The Miami Marlins greeted a fan-filled stadium Wednesday night with a spectacular pre-game show that began with footage of the city from a speedboat slicing through waterways and ended with fireworks, a flyover of fighter jets and a guest appearance by boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Cheers erupted throughout the half-hour spectacle, starting with the opening of the stadium's retractable roof. Thunderous applause filled the stands following Jose Feliciano's rendition of the National Anthem.
The Puerto Rican singer belted out the same improvised version of The Star Spangled Banner that 44 years ago caused outrage. This time, it drew resounding cheers.
The show also paid tribute to South Florida music with snippets of songs by a long list of artists including Pitbull, Gloria Estefan, the Bee Gees, Julio Iglesias and his son Enrique, Ricky Martin, Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice and KC of KC and the Sunshine Band.
Emilio Estefan, who produced the pre-game show, said he was honored to take part in the Opening Day event.
"This is great for the city,'' said Estefan, who recalled playing in the old Orange Bowl when he was the band leader for the Miami Sound Machine. "This will help the economy and the poor communities will benefit."
Asked if he was a baseball fan, Estefan said: "I'm a Miami fan. I do this for the city."
Also performing were high school and middle school students from across South Florida. And players were escorted onto the field by Copacabana-style showgirls.
Even before the game started, awe in the form of "wow" was heard time and again from those milling around the festive grounds of the spaceship-like stadium. Blaring music, souvenirs, food and drinks welcomed the crowd, which began to swell before doors opened at 4 p.m.
Marlins memorabilia at the souvenir shop varied with costs of a Marlins cap begining at $19.99.
Meanwhile, two Marlins players -- Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes -- dyed their hair orange in honor of Opening Day and showed their handiwork to the media.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig officially welcomed the new Miami Marlins with a pregame news conference. Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson threw the first pitch of the game at exactly 7:15 p.m.
The Marlins' 20th season in their futuristic new ballpark looked nothing like the team's inaugural experience.
Teal — as the team's dominant color — has given way to orange, yellow and blue accents. Marlins Park is not only their home, and theirs alone, but comes with the retractable roof to block out the rain and heat.
And instead of a roster filled largely with lovable castoffs and unknowns, this Marlins team is a star-studded collection of All-Stars with multimillion dollar contracts.
No wonder Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, the mastermind for many of the changes, was anxious for the unveiling of his creation.
A standing-room only crowd of more than 37,000 filled the Little Havana baseball abode and saw a transformation 19 years in the making in its completed form.
New manager Ozzie Guillen, who spits out profanities like sunflower seeds, guided the Chicago White Sox to the 2005 World Series title.
But Guillen said he received as many ticket requests from friends and family for Opening Night as he did for the '05 Series.
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