Chris Tillman on getting the opening day start

SARASOTA, Fla. - The rain has picked up in intensity again at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, and pretty much the entire state of Florida. The Braves are on a bus headed to Sarasota. I wonder how easily it can execute a U-turn.

No word on a cancellation, but I'll remind fans that they don't postpone games here or play doubleheaders. It would be washed off the schedule.

Miguel Gonzalez is supposed to start tonight. Manager Buck Showalter will let us know how the pitching plans are altered if we don't play tonight.

Gonzalez could pitch against the Tigers Wednesday night while Chris Tillman, the scheduled starter, throws at minor league camp. We'll see.

Tillman found out yesterday from pitching coach Dave Wallace that he was named the opening day starter on April 4. The conversation didn't last long.

"Very short, very short," Tillman said. "I actually was throwing a bullpen. I got done. Wally had told me he wanted to see me. He was on the way to the game by the time I had come in, and it was just real brief. It was special.

"There wasn't time for a reaction. Literally, I ran inside, mid-pitch, coming in here, trying to catch him on the way out. He just said, 'I think you already know, but you're going Monday,' and he was gone. It was real brief."

Tillman is starting his third consecutive opener. Has the meaning changed over the years?

"No, not really," he replied. "I'm not a guy that looks too much into that. I don't take this for granted. I don't think anybody in this clubhouse. It's important to me and it's important for the team and I'm excited to get it going."

A special responsibility? Not to Tillman and his teammates.

"On this team, no. I don't think so," he said. "We're big on, 'We're only as good as our starter tonight.' It's opening day starter for one day out of the year and we have 161 more, so I think collectively as a group it's important for all of us to pitch well on the night we get the ball.

"Opening day is important because it's the first game of the new season, and everyone is excited. A whole new opportunity. I think baseball is good in the fact that we do have 162 games and you have plenty of starts to show up for."

Mike Mussina is the last Oriole to start three straight openers in 1998-2000. Now that has meaning.

"I found that out yesterday," Tillman said. "Yeah, it does. It really does. It's not something that you can take lightly, I don't think. I don't take any of these for granted, just like any of our guys wouldn't. I take a lot of pride in my day, getting the ball every fifth day, and especially this one."

Tillman will pitch in front of the home crowd on April 4 after opening last year at Tropicana Field.

"Any time we have opening day at home is a good time," he said. "Two years ago was at home, I believe. Last year was Tampa. Any time you're at home, it's a little better. Get the hometown crowd, orange carpet deal, a lot of noise. It's fun."

Tillman will do a better job of controlling his nerves than the last time he took the ball first at Camden Yards. He held the Red Sox to one run, but he allowed seven hits over five innings and didn't seem comfortable. He surrendered only one run in 6 2/3 innings last year against the Rays. The Orioles won both games.

"I think I'm more prepared for it now," he said. "It was something I hadn't experienced before. The first one was rough on me. Nerves got to me. The excitement was through the roof, butterfly deal. I know what to expect. I know what our fans do now and they're as much a part of this as any of us are, so it's a lot of fun being there."