Today is March 31 and the Yankees are playing a regular-season game before April for the first time. In fact this is their first game in the United States during the regular season before April 1.

In 2003 Alfonso Soriano hit a grand slam off Roy Halladay in Toronto and a year later in Tokyo, Tony Clark and Hideki Matsui hit two-run home runs in a 12-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Mike Mussina was a member of both teams as he was in the middle of a 10-year stint with the Yankees that sandwiched World Series titles 26 and 27.

Mussina was also on the team that last had a March 31 game on the schedule in 2008 and that was ultimately rained out. He won 20 games that year, enjoyed it immensely despite a non-playoff year and was back to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Chances are this will be one of the few games that Mussina gets to watch, assuming he stays since retirement in Montoursville PA keeps him occupied with all the things he wasn't around for during two decades of traveling the country at all hours and living out of hotels.

In between coaching football, basketball and basketball, there is little time for Mussina to settle in front of his TV and watch a game and he is at peace with his decision that often is among the toughest to make in any occupation, especially professional sports.

"Eventually you say you've had enough," Mussina said.

Elsewhere, Curtis Granderson is in the lineup as Jon Lane details and ready to go against the team that traded him for Austin Jackson.

Speaking of Jackson, the former Yankee prospect will become the latest in a long list of opposing players to become the first batter of the new season at Yankee Stadium. Erick Aybar and Grady Sizemore have opened the season at the new place while such notables as Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs, Tim Raines and Dom DiMaggio have been the first hitter across the street.

As for the Tigers, five players made an opening day roster for the first time and 14 have fewer than three years experience. One who doesn't is Miguel Cabrera, who despite his recent issues is a hitting machine, especially against the Yankees. He is a .361 hitter against the Yankees and has hit safely in 22 of 23 games.

And for the manager, with seven more wins Jim Leyland is seven shy of reaching 1,500 wins. When he does, he will be the 19th man to do so.