bility on the ball seeing him complete nearly twice as many passes

TORONTO – Amid the pomp and circumstance of the home opener, the great Roy Halladay throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and the major league debut of Yankees phenomenon Masahiro Tanaka, it could be easy to lose the significance of Dustin McGowans role in Friday nights festivities. Yet there he was, toeing the rubber to throw the first pitch of the first inning for the first time since September 26, 2011. Even greater an accomplishment, considering his significant injury history, is that McGowan is healthy to begin a season for the first time since 2008. Not many pitchers undergo three shoulder surgeries and another on a knee and continue to throw in the best league in the world. McGowan is a rare exception. Hes allowing himself to enjoy the experience but not enough to distract him from the task at hand. "I have a little bit but the last few days, my focus has been on what Ive got to do to get the Yankees out," McGowan told TSN.ca. "It feels like Ive got a lot of stuff going on in my head but thats part of it. Im ready." The shoulder surgeries chronicle like this: in 2008, to repair fraying of the labrum; two years later, in 2010, to repair a torn rotator cuff; in 2012, an arthroscopic procedure. McGowan underwent the knee surgery in 2009. Yet there he was on April 4, 2014, starting Torontos first home game of the season. His wife Jilly and their two children were in attendance. At the time McGowan spoke to TSN.ca, he was trying to arrange for his brother-in-law to be in the crowd, too. The result matters because the game counts in the standings. But in its own way, the fact McGowan is on the mound in the first place, the fact he went to the Blue Jays late last season and told them he wanted to take one more shot at being a starting pitcher and the fact he achieved the goal seems just as important as the result itself. "To be honest with you, I am," manager John Gibbons said, admitting to surprise. "All hes been through, hes defying all the odds really. So many guys thats happened to disappear and then to be able to maintain most of it, I mean hes not popping it like he once did but theres still plenty there." There really is no plan for McGowan because nobody knows what lies ahead. Hes tired of being asked how his shoulder feels after every bullpen session and each outing but those are important questions. The Blue Jays intend to monitor McGowans innings for as long as this experiment goes. The club, should it choose, could utilize its three April off days to push McGowan back, giving him extra off days in between appearances. If his shoulder starts to ache, or "bark" as players often say, McGowans bosses want to hear about it. "Ive told him multiple times, any concerns at all, youre not doing this for us, youre doing this because you want to do it," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "He had no problems at all last year. We would have loved to have been able to stretch him out but we werent in a position to do it." Halladay tosses ceremonial first pitch It was an all-too-familiar scene: the great Roy Halladay back on the mound for the home opener in Toronto. But he wasnt in full uniform and he only had the ceremonial first pitch to deliver. It was a strike. "Its pretty cool to be back," said Halladay. "It doesnt seem that long ago when you walk in. It feels like I was just here. Its exciting. Im enjoying retirement but this is pretty cool to be able to come back here." Halladay has settled in the Tampa Bay area and went to the Jays season opener against the Rays on Monday at the behest of his son. He worried that sitting in the stands would be uncomfortable so soon after his retirement. "I had my doubts," said Halladay. "But, honestly, I enjoyed it and I have no regrets, no disappointments. Im actually really happy with the choice I made and it was the right choice I made." 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After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits.Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Daley Blind and Marcus Rashford are this weeks selected Elite Players, but which one warrants a place in your side? Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Daley Blind and Marcus Rashford are this weeks selected Elite Players, but which one warrants a place in your side?Tottenham v Manchester United is this weekends selected fixture, live on Sky Sports 1HD at 4pm, with Spurs looking to maintain their title pursuit and put a dent in Uniteds top-four hopes. Harry KaneLast match - 71 pointsSeason average - 54.03 pointsTottenhams 22-goal frontman is in top form right now, scoring five goals in his last three appearances, seeing him rack up point hauls of 99 (v Aston Villa), 111 (v Bournemouth) and 71 (v Liverpool) points in his those games. His relentless intent also means he is sure to rack up points for shots on target, while hes also happy to drift into the channels and create chances. However, the Premier Leagues leading scorer is unsurprisingly proving the most popular pick from, meaning looking elsewhere will give you the edge on most players if he fails to fire.Dele AlliLast match - 31Season average - 44.45Englands young star has certainly attracted his plaudits and justifiably so, with seven goals and 10 assists this season. However, he struggled to make in impression against Liverpool last weekend, picking up just 31 points before he was substituted, while hes failed to score in 14 appearances in all competitionss for club and country.dddddddddddd His advanced role also means that his pass-completion rate is relatively low for a midfielder, so he looks the wild-card pick of the bunch this weekend.Daley BlindLast match - 71 pointsSeason average - 55.57 pointsIf Alli is the wild-card then Blind is the safe bet, as Manchester Uniteds Mr Consistent regardless of where he has been asked to play. He has now settled in as centre-back alongside Christ Smalling, helping United keep a league high of 15 clean sheets, with his ability on the ball seeing him complete nearly twice as many passes as Alli this season. A solitary goal and an average of 0.59 chances create per game are his main detractors, but he still looks a good bet for those expecting Louis van Gaals men to register a third successive clean sheet against Spurs.Marcus RashfordLast match - 26 pointsSeason average - 40.1 pointsAnother 19-year-old makes the Elite Player list, testament to the faith these two clubs have put in their youngsters. Rashford emerged with the most stunning of debuts, scoring twice and claiming an assist to rack up 90 points in Uniteds 3-2 victory over Arsenal in February. While hes struggled to hit the same heights since, he was also one target in the Manchester derby last month. The young striker certainly seems unfazed by the big occasions and the visiting fans will be hoping hell relish the opportunity to boost his sides top-four hosts with another inspired performance. ' ' '