Every team in baseball has to choose a pitcher to take the mound for the first game of the season.
The decision often comes from the manager in an official manner each spring training. While it can be interpreted as nothing more than a scheduling tidbit, the Opening Day start is looked at by many people in baseball as an honor or special achievement.
In Philadelphia Phillies camp, the news of the team’s 2013 starter was notable because it ended one All-Star pitcher’s decade-long streak, and it may mark the beginning of a run for another All-Star.
Cole Hamels will take the ball on Opening Day against the Atlanta Braves on April 1 at Turner Field. In each of the past three years, Roy Halladay had the honor for the Phillies. Including his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, Halladay had made 10 consecutive Opening Day starts, the most among active pitchers in baseball.
“It really is (an honor),” Hamels said March 16, a day after the news was released. “A lot of great pitchers have had that honor, and to be one of them, it’s something I will cherish. To be able to get your team off to the right start sets the tone for the entire season. It’s something I’ll be able to remember for a really long time. At the same time, I’m looking forward to the season. It’s going to be a great season.”
Halladay, 35, endorsed Hamels, 29, earlier this spring, saying it was the former World Series MVP’s time to lead the staff. While Hamels has been crowned this year’s Opening Day starter, Halladay has struggled to gain momentum to prepare for the season in recent weeks.
On March 12, Halladay yielded seven runs on six hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings of a start against the Detroit Tigers. Afterward, he complained of feeling “lethargic.”
Five days later, Halladay left his next start after one scoreless inning. He came out of the game with a stomach illness and ended up losing 10 pounds while recovering.
While Hamels preps for the first Opening Day start of his career, Halladay is hoping to get on track to follow him in the rotation when the regular season begins.
“I felt really good about (where I was at) after my last bullpen (session) and felt good about it after my warmup,” Halladay said of being upset his start was cut short due to sickness. “I feel like it’s there, I feel like I’ve made the strides that I need to make but just really haven’t got to test it. That was really kind of the most disappointing thing about it.
“I told (general manager) Ruben (Amaro Jr.) that night, as sick as I felt on the mound, I almost feel worse because I didn’t get to see the results that I wanted to see. I guess you just have to be patient and let it do its thing. There are things that you can control, and you worry about that. I’m going to continue to worry about what I can control and do as much as I can to be as effective and as good as I can be on Opening Day.”
Or, in this case, the second game of the season.