41.   He insisted after opening day that he felt fine physically and removed all doubt Sunday.

42.   He was the one who set arbitrary signing deadlines, the first before spring training, the second before opening day.

43.   His parents trekked over four hours from Kalamazoo, Mich., to Cleveland on Monday to watch opening day, but it was snowed out.

44.   His absence would mean veteran Gregg Zaun, signed during the offseason to be a backup, would start opening day.

45.   I was so busy watching the deer that I had almost forgotten it was opening day.

46.   If he died in his sleep in November rather than on the field on opening day, would anyone outside of the baseball community care?

47.   In keeping lawmakers in session for a marathon opening day, House Speaker Newt Gingrich pulled off a publicity stunt of the first order.

48.   It puts Nomo on target to start opening day if Brown cannot, but Tracy said nothing has been decided.

49.   It was the weekend before opening day, and the thaws of spring had swelled the Charles River.

50.   It was the worst spring outing for Schoeneweis, whose next start is opening day Tuesday in Texas.