Durham Bulls Prepare for Home Opener

There was fun and excitement in store for the whole family.

Tickets range from $4.50-6.50.Parking is also easy and inexpensive. Street parking is free, and there is also a free shuttle if you park a couple of blocks away and do not want to walk to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. There are also several $2-5 lots near the DBAP.

TheDBAPwas designed by the architects who created famous fields like Camden Yards in Baltimore, Jacobs Field in Cleveland and Coors Field in Colorado.

The brick ballpark opened in 1995 and cost $16 million. The ballpark was expanded to 10,000 seats for the 1998 season. It was designed and built so that every seat has a great view of the field.

Bill Law, Public Address Announcer for the Bulls, says the DBAP is the most exciting thing in the world.

"There's nothing like it in the minor league level," Law says. "It's a prototype stadium. Everybody wants to copy it."

Fans will be treated to a special sight when they go to the DBAP. The Bulls have cut the grass into a sunburst pattern.

The players say they like the pattern because the ball gets a better bounce.

The sunburst pattern will only be featured during the Bulls' current home stand. The regular checkerboard grass pattern will return for the next Bulls' home stand. The gates open at 6, and the Bulls take on the Columbus Clippers at 7 p.m.

Future Hall of Fame inductee, Wade Boggs, is scheduled to throw out the ceremonialfirst pitch. -->,Michelle SingerandKamal Wallace