Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs 1:20 PM WGN 3-31-08

[The Sheik]

I hate losing this way.

Kerry Wood makes a Dumpsteresque debut.
Theriot couldnt get on base once and Soriano in the 2 hole makes no sense.

I wanted to watch the game, but after the 2nd rain delay I didnt wanna be in vegas when the traffic hit.

Whats up with Z?

[The Sheik]

I still cant believe Seligs dumbass had us and the yankess opening at home. I feel bad that the last opening day at yankee stadium got rained out, and I prayed nobody on our team got hurt because of the conditions.

[Posey H8er]

I still cant believe Seligs dumbass had us and the yankess opening at home. I feel bad that the last opening day at yankee stadium got rained out, and I prayed nobody on our team got hurt because of the conditions.

You missed this. Everyone in the infield did not want to catch this short pop fly, so D-Lee and Big Z decided to go after it together.



Zambrano landed on his right wrist. He picked off a runner on 2nd right after and had to come out becuase of cramps, but the fall may have had something to do with it.

[GYBE]

There were three positives to take from the game:

1. Good Carlos has shown up to start the year. His arm angles while throwing seems smoother this year, he had great control and attacked hitters instead of walking them. Hopefully it continues.

2. Carlos Marmol is still the biggest badass on the team. 9 pitches, 8 strikes, 3 K's, 4 outs. Are you kidding? I worry we might overuse him this year, hopefully his time as a starter built his arm strength.

3. That Japanese guy. He might be okay...

[Howling Mad]

So I didn't come home 'till late lastnight, but thats mostly because I was at Harry's new bar. Its nice, no different from any other bar, besides the fact that Harry's name is all over it. Met some friends there from college. Good times. Sucks I didn't have any connections there, with it being a new place, couldn't get a table, had to stand. I have to find out if my old bank is affiliated with the bar and start breaking bread with the employee folk.

I do have some sightings and stories from the game/day though.

There were quite a few people along sheffield behind the right field bleachers), kinda weird to see after so many years of waveland being crowded because of Sosa.

The CTA finally got a brain and put more portable CTA card scanners. They still havn't put it together that its not just the scanners they need but also more initial dispensers. Whatever, it helps people with cards already, but the suburbanites still have to wait in a horrid line waiting for a few dispenser.

REMINDER: Fill up your CTA cards before you get to Wrigley.

There was less, noticeabley less, amount of people standing by the Red line stop yelling, "Tickets!". Maybe it was because of the weather, but I noticed less people. ...or maybe it was because I left for the park 5 minutes till 1.

Fukudome following was crazy. Even before his 3-3 (HR, Walk). Every little group in right field had their own little thing for Fukudome. Some had head bands, others had cheesy signs, other were giving him the sallam treatment before his first at bat. (even with his awesome debut, it can wait until he proves himself.)

Fukudome running the bases is a sight to see. He moves pretty fast, faster then I would've thought. His swing is very Ichiro like, where he throws the bat everytime he makes contact, but not in a 'rubbing in' way.

My asian-approved respect sign for Fukudome is a sallam like treatment, but instead of hands up in the air, you fold your hands together like your praying. More like a Ninja/asian salute.

kinda like this...



But with hands folded like this...



Fukudome gave the crowd a very minimal salute in the same fashion after his three run homer. He took off his hat, folded his hands, and gave a slight nod to the right field bums.

Out of all the lineup announcements, guess who got the loudest ovation?

DeRosa. Well deserved, but I felt like a lot of it was because of all the Roberts talk. It was a good moment, even though I dout DeRo noticed his was the loudest, by far.

When Woody came out the park exploded. He didn't pitch well I know, but his first pitch in between Rickie Week's 2, 3, was definitely on purpose. I was along the first base line and watched Woody through the pitch and out of the corner of my eye I could see some of the dugout react. Nothing too drastic, but you could tell a couple of the guys were expecting it. Foolish move on Woody to do that with such a close game, but its the Southpaw Texas attitude. I will admit, if Woody is going to be successful this year he can't have that mentality. Only starters are allowed that type of leeway where they can hit a batter and bounce back.

When your usually in the game for only one inning, hitting one batter will always bite back at ya.

Beer prices were still expensive, the hotdog buns were as soggy as my seat was, you still have people not knowing what to do when they get change passed in their direction, The Ernie statue was awesome, even though there wasn't a lot of people for the celebration, but all in all it was a good day. Not one of the best opening days, weather wise, but it was good.

[SportsWorld]

Welcome to Cubdom, Kosuke Fukudome
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti ... 08.article

Slicing through the pea-soup mist, the baseball sailed toward a massive American flag draped across a rooftop building. And how perfectly global to see it land in a cluster of bobbing, hugging, hyperventilating Cubs fans who were wearing their new white bandanas, adorned precisely with Japanese symbols honoring the new right fielder and Wrigleyville rock star.

``Foo-koo-DOME-eh! Foo-koo-DOME-eh!'' the whole place chanted.

Unable to win for 100 years with Banks, Williams, Jenkins, Sandberg, Sosa, Wood, Prior and other stars from this part of the world, the Cubs may as well reach across the Pacific Ocean and let Kosuke Fukudome try. A rickety, old grandstand shook Monday when he launched a three-run home run in the ninth inning to tie the season opener at 3-3, prompting 41,000 folks to forget their soaking-wet bodies and demand a curtain call. He obliged, saluting the fans in a moment that formally certified Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc. as an international sporting cause.

Where were the crusty, tortured people that Fukudome had heard about, the ones who threw objects at Jacque Jones and bottles at others? From his initial sprint out to right field, where he was greeted by welcome banners and accepted their bows by producing one of his own, Wrigley Field was the Fuku Dome, a three-hit, one-walk showcase in his first real ballgame in a country where Ichiro Suzuki is the Japanese gold standard.

[SportsWorld]

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/04/ ... ne-get-it/