The 33-year-old thought about retiring in 1997, but now is the Rays' long reliever and emergency starter. Opening Day is always something special. And being on the Metrodome field Monday night was particularly rewarding for Devil Rays pitcher Dave Eiland, especially given the alternatives such as Columbus, Ohio; Norwich, Conn.; or even Tampa. With pain in his elbow and some doubt in his mind, Eiland considered retiring after the 1997 season. The Dade City native went so far as to inquire about a coaching job in the Yankees' minor-league system, only to be told there were no openings. But another opportunity suddenly arose, a chance to pitch for the Rays, the new team in his hometown. Convinced he could still compete and encouraged by his wife, Sandy, Eiland went for it. He spent all but the final week of the 1998 season at Triple A and started in Durham again last year before joining the Rays in late May, bouncing between the rotation, the bullpen and the disabled list. But this season, he is with the Rays from the start. A strong spring earned the 33-year-old a spot on the Opening Day roster (his first since 1993), a job as the long reliever and emergency starter, and a chance to reflect on how much of an odyssey it has been. "It means a lot. I don't know if I can even put it into words," Eiland said. "It's been a long road, a lot of hard work, a lot of soul searching. Questioning myself, challenging myself, trying not to listen to the doubters and the naysayers that say maybe you don't have enough to do this anymore. "But there was always something that kept driving me. I knew I could do it and, I felt in my mind and in my heart that I could compete at this level and be successful at this level, and that's why I kept doing it. There were a lot of dark times, times when I went, "Wow, what's going on? Do I need to get on with my life and do something else?' But there was just something within me that kept driving me." Eiland never has been one to get by on sheer talent. He came through Zephyrhills High and the universities of Florida (where he also played football) and South Florida, and has pitched 13 years in pro baseball and it has always been a battle. At the start of this spring training, he seemed no more than an afterthought, an extra arm politely included as a candidate for the fifth starter and long-relief jobs. He _ once again _ was a non-roster invitee battling for a job all spring, having to prove himself again. But a funny thing happened on the way to his next scheduled disappointment. Credit his physical conditioning, his strong spring pitching and/or his brimming confidence, but he made the team. "In those times between 1993 and 1998 I learned a lot about myself, about what type of pitcher I was and what type of competitor I was," he said. "I've gotten better every year. I think that was kind of hard for the decisionmakers, but just because you've been around for X number of years and just because you get to a certain age doesn't mean you stop improving. "I kept working and I kept improving. In this game, when you get a label it's hard to shake. Fortunately they gave me a chance last year. I was able to get my foot in the door, and this spring I just walked right through it, and here I am." And on Opening Day nonetheless.