How's This for Openers?

Two delays rained down on Wrigley before the Brewers offense did likewise on Opening Day today, but from the Cubs’ perspective, most of the story could be told in first-pitches.

Carlos Zambrano threw his first for a strike, as well as the next four. The first pitch Kosuke Fukudome saw bounced off the warning track and up against the wall for a double. Carlos Marmol’s first pitch scored him an inning-ending strikeout. Kerry Wood’s first pitch hit Rickie Weeks in the back. Bob Howry broke the rhythm, as Craig Counsell waited for a second pitch before his leadoff double, which would eventually lead to the winning run.

But Zambrano looked good, and so did Marmol. And Fukudome’s double merely set the stage for a 3-for-3 debut with a walk, capped by a dramatic three-run game-tying ninth-inning homer.

Rain delays, extra innings and Cub losses are nothing we haven’t seen before, but it was a good day for oddities. In case seeing a pitcher record a strikeout on one pitch wasn’t weird enough, Fukudome was picked off second base by a catcher. Not an assist from a catcher, a catcher. Mark DeRosa was already sliding into second when Jason Kendall ran him down in no man’s land, like a deer in the headlights between second and third. Kendall, incidentally, opened the season batting ninth behind Ben Sheets.

And the Cubs threw the shift on Prince Fielder, with shortstop Ryan Theriot positioned just to the weird side behind second base and DeRosa on the edge of the outfield grass over Derrek Lee’s right shoulder. It backfired twice, turning one routine double-play grounder into a 4-3 fielder’s choice because nobody was covering second, and later finding a hole for what would have been another routine grounder to second.

An entertaining game even if it didn't turn out as we hoped, but win or lose it's nice to have that first game on the books. We made it through another winter folks, and it's going to be an exciting summer.

Getting antsy

I've written several pieces lately to post here, but any or all of them could be rendered useless once Lou Piniella finalizes his rotation, reportedly later today, and Jim Hendry decides if he wants to pull off a trade before opening day.

For the record, I don't think the Cubs need Brian Roberts, at least not at the price that's being rumored. The Cubs may seem to be overstocked in starting pitching, but I don't like the odds of both Ryan Dempster and Jon Lieber giving the Cubs 30+ starts this year. If they dump off a boatload of young starters to upgrade by one tool at one position, it could seriously backfire on them. And I don't think second base should be the Cubs' top priority in terms of solidifying the roster anyway.

Personally, I'd add a center fielder to serve as an insurance policy on Felix Pie. I've already been shot down a couple of times making this suggestion, but I'd like to see the Cubs bring back Kenny Lofton. As a free agent he costs money instead of prospects, and he's sought-after at the trade deadline every year if Pie proves capable of playing every day.

Sidenote, I had my fantasy league draft last weekend. The team looks good so far, I'd say about top three in a 14-team league with lots of parity. More on that in future posts, if last year was any indicator.

(ed. note: Lou Piniella announced, apparently while I was writing the above post, that he's going with Dempster and Marquis in the rotation and adding Lieber to the bullpen. See what I mean?)