After more than six years of dreams and seven feverish months of construction, Lancaster Municipal Stadium formally opens tonight with the Lancaster JetHawks hosting the Visalia Oaks. Ken Cloude's historic first pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
A standing-room-only crowd of approximately 6,100 is expected for the first minor league baseball game in Los Angeles County since 1957. The Hangar, as LMS has been nicknamed, will become the first professional baseball stadium to open in L.A. County since Dodger Stadium in April, 1962.
Groundbreaking for The Hangar did not take place until last Sept. 6 - the day Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games-played record.
Under the supervision of project manager Dave Byrne of the city of Lancaster, the Anaheim-based John Pinner Construction company erected LMS on time and just over the budgeted target of $14.3 million.
The game has been a sellout since tickets went on sale in midMarch. The JetHawks announced they will put an additional 500 standing-room tickets on sale at the stadium box office (23rd Street West at Avenue I) at 9 a.m.
The Hangar's gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Pregame ceremonies will commence at 6 p.m.
Among the pregame speakers will be Lancaster Mayor-elect Frank Roberts, who was a staunch ally of former Mayor George Runner in last July's efforts to bring the former Riverside Pilots to Lancaster.
Roberts and city councilmanelect Jim Jeffra will repose to Lancaster City Hall to be sworn into office, before returning for the game.
Fittingly, two native sons of Lancaster and former AV High stars will be on the field for the greatest moment in Valley sports history, albeit on the visiting team.
Dwayne Murphy, a 12-year major-league veteran with the Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, will be on the coaching lines. Jeremy Herider, most recently the assistant baseball coach at Antelope Valley College, is an Oaks shortstop.
Both men are under contract to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have a working agreement with the unaffiliated Visalia club. Murphy will stay with the club until June, when he will manage Arizona's Baby Backs of the Arizona Rookie League.