Opening Day Diary

by Eric W. Freeman, Jr., Special to BaseballEvolution.com
April 2, 2007

Well, it’s finally here. I’ve had to suffer through the NCAA Tournament, crappy NBA action, and hours upon hours of Mel Kiper Jr. earning his paycheck in between the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft. But baseball season is finally here, and to celebrate, I will be composing a running diary of all of the events of the first day, focusing on the Chicago Cubs-Cincinnati Reds contest. IT’S FINALLY HERE!!!

1:07pm CST: I wake up, remembering that the Cubs game starts soon, and I don’t miss it. The TV comes on, the Apple Jacks are poured, the coffee is made, and it’s time for baseball.

1:13pm: The debate all Cub fans know well: whether to watch the game on WGN or ESPN2. As the mayor of Cincinnati throws the first pitch wide to the left, I notice that the ESPN2 feed is about a second and a half slower. WGN it is.

1:21pm: Damn my infernal smoking habit. I run back inside to miss Alfonso Soriano’s and Matt Murton’s at bats. Derrek Lee is awarded first base on a walk because Aaron Harang walks off of the mound. Hey, good start. Then Lee tries to steal second. Essentially a 1-2-3 inning.

1:25pm: Adam Dunn is way too strong, and Carlos Zambrano isn’t showing his best stuff so far. He walks Ryan Freel on four straight pitches, and then Dunn just tattoos one to deep right. Ken Griffey Jr., amazingly, doesn’t get injured on his bloop single, but Zambrano settles down, and it’s 2-0 Reds.

1:32pm: It’s pointed out that Pete Rose is in the stands at a Reds game for the first time since he managed. They said that he had to buy a ticket. He looks like an old grandmother with his weird sunglasses.

1:35pm: A quick flip to ESPN lets me see Elijah Dukes, CF for the Devil Rays, have his first major league hit be a home run against the Yankees. I’m signing him in my fantasy baseball team right now.

1:41pm: A shot by David Ross to the hot corner, and Aramis Ramirez makes it look routine. It was a hard shot with a funny hop, but that’s why A-Ram is so great. Zambrano is settling in as the Reds go 1-2-3 in the second.

1:44pm: Actual quote from Bob Brenly: “I guess that’s why those cheerleaders were dancing on top of that dugout. They heard we were going to be doing another podcast, and they started GOING CRAZY!!!”

1:45pm: Another from Brenly: “I’m amazed at how thick Mark DeRosa is.” DeRosa hits a single to center as the Cubs record their first hit of the year.

1:51pm: Soriano finally comes through with a base hit, bouncing off of Edwin Encarnacion into center, and DeRosa rounds second to third. And now the ever-familiar first and third with two outs, for Matt Murton up and D-Lee on deck.

1:53pm: Murton strikes out again. I love the Cubs.

1:56pm: Freel grounds to Cesar Izturis, who throws it away from D-Lee. The ball bounces off of the camera, back to D-Lee, who throws it to Izturis to tag Freel at second. That play is known as the old 6-camera-3-6.

1:58pm: Adam Dunn, according to Brenly, is “The epitome of a man,” as he blasts another home run. He’s on pace to hit 810 home runs this year.

2:02pm: As Larry Rothschild walks to the mound to talk to Zambrano with runners on first and second with one out, the broadcasters mention that the Cubs will be sold after the 2007 season. According to a statement by Cub President John McDonough, “The sale of the Cubs will in no way serve as a distraction to the goal of the franchise, which is to win the World Series in 2007.” Yeah, the lingering theory is that the Cubs (who were bought by the Tribune media conglomerate in 1981 for $20.1 million and on sale for an apparent $600 million) are going to be sold at the end of the year won’t distract anyone, but it’s enough of a possibility to be mentioned.

2:11pm: Jim Hendry says his piece about how he “loves” working with Lou Piniella, how he’s “optimistic” about the season, basically saying what we as fans need to hear.

2:12pm: Strange play at second, as Jacque Jones grounds to short, Alex Gonzalez dives for it, and must turn around and dive for the bag, but Aramis Ramirez is safe. Runners on first and second.

2:16pm: Michael Barrett hits a flair to Griffey, who looks pretty good on the run in right. I’m thinking only five games until Griffey gets hurt again.

2:19pm: DeRosa walks, and we have bases loaded for Cesar “Big Dawg” Izturis, who on the first pitch, pops up to second. I love the Cubs.

2:22pm: A quick check on the Devil Rays-Yankees game, and it’s tied up at 5 after Derek Jeter’s two-run single. Runners on first and second for Bobby Abreu, who flies out to Dukes in center. Dukes then doubles up Melky Cabrera at second. We have our first front runner for the “That’s My Dawg” Award.

2:25pm: Apparently, the Indians are pissed at the fact that they lost the Civil Rights Game to the Cardinals last Saturday (and it would have been infinitely funnier if the Indians were playing the Nationals in the “Civil Rights Game”). So they’re taking out their frustration on the White Sox, as it is 11-2 in the 3rd.

2:28pm: So Len and Bob have a new email address, lenandbob@aol.com. Bob quips, “I just got used to the old email address.” I love old people.

2:30pm: WGN Superstation is dubbing this year “The Season of Hope.” I wonder how many times the Cubs have dubbed their year “The Season of Hope” after 99 years of suck.

2:34pm: After a Zambrano strikeout and a Soriano flyout, Murton has his first hit with a weak grounder to third that dies. D-Lee shoots one to center, Freel dives for it but misses, picks it up, throws it wildly towards third, and it lands in the camera pit. Matt Murton scores the first Cub run of the season, and D-Lee is on third for Ramirez. That happened way too quickly.

2:38pm: Ramirez grounds out to Encarnacion, and it’s 3-1 Reds. Harang still has a perfect ERA, as Murton’s run was unearned.

2:44pm: All of a sudden, after a walk, a hit batter, and a bloop to left by Griffey, the bases are loaded for Encarnacion with no outs. The bullpen is a-stir as Encarnacion taps one to Ramirez, who flips to Barrett. One out, bases still loaded.

2:48pm: Zambrano walks Hatteberg to walk in a run. 4-1 Reds. Zambrano has five walks. Gonzalez hits a sac fly to left, and Griffey scores. 5-1 Reds.

2:51pm: Len astutely observes that “it’s the underrated characteristic of an ace to eat up innings, and it would be a shame to go to the bullpen before the 6th inning.” Really, “underrated characteristic?” Incredible reporting, Len.

2:54pm: Carlos is livid. He’s screaming his head off in the dugout. It’s good for him to vent his frustration now as opposed to later in the season, when it counts.

2:55pm: Barrett shoots one to deep right-center, and Freel makes it in SportsCenter with an incredible diving catch. That’s why Griffey is in right.

2:59pm: LHP Neal Cotts is in on the mound, and the Ryan “The Riot” Theriot era has begun at second.

3:00pm: Ryan Freel is an ugly guy. His face is squished together like Mike Myers from his “Philip” sketch on SNL with Nicole Kidman when he does an impression of a shar pei. He hits a double over Murton’s head in left.

3:03pm: Adam Dunn flies out to center. So much for 810 home runs.

3:06pm: More on the sale of the Cubs. It seems that real estate mogul Sam Zell is buying the Tribune for $8.2 billion. Yes, billion. I hate people with money.

3:07pm: Everyone at LSU has fond memories of Ryan Theriot. He was here when the Tigers last won the College World Series, and he is now striking out to Harang for his first 2007 at-bat. Woo-hoo.

3:09pm: Soriano flies out to Griffey, and Harang has another 1-2-3 inning. In other news, somewhere right now Tony is beaming as the Yankees are defeating the Devil Rays 9-5. I have Mariano Rivera on my fantasy team, and he’s struck out the last two batters. 3-2 count on the way.

3:10pm: Strike three. Fantasy points for Eric.

3:13pm: ESPN2 is running a “What Have You Done For Me Now Lately?” graphic for Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. Wood is starting the year on the DL, and Prior is in AAA. It’s gonna be a long year.

3:15pm: Griffey flies out to deep center, and Soriano is looking good in center field. He hasn’t been challenged yet, but so far, so good.

3:18pm: S#$t is about to hit the fan. Steve Philips on ESPN2’s coverage notices “the shadows are beginning to come into play.” OH CRAP!! The shadows are in play!!!!

3:20pm: The Nationals just found out exactly what a “Whuppin’ Stick” is, as the Marlins dissected them 9-2. I seriously regret not drafting Hanley Ramirez when I had the chance.

3:21pm: Michael Wuertz is in for the Cubbies, as ESPN2 does a “Zambrano is livid” retrospective. “The rule is,” interjects Philips, “when the pitcher is like that, don’t talk to him. Especially when he’s 6’5”.” I live by that same rule.

3:26pm: Wuertz strikes out David Ross, and the side is retired. No runs, one hit, one walk, no errors, two left on base. Felt like going old school with that update.

3:33pm: It’s time for some magic on ESPN. Red Sox-Royals, Curt Schilling vs. Alex Gordon in his first major league at-bat, and the bases are loaded with one out in the first inning. It wouldn’t be Opening Day without a Joe Morgan quote: “I don’t think Schilling will throw the splitter here.” Schilling throws the splitter. Morgan, “Schilling apparently has confidence in Varitek to catch that bouncer, but I don’t think we’ll see it again.” Schilling throws it again. 2-2 count, Morgan: “He’s afraid to throw the splitter because he’s afraid to bounce the pitch.” Jon Miller: “SCHILLING WITH THE SPLITTER, STRIKE THREE!........AND IT BOUNCES!” I love Joe Morgan.

3:40pm: Murton robs Josh Hamilton of his first major league base hit, to the chagrin of Steve Philips: “Come on, Murton, start your own storyline!”

3:41pm: I click to ESPN in time to hear Morgan say “Well, I’m shocked that Schilling threw the splitter there. Even though he got the out, it still shocked me.” Really?!?

3:43pm: Josh Hamilton plays in left in place of Adam Dunn, and David Weathers is in to close it out for the Reds in the Top of the 9th. They cut into the Red Sox-Royals game, and in the background, you can hear Jon Miller screaming, “SCHILLING WITH THE SPLITTER, STRIKE THREE...AND IT BOUNCES!” This is going to be a great season.

3:46pm: Izturis hits a single to left, keeping the game alive for the Cubbies. But Theriot grounds into a fielder’s choice to second, and the Cubs are officially on pace to lose 162 games, score 162 runs, and see Zambrano flip out 165 times. It’s going to be a long season. I’m taking a nap.


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