Everything to know about the Texas Rangers’ season opener against the Chicago Cubs

Thinking of going to Globe Life Field for the Texas Rangers’ season opener against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday? Or one of the weekend games?

Get there early to join the celebration of the 2023 world champion Rangers.

Here are some things you should know in advance of the season-opening series against the Cubs.

Tickets

As of Monday morning, only singles and standing room tickets remain for the opener remain. There are reserved seats remaining for Saturday and Sunday’s games. Saturday’s game begins at 6:05 p.m., Sunday’s at 1:35 p.m.. Tickets can be purchased at rangers.com, by calling 972-RANGERS and at the Globe Life Field box office, which is adjacent to the Southeast entrance.

Parking

Get there early, especially for the opener. The parking lots will open at 2 p.m. on Thursday, four hours before the pregame festivities begin at 6 p.m. Gates open at 3:30 p.m., just as the Rangers begin batting practice.

Television

Can’t go? Watch on television. Thursday’s opener is scheduled to begin at 6:39 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN. Saturday’s and Sunday’s games will be broadcast on Bally Sports Southwest.

The banner and the trophy

The Rangers will raise their World Series banner, which measures 20 feet high and 30 feet wide, prior to Thursday’s game. The banner will be adjacent to the right field video board.

The pregame ceremony will also include a formal on-field presentation of The Commissioner’s Trophy, which the Rangers for winning the World Series. It’s the same trophy that was presented to them in Arizona after they beat the Diamondbacks, the same one that appeared during the championship parade. And it’s been making its rounds across North Texas this winter.

First pitch

The Rangers are honoring the Rangers fans who supported them for more than 50 years with the first pitch. Michael Carter, a fan from Southlake, has been attending games since the first season in 1973. He will throw out the first pitch that will be caught by Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

National anthem

Texas country singer Wade Brown, a Waco native, will sing the national anthem. The large United States flag will be unfurled in centerfield by Rangers’ season ticket Lone Star members before the singing of the anthem.

Special flag

During Thursday’s pregame ceremonies, United States congressman and former TCU baseball coach Roger Williams, whose district includes Arlington, will present the American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol on November 1, 2023, the day the Rangers won the World Series, to the team. Williams was an All-Southwest Conference baseball player at TCU and played three seasons in the Atlanta Braves minor league system before injuries ended his career. He later served as head baseball coach of his alma mater.

Honoring Ortiz

The Rangers will observe a moment of silence in the memory of former coach Hector Ortiz, who passed away after a long illness on Feb. 28. There will be on-field introductions of both the Cubs and Rangers.

More music

Emmy Award winning vocal group The Texas Tenors will sing “God Bless the U.S.A.” during the seventh-inning stretch on Thursday.

Magnetic schedules

The Rangers will hand out 2024 magnetic team schedules to all fans 21 and over at the Thursday opener.

Fans 21 years of age and older attending Thursday’s home opener will receive a 2024 Texas Rangers Magnet Schedule, presented by Anheuser-Busch.

Championship branding

Fans will notice numerous branding elements at Globe Life Field that honor the champions.

Large banners featuring Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, and Marcus Semien have been added to the interior concourse walls, and two new shadow boxes have been created on the left field main concourse. In addition, a new full-size mural titled “Went and Took It,” painted by local artists Jeremy Biggers and Hatziel Flores, has been installed in the northwest area of the main concourse.

New field turf

Fans will also notice that Globe Life Field has a new playing surface. The synthetic grass turf was replaced in time for the Thursday opener. The Rangers decided that they wanted a new turf in time for the All-Star Game, coming to Globe Life Field in July. Thus, the new field is ready for its debut, too.

Fans will notice that the turf is a darker shade of green than the original one.

Championship rings

The Rangers will wear their new World Series gold-trimmed uniforms on Saturday when they receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony at 5:20 p.m. Parking lots open at 3 p.m. Saturday. The gates open at 3:30 p.m.