The Good: Kosuke Fukudome. Oh my goodness. 3-for-3, plus a walk, plus the game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Also, the only guy to get a hit off Ben Sheets (which doubles as the bad, I think). I'm not saying he's going to bat 1.000 this year, but if he really does put up that .400 OBP that PECOTA projected, well, golly. In my lifetime, the only Cubs to put up a .400 OBP over a full season have been Derrek Lee (2005 and 2007), Sammy Sosa (2000 and 2001), Mark Grace (1989, 1997 and 1998) and Gary Matthews (1984). Pretty select company. Also, he's currently on pace to hit 162 home runs. In addition, Carlos Zambrano looked strong through 6.2, although he has got to start hydrating during games. This whole leaving with cramps thing is getting ridiculous. (Possible alternate explanation: the 49-minute rain delay, although he went several innings after that before having the problem.) Also, Marmol looked to have picked up exactly where he left off in 2007 (not counting Game One of the NLDS).
The Bad: Fukudome was the only guy who could get a hit off Sheets. I know he's a Cub killer - 9-7, 3.87 all-time with 128 K in 144.1 IP, and two double-digit strikeout performances including one last year - but he didn't look very good in spring training. And then today he looked unhittable. I suppose the "good news" is that the Cubs could not hit Sheets at all and still almost won, which gives you more hope for games in which they don't have to face anyone nearly as good. But to win a World Series, you have to beat decent pitchers, generally. Also bad: the non-Marmol segment of the bullpen, as both Wood and Howry struggled to get guys out. Wood nearly lost the game; Howry did. It's just one game and this stuff will happen, but it wasn't a very encouraging start to the year, was it?
The Ugly: How about that top three! Theriot, Soriano and Lee combined to go 1-for-15 (Theriot and Soriano were 0-for-10) with two strikeouts each. Really, aside from Fukudome, the lineup in general was pretty poor. Ramirez was 0-for-3 (though he did walk and score); DeRosa was 0-for-3 (though he had a little bad luck, hitting two long outs to the wall in dead center); Soto was 0-for-2 (though he walked twice); and Pie was 1-for-4 and the one was a barely, since he only got on due to some first-base shenanigans by the ever ironically-named Prince Fielder. He also struck out twice.
Obviously, there's no reason to start worrying just yet. Frankly, it might be kind of heartening to have a game where the hitting was this lousy and still nearly win. But I hope Lou has the kind of patience with Theriot at the top of the order that I would - which is to say, not much. If he's going back to .326 OBP territory, move him. Hit Soriano first and Fukudome second - yes, I know that Soriano's OBP isn't much better, but at least he likes hitting leadoff, and at least you have Fukudome up there to reboot the lineup when Soriano isn't getting on (or hitting solo shots). Still, this is just the first game out of 162. We should probably all try not to overreact.
By the way, in case you were wondering if my complaints about what I anticipated as being the coverage of the whole 1908/2008 thing were overblown, here are the first four paragraphs of the AP's recap of the game:
Kosuke Fukudome did everything he could in his first major league game -- except bring the Chicago Cubs a victory.
Instead, the start of the Cubs' 100th season since winning the World Series ended in familiar fashion. Tony Gwynn hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Chicago 4-3 on a wet Monday at Wrigley Field.
Fukudome, the team's main offseason acquisition, went 3-for-3, hitting a tying three-run homer in the ninth off Eric Gagne (1-0).
But it wasn't enough for the Cubs, who haven't even reached the World Series since 1945.
Hey, Associated Press? Fuck you. Seriously.
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