Fairmount resident Dave Smolnycki might be as comfortable walking around NBT Bank Stadium as he is his own home.

“It's good seeing you though," Smolnycki said to one of the ushers on opening day. "It's been a long time. 614 days.”

With the 2020 Minor League season canceled, he hasn’t seen his “baseball family” since the end of the 2019 season.

“Finally made it to 50 consecutive, finally," Smolnycki said to another team employee.

This week marked Smolnycki's 50th straight opening day supporting Syracuse baseball.

“I've been through rain, snow, wind, high temps, low temps,” he said.

He started coming to Syracuse baseball games as a kid. Then, the streak began when he was 16 years old, and his dad brought him to MacArthur Stadium a few days after he was cut from his high school team.

“Opening day is something special," said Smolnycki. "You know, it’s like the official beginning of the summer season.”

He met his wife on a bus trip to see the team play on the road. They started bringing their own kids when the children were two or three weeks old.

With so many seasons under his belt, Smolnycki walked in into the stadium's new Hall of Fame and was flooded with memories.

“This is outstanding," he said. "A lot of this I probably witnessed during my years here, here and at MacArthur stadium.”

Even for someone who’s seen it all, it was hard for Smolnycki to recognize the ballpark and its $26 million in renovations.

“Wow, this is amazing," he said. "It doesn’t even look like the old place.”

COVID-19 regulations have moved his seat from the back row, but Smolnycki has a view to keep score.

“Sometimes I do get vocal, especially with the men in blue,” he noted, speaking of the umpires.

For his 50th opening day, any seat is the best seat in the house.

“Get the piano off your back, jeez,” he yelled to a player, hoping he'd speed up.

It only took Dave 51 years to settle in.