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.