CINCINNATI — When Rob Zastryzny and the Pirates' other relievers walked from the dugout to the bullpen at Great American Ball Park late Thursday afternoon, the 31-year-old turned and took a look around.
Peering into a sea of red-clad fans and taking note of the bunting draped from railings as a way to commemorate the return of baseball, Zastryzny was careful not to waste a golden opportunity to admire the scene and soak it in.
After 10 years of professional baseball, which included a stint with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, Zastryzny had finally made an opening day roster for the first time, a moment he had been dreaming of since becoming obsessed with baseball as an Edmonton, Alberta-born kid growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas.
