It’s Springtime when a young man’s fancy turns to . . . Baseball! Opening Day, baby, when every baseball fan believes that this year their team has a chance to win it all. I remember growing up thinking “If Bill Bonham and Ray Burris have awesome years like Reuschel did last year and Tarzan Joe Wallis hits 20 dingers and Davey Rosello steals 30 we could easily get past the Phillies and Dodgers, and the Yankees would be putty in our hands!”
There is something magical about Opening Day. Even though we’ve been watching Spring Training games, the minute the calendar turns and the games count it takes on a different feel. Your favorite player going 0-4 or 2-3 with a double signals the tone for the upcoming season.
Back when baseball honored tradition and Cincinnati still hosted the first game of the season (much like the CFCL honors tradition with the Ruffin Privilege) it was extra special when the Cubs opened against the Reds.
I take you back to 1982, exactly 28 years ago today, when Bump Wills led off the season against Mario Soto and took him deep. Who of us didn’t think this was the first of at least 18 wins for Doug Bird? (He finished with 9.) With a starting lineup of Wills, Durham, Buckner, Davis, Bowa, Steve Henderson, Gary Woods and that new kid Sandberg, how could we not win the division going away?
The beauty of Opening Day is you can be 1-0 and believe the pennant is within reach instead of facing reality that even though you beat a premier pitcher in Soto you’re still going to finish 73-89 in fifth place.
Each year it’s a chance to create new experiences and relive past ones with your children. My son, Cooper Wrigley (named for the Hall of Fame and Chicago’s Baseball Cathedral), turns three this year. Even though Spongebob, The Wonder Pets and Bob the Builder are of greater interest, my hope is that he will snuggle up next to me a few times this season to watch the Boys in Blue.
The past 20 years the Cubs are a level 10 and 10 on Opening Day. Among those memories: opening in Japan against the Mets; Greg Maddux coming back after joining the Braves the previous winter (he shut us out 1-0 that day); and Tuffy Rhodes hitting three homers off Doc Gooden in an 12-8 loss.
The first pitch in Atlanta, at 3:10pm can’t get here fast enough today. I’m predicting 81 or 82 wins for the Cubbies this year, but on April 5th our minds can soar and anything is possible.
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