"Joba Chamberlain still is just 25 years old, but it feels like he has been around Yankee Stadium since the Casey Stengel days because he has been discussed, dissected and dismissed more times than any other player his age.

Thursday was Chamberlain's fourth Opening Day with the Yankees, and he started 2011 off strong, retiring the three batters he faced in the seventh inning of a 6-3 win over the Tigers.

"Every opportunity that I get is special," Chamberlain said. "It's hard to get to the big leagues here, but it's harder to stay. The hard work to be able to get my fourth one, to be able to help this team win is an honor and a privilege."

Chamberlain is no longer the closer-in-waiting or even Mariano Rivera's main setup man. Yankees manager Joe Girardi went to Chamberlain to pitch the seventh Thursday instead of David Robertson, who had been warming up. Girardi called it a "gut feeling" to go with Chamberlain, but it could be a sign he still has trust in the former phenom.

Chamberlain showed up to spring training overweight, but shed most of the extra pounds and said he threw better than in any other spring he remembers despite dealing with a strained left oblique for a few weeks."