Obligatory Opening Day shot from Yawkey Way. Nice to see some flowers and buds on the trees!

This year the netting behind home plate was extended all the way to the dugouts. I was glad to see that it didn't go all the way up like it does behind home plate. You can see the black outline around it, including a door where the entrance to the field is. But it does mean I'm going to have to find somewhere else to move down to in the late innings when I want to get close-up pictures of the players.

One area that was renovated this year is the concession stands on the lower level behind third base, just inside Gate E. It looks nice, but they changed the concessions to a bar, meaning there's nowhere to get pizza slices on the whole left field side of the park.

Three of the Boston champions who were featured in the opening ceremony - David Ortiz, Bill Russell, and Ty Law. Bobby Orr was there too to represent the Bruins.

After Big Papi's 15-year-old daughter surprised him by singing the National Anthem, three other beloved players from the recent past joined him on the field.

David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Pedro Martinez, and Tim Wakefield came out to say "Play ball" and kick off the game. (Technically Tek covered Pedro's mouth as a joke, and the other three said it.)

Pedro and Wake, old friends and two of my favorites.

Mookie is required to homer in every road and home opener - he homered in both last year and in the road opener this year - and he did not disappoint, going deep in the ninth inning with his third hit of the day. (Come to think of it, he had homered in the first Spring Training game of the year too!)

Hanley Ramirez is doing well at first base and looks to be having fun.

Xander Bogaerts blows a bubble.

Dustin Pedroia had another great play in the field, and two more hits.

Big Papi stepped to the plate in the ninth with two hits and an RBI, but he grounded into a double play.