Martin powers Fish in season opener

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This article was published 03/07/2020 (2239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FARGO, N.D. — The buzz of baseball’s opening day could be heard and felt throughout the concourse at Newman Outdoor Field on Friday night, with 1,963 fans in attendance. But there were also face masks and social distancing, as the COVID-19 pandemic provided an unmistakable backdrop to the atmosphere.

One familiar sight was Kyle Martin’s powerful bat. The Winnipeg Goldeyes left-handed slugger belted a pair of two-run homers to lead the Goldeyes to a 9-5 victory against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the American Association season opener.

The season was scheduled to open in May, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to its postponement. Three weeks ago, the league announced the season would begin Friday, with six teams playing instead of 12. The season was reduced from 100 games to 60 games and, for now, the Goldeyes will call Newman Outdoor Field home.

“It’s special,” said RedHawks president/CEO Brad Thom of being able to host games again. “Normally, I say goodbye to the fans. Today, I welcomed them back.” Then, he added, “We missed them.”

Martin wasted no time in building off his 2019 campaign, in which he slugged .495 and hit 14 homers in just 82 games. In the top of the fourth inning, with a runner on second base, Martin pulled a pitch from RedHawks right-hander Bradin Hagens (0-1) just inside the right-field foul pole to give the Goldeyes a 3-1 lead. Then, in the eighth inning with a runner on, Martin extended the Winnipeg lead to 6-1 by driving a Jackson Sigman pitch just over the right-field wall.

Winnipeg left-fielder Jordan George, who was acquired in the dispersal draft, added a three-run homer in the ninth inning in his Goldeyes debut.

“I think we should be able to swing the bat pretty well,” Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said Tuesday during media day.

The Goldeyes provided plenty of run support for left-handed starting pitcher Mitch Lambson (1-0), who scattered five hits, struck out seven and allowed one run in six innings to earn the win.

In some ways, it looked like any other opening day. Fans lined up waiting for stadium gates to open. Bunting hung from the suites in the second level.

However, social-distancing efforts were also noticeable. Every other row of seating was roped off, and there were two seats between parties of fans in the stands. Every other table in the beer garden was also roped off, and the team store was only allowing 10 fans in at a time to encourage social distancing.

Fans were encouraged to wear masks, but most did not. About 30 minutes before first pitch, about one-quarter of fans on the concourse were wearing masks.

David Undem of Valley City, N.D., who was among the fans in attendance, said he had masks with him but wasn’t wearing one. He was excited for the start of the season, despite his pandemic concerns.

“I was looking every day to see if there were tickets available,” Undem said. “I’ve been waiting for sports since the pandemic started.”

Dawn Morton, who works as a fan service representative at Newman Outdoor Field, said she misses seeing her “Winnipeg boys” this year. Thom said there are normally a couple hundred Goldeyes fans in attendance to watch these longtime rivals face each other in Fargo. However, the U.S.-Canada border is currently closed.

In 24 years with the team, Morton interacts with fans and develops close bonds with them.

“It’s family,” Morton said. “I see these people more in the summer than I see my own family.”

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