It's Opening Day; I'm Going to Throw Out the First Hurricane Ike Reference

The Astros hate the Cubs. Everyone who is not a Cubs fan hates Carlos Zambrano. And the Houstons are opening the season at home with the best pitcher in team history on the mound. You'd think that would be enough to activate their adrenal glands. But of course, there's that other business left over from 2008:

After surging back
into the wild-card race with the best record in the National League
after the All-Star break, the Astros saw their season stalled for two
days because of Hurricane Ike. With downtown a mess and most of Houston
without electricity, the Astros were dispatched to Milwaukee to play
two “home games” against the Cubs.

Several in the
pro-Chicago crowd held up signs thanking Ike for shifting the series to
Miller Park. Even worse, Zambrano no-hit the Astros in the first game,
beginning the five-game losing streak that put an end to their
postseason hopes.

Hurricane Ike hangover or not, tonight's matchup, on the road, against a great pitcher, looks like a tough one for the Cubs, who have gone 2-2 in Zambrano's previous Opening Day assignments. But regardless, how much fun is it knowing that in just a few hours, regular season baseball will be back?

Tags: 
Carlos Zambrano
Opening Day
Astros
Submitted by Cubnut on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:14pm
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Comments

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:27pm

Great matchup... the outcome depends on who shows up to pitch for the Cubs: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:39pm

For everyone predicting the Reds to be a contender this year...they're Opening Day lineup

Hairston, D. McDonald (no idea), Votto, Phillips, Bruce, Encarnacion, Hernandez, Gonzalez....

that lineup ain't winning shit....

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:44pm

Well... to be fair, I'd take Votto, Phillips, Bruce, or Encarnacion over Fontenot in my lineup any day.

Tavaras out with the flu.

Harang v. Santana (ouch)

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:52pm

really going out on a ledge there ryno...

I'd take Utley, Uggla or Pedroia over Fontenot too....

Submitted by The Joe
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 1:23pm

I'd be willing to take Bruce for Fukudome...and I love me some Fukkake.

Submitted by MikeC
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 1:28pm

I thought Chris Dickerson would get the LF job he only hit .323 with 2 HR 6 RBI and had 6 SB's (5 cs) to Hairstons .111 spring average.

But what was a i thinking, its Dusty Baker. He has enough young players being thrust on him, he needs his veterans somewhere to show the other guys how the game is played.

Btw nice route on that simple fly ball Hairston. It almost ate you alive, geeeez what shitty manager.

If your going to go with a shitty OFer in LF, atleast go with Johnny Gomes. He has a .879 career OPS against lefties which i think is better than Hairstons .703. Well atleast Hairston is athletic he has that going for him.

Submitted by The Joe
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 1:36pm

Yeah, Gomes has power but a low OBP. That won't do on the new-look Reds. Dusty likes 'em (s)crappy.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:51pm

Darnell McDonald is a former Corey Patterson type prospect with the Orioles as I recall.

Besides him batting in the most important spot in the order, that lineup is pretty decent. 3 - 8 have all had good ML seasons recently, with the exception of Bruce who will have one this year.

Submitted by SJS
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:43pm

Dusty as their manager = not winning shit

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 8:18pm

Last I heard Dusty has won a helluva' lot of games.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 12:56pm

Zambrano's opening day woes (maybe he'll get himself ejected from the game this year!) vs. his love of dominating the Astros. Ought to be fun.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 1:16pm

DeRosa batting 2nd for Indians (imagine that)...hits 4 HR's in his first AB...

alright, just a walk.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 1:19pm

Despite what some broadcasters might claim, batting 2nd between Sizemore and Victor Martinez > batting 2nd between Soriano and Derrek Lee. What a wonderful place in the lineup to be. Good for DeRo.

Submitted by Jace
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 2:41pm

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:21pm

I'd bat Zambrano 5th, but otherwise not a bad lineup.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:28pm

That lineup sucks.

It's one 'good Fukudome' from being scary isn't it?

Submitted by CPH2133
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:33pm

what a shitty lineup...

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:34pm

Opening day!

2004 - Grudzielanek 2b, Patterson cf, Sosa rf, Alou lf, Ramirez 3b, Lee 1b, A Gonzalez ss, Barrett c, Wood P

2006 - Pierre cf, Walker 2b, Lee 1b, Ramirez 3b, Jones rf, Barrett c, Murton lf, Cedeno ss, Zambarano P

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:47pm

That lineup is awful!!

Go Cubs.

Submitted by SJS
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:34pm

Fukudome should be hitting 8th. A Japanese player who thrived in a league of junk ballers should be in a position to hit where he'll see similar pitches. Switch TheRiot and Fuk, and I'm fine with the lineup.

(if you'll excuse me I am off to continue beating my dead horse)

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 3:49pm

MLB.tv is complete crap today...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:01pm

about to make fun of Khalil Greene batting clean-up, he singles in a run.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:08pm

gives up a HR to Felipe Lopez...

Submitted by SJS
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:21pm

Webb got shelled

4IP, 6H (2HR), 6ER, 2BB, 2K, HBP 77pitches 42 strikes

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:24pm

Will MLB extra innings be free this week on comcast?

Submitted by mastrick
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:27pm

Not surprisingly Cincinnati blacked out the Reds/Mets game in Nashville. They feel like they own the Nashville market (and do because of the draconian MLB TV rules) and since nobody cares about the Reds here no TV station will pick up their broadcasts. In retaliation the Reds black out our metro area.

A great number of Nashville baseball fans despise the Reds because of their heavyhandedness in this respect. It's opening day, break a leg Joey Votto or Jay Bruce!

Submitted by CPH2133
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:40pm

Make it Jay Bruce, I have a lot invested in Joey Votto

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:44pm

Love me some Nashville. I was up there for the UFC fight last Wednesday/Thursday and had an absolute blast. Better than Memphis in almost every way.

-End o threadjack-

Go Cubs

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:33pm

underestimated Tony Clark...2 HR's today.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:37pm

Or Rockies' pitchig is right on target.

One more and he's in Tuffy Rhodes class.

Submitted by SJS
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:48pm

Zaun playing catcher for Baltimore looks like Old Man Winters, hopefully Shaggy and Scooby are on the prawl after the game. The could be some doin's a-transpirin'

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 5:01pm

Vinny from Brooklyn you're on.

Vinny-

Dis Sabathia sucks!!

How do you pay a guy....(fill in the rest)

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 5:45pm

Funny. Of course, that's not the first time someone from NYC has been paid a lot of money for poor performance.

Submitted by SJS
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 5:09pm

Morgan with a 2RBI single for PIT, 2-2 Top 7

Submitted by Fireball
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 5:16pm

To quote Mr. Baseball:

"Actual Baseball is actually being played here."

Go Cubs!

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 5:28pm

Who filled out that lineup card for Houston? Dusty Baker?

Kaz Matsui and Ivan Rodriguez batting 1st and 2nd with their career .331 and .339 OBPs. To be fair, Kaz did break .350 last season. But Rodriguez hasn't even been close to his mediocre career OBP in the past two years.

Submitted by carmenfanzone
on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 7:51pm

Cubs looking good. My only critique is they had a chance to run with Soriano-and they hit and ran into a dp. They had a chance to run again with 2 out in the 7th with Theriot on and Soriano up-no go. Whats up Lou? Put the pressure on baby!

I'd say Reed Johnson will play tomorrow and forever...

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 04/07/2009 - 1:30pm

soriano was 0 for 3 in SB this spring, so it didn't work out well for him early so far.

he did hit 11 xbase hits, though.

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