Once a pitcher has logged multiple Opening Day starts, the feeling he gets can be akin to an adult having a birthday.
It’s just another day.
“After a while, it’s not really a big deal,” said left-hander Cole Hamels, who has started three openers.
So, Hamels wasn’t bent out of shape when told that Yu Darvish will be the Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher on Opening Day. Hamels won’t be bent out of shape if his schedule holds and he ends up pitching the third game of the season.
He simply wants to be pitching on the last day of the season and beyond, with at least 200 innings and 30 starts on his baseball-reference.