to SS and beat out Escobar's throw. Coghlan would also score the first run after singles by McCann and Fielder. Harbor would answer in the bottom of the first when David Ortiz hit the league's first HR, a 3 run shot, that put the Robins out in font. The pitchers settled down after that and traded zeros for the next seven innings.

Top of the 9th with the Robins still holding the 3-2 lead. Harbor's skipper Brooks had a decision to make. Johnson's was cruising and his pitch count was still low so the young skipper sent his even younger pitcher back out to finish off the Clippers. Johnson struck out McCann for the first out and the buzz around the ballpark began to grow in anticipation of the first win. The buzz turned to a collective grown when Johnson got too much of the plate with a 3-1 pitch and Prince Fielder deposited it over the wall to tie the game at 3. The Robins failed to score in the bottom of the ninth and already the league was giving away free baseball.

The game stretched to the 14th inning before Yunel Escobar had a walkoff hit down the left field line to plate John Baker from 2nd. Clippers reliever Takashi Saito hung his head as the Harbor crowd roared and celebrated the historic first win. After the game the young Manager Brooks did not appear to be bothered when asked why he had not gone with his closer in the 9th. The press wondered out loud if a more experienced manager might have pulled Johnson. He just smiled and said "Hey we just won the inaugural ballgame of this new league. None of that stuff matters, a win is a win." The people of Harbor were on top of the world. They were off to a good start and thrilled to have big time baseball. As far as the people of Harbor were concerned, all was right with the world. That was what they thought at the time anyway.

4/18/2009, RKP09-HRB09
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12
2009 Clippers          2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0
2009 Robins            3  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
 
                      13 14     R  H  E   LOB DP
2009 Clippers          0  0     3  9  1     9  1
2009 Robins            0  1     4 12  2    12  0
 
Clippers             AB  R  H BI   AVG    Robins              AB  R  H BI   AVG
Suzuki,I          rf  6  0  1  0  .167    McLouth           cf  4  1  1  0  .250
Coghlan           lf  6  1  2  0  .333     Maybin           cf  2  0  0  0  .000
McCann            c   6  1  1  0  .167    Escobar,Y         ss  6  0  1  1  .167
Fielder           1b  6  1  2  2  .333    Jones,C           3b  6  0  0  0  .000
Lowell            3b  6  0  1  0  .167    Braun             lf  6  1  3  1  .500
Hamilton          cf  5  0  0  1  .000    Ortiz,D           dh  6  1  1  2  .167
Furcal            ss  6  0  0  0  .000    LaRoche,Ad        1b  6  0  2  0  .333
Keppinger         dh  4  0  1  0  .250    Prado             2b  4  0  0  0  .000
 Scales           pr  2  0  0  0  .000    Baker,Jo          c   6  1  2  0  .333
Matsui,K          2b  6  0  1  0  .167    Francoeur         rf  5  0  2  0  .400
                     53  3  9  3           Hernandez,Di     ph  1  0  0  0  .000
                                                               52  4 12  4
 
Clippers                         INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Vazquez,J                        8.0  7  3  3  0  9 120  85  3.38
O'Flaherty                       1.0  1  0  0  1  1  21  12  0.00
Ziegler                          1.0  1  0  0  0  0  14   9  0.00
Grabow                           1.0  0  0  0  1  1  14   7  0.00
Bailey,A                         2.0  1  0  0  1  3  32  20  0.00
Saito            L 0-1           0.1  2  1  1  1  0  11   5 27.00
                                13.1 12  4  4  4 14 212 138 
 
Robins                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Johnson,Jo                       9.0  5  3  2  0  5 108  69  2.00
Ramirez,R                        1.0  1  0  0  0  0   9   7  0.00
Gonzalez,M                       1.1  3  0  0  0  1  28  20  0.00
Calero                           1.2  0  0  0  1  2  26  18  0.00
Soriano,R        W 1-0           1.0  0  0  0  0  1   9   7  0.00
                                14.0  9  3  2  1  9 180 121 
 
RKP: Scales ran for Keppinger in the 10th
HRB: Maybin inserted at cf in the 9th
     Hernandez,Di batted for Francoeur in the 14th
 
E-Furcal, Escobar,Y, Jones,C. 2B-McLouth, Escobar,Y, Braun, LaRoche,Ad. 
3B-Francoeur. HR-Fielder(1), Ortiz,D(1). SB-Hamilton(1), Matsui,K(1). 
K-Suzuki,I, McCann 2, Fielder, Lowell, Hamilton, Furcal 2, Matsui,K, McLouth, 
Escobar,Y 2, Jones,C 3, Braun, Ortiz,D 2, LaRoche,Ad 4, Prado. BB-Hamilton, 
Escobar,Y, Prado 2, Maybin. 
GWRBI: Escobar,Y
Temperature: 46, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to center at 17 MPH.