FANS FOR LIFE
Group born on first Opening Day in 1998
The Arizona Diamondbacks celebrated this weekend with a group of 20-year-olds who were born the same day the hometown ball club played its first game, on March 31, 1998.
Twenty years ago, Karilee Stinger had planned her Cesarean section procedure and was ready to deliver. There was just one thing missing: her husband.
“I was going into the room to have the surgery, and I couldn’t find Robert,” she said. “I was like ‘Can someone page Robert at the hospital? I’m ready to go!’
“He was videotaping the roof opening.”
Four and a half miles from St. Joseph’s Hospital, the roof at Bank One Ballpark was opening, and Robert could see it from his floor.
He still made it to the surgery in time and was there as his daughter, Makena, was born on March 31, 1998 – the same day the Diamondbacks played the franchise’s inaugural game.
Makena Stinger was one of a group of fans born at St. Joseph’s on that original Opening Day. Thanks to the Diamondbacks’ “Fans for Life” program – and the apt timing of their mothers’ contractions – they all receive tickets to attend Opening Day every season.
On Saturday, the Diamondbacks celebrated their 20th anniversary at Chase Field – with the same date, the same opponent and the same uniforms.
Stinger and seven other fans celebrated their 20th birthday on the field, as well. Ahead of the first pitch, the Fans for Life were recognized as fans who have truly been with the Diamondbacks since Day One.
Even in their early days of infancy, these fans have always repped their hometown team.
“I remember every baby that was born got a Diamondbacks gift bag, and inside the gift bag was a onesie, an outfit, little baby socks – a whole bunch of Diamondbacks gear in there for the babies,” Karilee Stinger said.
The Stingers were made aware of the promotion from staff at the hospital.
“When we walked in, the lady goes, ‘Do you know what you’re going to have today?’ And I was like, ‘Well yeah, a baby,’” Karilee Stinger said. “And she goes ‘Yeah – but you’re going to get opening tickets for life with the Diamondbacks!’ Total shock.”
She was deliberate about the date, having been able to choose between March 31 and April 1, but the tickets were not a factor in the decision.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to have the baby on April Fool’s Day!’ So that’s why we picked March 31st,” said Robert Stinger, who caught some of that first game on television later that night.
“We had to get to the hospital at like 4:30 in the morning because she was the first baby up to bat.”
The Stingers believe Makena was the first of the group to be born. At a press conference held at the hospital the next day, Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter signed Makena’s bib, and she made her front-page debut on The Arizona Republic on April 2. Outside of the 1998 Opening Day, when the newborns and their families were a little preoccupied, most of the group said that they have made it every year to Opening Day, as their families fully embraced the tradition.
For the Diamondbacks 10-year anniversary in 2008, Anissa Armenta even threw out the first pitch.
“It’s a pretty good conversation starter,” Armenta said. “People are like, ‘What are you doing on the field? What makes you so special?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know – good timing?’”
Others echoed that the shared birthday makes for a solid fun fact. Savannah Shimamoto used her tickets for show and tell in kindergarten.
But to the Diamondbacks, it’s more than just an icebreaker or a coincidence of dates – it’s a tangible tie of younger generations to Arizona’s major league team.
“It’s remarkable – for today to be the exact day that we opened 20 years ago, and to be the exact day that they were born, I think it bridges the gap,” said Derrick Hall, team president and CEO.
“We often talk about how we’ve now got that generation in place that knows no other team than the D-Backs. We have so many transplants that moved here, but we talk about the kids that grew up that really followed no team other than the D-Backs, and they really epitomize that . ... They truly are fans for life.”
The Fans for Life program extended to kids born on Opening Day every year at St. Joseph’s Hospital from 1998 until 2005.
The original birthday celebrants plan on coming back year after year. And now, there’s an added incentive after the 1998 squad bonded ahead of the anniversary game.
While they were all born on the same day at the same hospital, Saturday served as the first official introduction for the group.
“We’re friends for life now,” said Nate Stough, as the group joked about their joint celebration for their 21st birthdays next year.
“It’s a great story to tell,” Makena Stinger said. “And now I have all these friends, and we all have the same birthday, and we’re going to party on our 21st next year.”
Perhaps they’ll see if Chase Field’s outfield pool is available.