PHOENIX -- They say Chip Hale is born to be here. They say that because of his preparation and attention to detail. So of course the Arizona Diamondbacks manager appeared quite calm hours before his managerial debut against the San Francisco Giants.
"It's against a team I grew up watching," said Hale, who grew up in Moranga, Calif., outside of San Francisco. "We're excited. Spring training is so long now, you just want to get it going for real."
Thirty to 40 friends and family members from California to Tucson will be in attendance at Chase Field, Hale said.
"My wife handled all that, so we'll see what the American Express bill looks like," he added.
The D-backs enter the season with few expectations, but inside the clubhouse there's been little talk about it. Such is the way a team led by the always-positive Hale would handle itself. But the players can indeed hear the outside noise.
"We have a very tight-knit group here," said pitcher Chase Anderson. "As a team we know what we have to do."
Hearing the outside chatter, Hale was given a final opportunity for self-assessment and said his favorite thing about this team is its togetherness.
"We have good talent ... they're major leaguers, they all deserve to be here," Hale said. "But the character is unbelievable. They're all pulling on the same rope, the same direction, and they just care about each other. When you get a team that is like that, it can do things that people don't think they can do. That's what I think they got right now."
The biggest worry for Hale, as one could imagine, is how well the starting pitching staff can compete. More specifically, it's a wonder how many innings the starters will be able to hang tough.
"Are we going to get enough innings out of them where we don't tire out our bullpen too much?" Hale said.
With that in mind, Hale said big-armed closer Enrique Burgos did enough to earn his way onto the team, but the D-backs instead went with former starter Andrew Chafin on the final pitching position. Arizona will have Chafin plus former starters Daniel Hudson and Randall Delgado in the bullpen to give the team options for working multiple innings.
Like Hale's debut as an MLB manager, Monday is a first for many of Arizona's players.
Ten of the 25 players on the D-backs will make their first Opening Day roster appearances. It's a first-time feeling for pitchers Chase Anderson, Archie Bradley, Andrew Chafin, Rubby De La Rosa and Evan Marshall; catcher Jordan Pacheco; infielders Nick Ahmed and Jake Lamb; and outfielders Ender Inciarte and David Peralta.
Here's what some of them had to say hours before first pitch against the Giants.
Marshall: "The accepted answer is it's a dream come true. But it's such a relief. You go through camp, it's such a competition trying to fight for spots. Coming off last year, I need to come into camp and do a good job to secure my spot and toget my first 'congrats you made the team' handshake was a pretty great experience."
Lamb: "My parents just got into town this morning and it's just one of those crazy feelings. What everyone's told me is just remember this. You're going to remember it the rest of your life.
Bradley: "The people who have supported me and helped me get to this point is really what this day is about."
Inciarte: "To be in this situation is very special. I'm just going to take advantage of it and enjoy. I was going day-by-day ... I was just trying to do my best. I'm happy to be in the lineup today."
Anderson: "It's very special. The Lord has blessed me many blessings, but this one is right up there with the top few."
"His only drawback is he's an ASU guy." -- Chie Hale, on what catcher Tuffy Gosewisch showed through spring to win the starting job.
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