Everett Aquasox Celebrate 30 Years, Prepare For 31st Home Opener Next Friday

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The Everett Aquasox 2014 home opener is next Friday June 13th.

The first pitch was thrown at Everett Memorial Stadium on June 19th 1984. Since that time, generations of fans have grown up with Single A Minor League Baseball in Everett, WA. Next Wednesday the Everett Aquasox will take on the Everett Merchants in the annual Everett Cup and then on Friday June 13th (under a full moon) the Aquasox will start their 31st season.

Bob and Margaret Bavasi began the Everett Giants in 1984. The field at Everett Memorial Stadium hadn’t changed that much from when it was first laid out in 1947. There were just wooden bleachers and lots of lawn seats but that first game was a standing room only sellout with more than 3500 fans in attendance. The team played as the Everett Giants for 10 years and then became a single A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in 1995. Today more than two million fans have come through the gates, the stadium has been expanded and now includes a new state of the art digital video screen.

MyEverettNews.com spoke with Pat Dillon, who has been the play-by-play voice of the Aquasox since 1998 and says he has the best job in baseball. “To be the messenger and tell the story of what is happening on the field to those who have a real investment in the game is fantastic,” said Dillon. “Even the bus rides aren’t really as bad as people make them out to be.” Dillon says one of his most memorable moments came during a day game in 2003. It was a kids day, the stands were packed and in the top of the 9th inning a Eugene player was hit by a pitch and both benches emptied. A huge fight breaks out and Dillon brings up a picture on his computer of a young Felix Hernandez pulling back that million dollar arm of his, about to throw a hay-maker at a Eugene player. It took coaches, umpires and even Everett Police to finally get the brawl stopped.

Of course Felix Hernandez isn’t the only major league star to play in Everett. While playing for Bellingham, Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his first professional MLB home run at Everett Memorial Stadium. Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Jay Buhner and many other Mariners stars did re-hab stints in Everett while Joel Pineiro, Freddy Garcia and Willie Bloomquist played for the Frogs. Another famous Mariner player and broadcaster is coming to Everett for the first time this year. In February, former catcher Dave Valle was named the manager for the Aquasox.

Aquasox baseball in 2014 will be full of promotions and special events including fireworks nights, Bark in the Park where you can bring your dog to the game, Turn Back the Clock Night and Frogstock. One thing special this year is all Monday home games will be Good Karma Mondays where you can walk up to the ticket window and name your price for any upper box seat. Whatever you want to pay will be the price of the ticket and 50% of whatever that is will be donated to the Oso Relief Fund. Click here for more information on what’s happening with the Aquasox.

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My Everett News is a hyperlocal news website featuring news and events in Everett, Washington. We also cover City of Everett information and items of interest to those who live and work in Everett.

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