More notes before home opener

The grounds crew continues to get the field ready for the Orioles' home opener against the Blue Jays and it appears that the game will start on time.

Manager Buck Showalter left his pregame session with the media and headed into the rain room for the latest weather update. He wanted to make sure the window to start the game was big enough to keep starter Bud Norris on the mound.

"If you get a first pitch in and then you get a three-hour rain delay, it's not good. You lose your pitcher," Showalter said. "We want to try to at least start when there's a window to get the starting pitcher. Of course, the other team might not let him get through the first inning anyway. That's how it works.

"You know our city's been just - it's been a tough winter. A long, tough winter. You were hoping that the clouds would part and the sun would come out and it's officially spring and we're on our way, but I think today's just another reminder of how ... But this is actually good weather compared to what we've had. So, I was hoping it was a good day for them. It might still be. It looks like tomorrow is."

Hall of Famer Jim Palmer will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He broke into the majors 50 years ago and the Orioles want to honor him.

I bet he throws a strike.

It's easy to forget that Kevin Gausman has never been on the roster for a home opener.

"I'm just excited to see what the atmosphere is going to be like and what the fans are going to be like," he said. "They should be really happy about what we did last year. I think it's pretty cool how we do it, too. The orange carpet, coming in from center.

"I was watching Intentional Talk the other day and Kevin Millar did the Ray Lewis (dance) one year, so that was pretty sweet. Yeah, I'm just excited. Pretty cool. Tampa's opening day was pretty relaxed, so just kind of excited to see an actual real one. Just hope the weather cooperates."

Nobody wants the game halted by rain.

"There's just a question mark," Gausman said. "We don't know what's going to happen or if we're going to have to do it tomorrow. We could possibly have a doubleheader and that would kind of suck. Just ready to get the first one out of the way."

Here's more from shortstop J.J. Hardy on the improved condition of his left shoulder.

"I don't really feel it doing everyday stuff, but yesterday I felt it taking off my jacket," he said. "Just little things that I'm not thinking about. I fling my arm or my coat open and I'm like, 'Ah!'

"When it first happened I couldn't (reach across to) wash my shoulder over here. So it's stuff like that where I go, 'I feel better today,' because I can wash my shoulder."