By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The season's first pitch today at Great American Ball Park belongs to Vice President Dick Cheney.

OPENING DAY 2004 • Fresh hope, old questions • Reds offer discounts to try to get more fans into seats • A symbiotic relationship • Larkin will put on reflectors after game • Reds-Cubs series preview Click to view a detailed, printable map of the parade route, parking and street closings. (Acrobat PDF, 84k)

Cory Lidle will take over from there, making his first start with the Reds.

Considering why he was brought to Cincinnati as a free agent in December, it is a fitting order of events.

"I had opportunities to go elsewhere," Lidle said Sunday. "This was such a perfect fit, a perfect opportunity that it just made sense for me to come here."

The pitcher who in 1993 kept his career afloat with the Pocatello Posse in the Pioneer League has emerged as the Reds' No. 1 option.

Today's start against the Cubs will be Lidle's first Opening Day assignment.

"The fact that the vice president is going to be here kind of tells you how special it is," he said. "But from my standpoint, I've got to do the things I'm used to doing, treat it like a regular game. I don't want any extra emotions out there."

What lured Lidle to the Reds was their bullpen and offensive potential.

Where Lidle saw run support and security, Cincinnati saw a durable and affordable commodity that could be had for one year and $2.75 million.

A veteran of 181 major league games - he is 45-39 with a 4.42 ERA during his career - Lidle has thrown 572 2/3 innings the past three seasons. That ranks 30th among major league pitchers.

He also averaged 30 starts the past three years while with the Athletics and Blue Jays.

"The last three or four years he's gone out there and continued to give innings," Reds manager Dave Miley said.

Paul Wilson, who will start against the Cubs on Wednesday, entered spring training as the early favorite to start Opening Day.

Lidle won the No. 1 spot based on his performance this spring.

"I don't think we could've gone wrong with either Lidle or (Paul) Wilson," Miley said. "Cory had a little bit better spring."

Wilson went 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA in seven spring appearances.

In four exhibition games - not including appearances in minor league games - Lidle went 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA.

He allowed five earned runs in 17 innings, walked three and struck out six.

"We've worked really well together," Reds catcher Jason LaRue said. "He's an experienced pitcher who mixes his pitches up and doesn't try to force the fastball."

Lidle went 12-15 with a 5.75 ERA in 31 starts with Toronto last season.

He won nine of his first 14 starts and had a seven-game winning streak from May 5-24.

A groin injury landed him on the disabled list in August, and he won only three of his final 17 starts.

"I've never pitched 200 innings, so what I'm looking for is an exact routine that's going to give me every opportunity to stay healthy over 34 starts," Lidle said. "I haven't found that yet."

But he seems to have found the right fit in Cincinnati.

"I can easily say it's gone better than I've expected," he said. "I wasn't expecting to come in here and get the honor of throwing Opening Day. So in that aspect, yeah, it's maybe been better than expected."

CUBS' LINEUP
2B	Mark Grudzielanek
CF	Corey Patterson
RF	Sammy Sosa
LF	Moises Alou
1B	Derrek Lee
3B	Aramis Ramirez
SS	Alex Gonzalez
C	Michael Barrett
P	Kerry Wood
REDS' LINEUP
2B	D'Angelo Jimenez
SS	Barry Larkin
CF	Ken Griffey Jr.
RF	Austin Kearns
1B	Sean Casey
LF	Adam Dunn
3B	Ryan Freel
C	Jason LaRue
P	Cory Lidle

Today's schedule:

National League

Philadelphia (Millwood 14-12) at Pittsburgh (Wells 10-9), 4:05 p.m. (ESPN2)

San Diego (Lawrence 10-15) at Los Angeles (Nomo 16-13), 4:10 p.m.

Milwaukee (Sheets 11-13) at St. Louis (Morris 11-8), 4:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Rueter 10-5) at Houston (Oswalt 10-5), 7:05 p.m. (ESPN2).

American League

Detroit (Johnson 10-10) at Toronto (Halladay 22-7), 1:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Buehrle 14-14) at Kansas City (B.Anderson 14-11), 3:10 p.m. (WGN).

Cleveland (Sabathia 13-9) at Minnesota (Radke 14-10), 8:10 p.m.

Texas (Rogers 13-8) at Oakland (Hudson 16-7), 10:35 p.m. (ESPN2).