Angels, For Openers

* Gates open: Parking lots at 3 p.m.; stadium turnstiles at 3:30 p.m.

* Ceremonial first pitch: Brad Burlingame at 5:20 p.m. He is the brother of Capt. Charles “Chick” Burlingame, who was the pilot of the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11. Charles Burlingame was a graduate of Anaheim High.

* Military presence: The first-pitch ball will be delivered by the “Leap Frogs,” a group of Navy SEALs, who will parachute into the stadium.

* National anthem: Lou Rawls, whose 40-some years as a recording artist include 60-plus albums and three Grammys. No stranger to ballparks, Rawls opened for the Beatles at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field in 1962.

* Other ceremonies: After player introductions at 4:45 p.m., Robbie Britt will perform “God Bless America” while a 300-foot U.S. flag is unfurled in the outfield. This will be followed by a ceremony to honor American heroes, including speedskater Derek Parra, gold-medal winner in the 1,500 meters at Salt Lake City; astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, and Wally Schirra, one of NASA’s original seven astronauts.

* Something new: The seventh uniform change in franchise history features what the Angels are calling a “back-to-basics flair.” For the first time, red will be the dominant uniform color. Even the Big A in the parking lot has been painted red. Also, no more player photos on the outfield walls.

* Opening-day memories: Ken McBride and Julio Navarro combined to pitch a one-hitter for the Angels on opening day in Washington in 1964, beating the Senators, 4-0. ... In 1978, Frank Tanana opened the season with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Athletics. He was the first major leaguer to win five games that year, finishing April with a 5-0 record. An All-Star selection that season, he finished with an 18-12 record.... In 1998, Chuck Finley beat the visiting AL champion Yankees, 4-1. Finley went on to finish 4-0 that April, but he would go 7-9 the remainder of the season.... Last year, the Angels opened in Texas, where Scott Schoeneweis lost to the Rangers, 3-2.... Mike Witt was the starting pitcher for five consecutive opening days (1985-89), with his only victory coming in 1987, a 7-1 win over the Mariners in Anaheim.... The Angels have been rained out of only one home opener, against in Cleveland in 1965 at Dodger Stadium. The Indians eventually won, 7-1.... Today’s game will mark the 10th consecutive opener in which Tim Salmon has appeared in the Angels’ starting lineup. The club record is 11 seasons by Brian Downing (1979-89).

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Bob Rohwer