Opening night at the Epicenter

Random thoughts in the first inning of the Quakes home opener at the Epicenter on a Monday

–It’s much better than a normal Monday crowd, but small for a home opener. The Quakes will be rewarded for accepting a Monday home opener by getting two more home weekend series this year than they have on the road.

–Fireworks were set off from the outfield warning track before the game. I’ve never seen that done before, but it seemed to go off without a hitch and looked pretty cool. However, the game didn’t start until 7:15 in part because the fireworks crew had to get their equipment off the field.

–Mavericks first baseman Johan Limonta has lost a lot of weight. Limonta, who played for the Mavericks last year and the 66ers at the end of the 2006 season, lost a reported 25 pounds in the off-season. It’s just a little less than the 30 pounds 66ers third baseman Josh Bell did during that time, but still very impressive. The 6-foot, 205-pound Limonta also made a diving stop of a Mark Trumbo grounder behind the first base bag in the first inning, the lost weight no doubt helping.