Roy Halladay - photo credit: Steve Trapani

Are any of us really surprised by this announcement?  Doubt it!

Roy Halladay will take the mound at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on April 5th against the Pirates.  This will be his 10th consecutive Opening Day start, which is the most of any active pitchers.

Cliff Lee and Vance Worley will be at the helm for Game 2 and Game 3, respectively. Which leads to the question of why is Cole Hamels the fourth starter?  Isn’t that a slap in the face?

No way…Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee wants Hamels to start the Phillies 2012 home opener at Citizens Bank Park on April 9th.

“Cole has had more experience.  He’s pitched in World Series.  The big flag is out there.  Not that Vance can’t handle it, but it’s a little bit of a hectic day.”  Rich Dubee – The Trentonian

Though I believe Hamels has earned a higher spot in the rotation, I have to agree he’s the perfect choice to start the Phillies’ season off at home.

The Phillies have two days off the first week of the season, so Dubee will most likely not go with a fifth starter, meaning Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick won’t get a start early on.  Instead, Dubee will go back to Halladay, stating that he didn’t want to make Doc wait seven to eight days between starts.

Photo courtesy of Steve Trapani – Flickr Follow him on twitter: @Trap_33

Heather Carnassale is Contributing Phillies Writer for Aerys Sports. You can email her at viewfromsection116@gmail.com, or follow her on twitter @heatherc531 and @viewfromsec116.