ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers "dropped the top" and opened the retractable roof for the Opening Day game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Then, Mother Nature decided to have a little fun with North Texas.
Within the first three innings, it started to rain over Arlington and the Rangers closed the roof while play was going on. WFAA's Chris Sadeghi captured video of the team closing the roof.
Rangers officials told WFAA it only takes 12 minutes to close the roof and they put that into action on the first day of the season.
The good part about this new climate-controlled stadium: Fans don't need to take cover from the weather. WFAA took a deeper dive into whether or not this new stadium actually affects stadium attendance. Does a climate-controlled environment actually help attendance? Or is it all about the product on the field? Read more about what we found through the data.
Seems like the Rangers might be an indoor team, too? The Phillies outscored the Rangers 4-0 in the first three innings. After the roof closed, Texas responded with a nine-run bottom of the fourth.
Rain didn't deter fans though. Baseball fans got up early to claim tailgating spots outside Globe Life Field. Fans like Isela Alfaro and her friends landed the perfect spot to celebrate their favorite pro baseball team.
"We were here at 8 in the morning and just drove on in and parked," said Alfaro.
Outside, you could smell barbecue throughout the entertainment district. Inside, fans Brooke Porter and her husband snatched up baseball paraphernalia.
They bought commemorative pins as they have done for about two decades or more. They never miss opening day.
"We've had tickets for 25 years," said Porter.
This is an opening day Texas Ranger Lt. Ruben Mankin will always remember.
"I got a phone call and was asked if I would like to meet the president and Nolan Ryan. And I said, 'Absolutely.' And they said, 'well, the only caveat is you have to throw out the first pitch.' And I said, 'I'm in,'" said Mankin.
Mankin not only got the chance to meet Nolan Ryan, who escorted him to the mound to throw the first pitch, but he also got to shake hands with former United States President George W. Bush, who walked out onto the diamond to loud cheers.
Officers from the Arlington Police Department executed their well-organized traffic plan to get thousands of drivers in and out of parking lots throughout the entertainment district. The season opener for the Rangers kicked off one of the first busiest weekends of spring and summer with multiple events in the Arlington entertainment district that will draw tens of thousands of people to the city.
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