Snow flurries fell on the Cubs as they took batting practice before Monday’s home opener at Wrigley Field, as if to reinforce the notion that the championship chill that’s gripped the franchise for 99 years will last another season. For all the money they spent over the winter, this was a notion the Cubs had done nothing to dispel on the road in their first week. They’d been decidedly average, splitting six decisions in Cincinnati and Milwaukee. Sometimes they hit well; sometimes they pitched poorly. Even ace Carlos Zambrano won one and lost one. Opening day at Wrigley didn’t revise anyone’s thinking; the game just made the 41,338 shivering fans in attendance more miserable.
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They did get to welcome new manager Lou Piniella and the new star center fielder, Alfonso Soriano. In the festive introductions, with both the Cubs and the visiting Houston Astros lining up on the field, only Zambrano, Derrek Lee, and second-year starter Rich Hill, who had already pitched a one-hitter against the Brewers, were cheered as loudly. To build drama, Piniella’s introduction was delayed until just before the starting lineup was announced, and the fans went “Looooo!” They’ve clearly pinned their hopes on Piniella to mold the Cubs’ new big-budget roster–a misshapen amalgamation of power hitters, poor fielders, and doubtful starting pitching–into a contender.
The afternoon made quite a contrast with the one at White Sox Park the day before. The Sox had already enjoyed their home opener–and squandered it. Yes, it’s hard to recall now, but the Sox had kicked off their season the Monday before in brilliant weather that brought 38,088 out to the game. Ace Jose Contreras was bombed by the Cleveland Indians and the Sox lost 12-5. The next day’s warm weather was wasted because there was no game, and then the cold set in. The Sox staggered through the first week with a couple of losses to the Tribe and then a victory, called off last Friday’s game against archrival Minnesota simply because of the cold and surely in spite of healthy ticket sales, and beat the Twins Saturday to even their record at 2-2. The wheel spinning was all right by me, as I was in Mexico on a family vacation. But fresh off a red-eye, I finally celebrated the return of baseball on Easter Sunday.
