Game 2 of 3
On a day like today, one can only expect an absolute mess, at a minimum.
As you can see, gametime weather at Wrigley was not-so-great for baseball. This seems to be a common occurrence this season, but inclement weather in Chicago tends to lead to the most inclement of games on the field.
This was my first time seeing Ryan Vogelsong in action stateside.
Being a fan of the NPB Hanshin Tigers for many years, I was overjoyed during his tenure there, and genuinely pleased to not only see him back in an MLB roster, but also in having such a great run in his return…even if it is for the San Francisco Giants!What you may not have known about Ryan Vogelsong that kind of applies here: his MLB debut was on September 2, 2000, with the Giants in relief against the Cubs in San Francisco, he pitched 2 innings, allowed only 2 hits, and sealed the deal for a Giants win over the Cubs, 13-2. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…just to illustrate, check out the box score for a good nostalgic chuckle…
That being said, this was a historic game for Vogelsong…and a banner forgetful game for the Cubs. Vogelsong pitches his 1st career shut-out, striking out 7 Cubs and allowing 7 hits in the process. Before you ring this up as “The Ryan Vogelsong” game, consider the following: The game was held up on a rain delay (seemingly overdue, if you watched the game you know what I mean) to start the 7th inning, and eventually called altogether, as 6 innings had been played. Was Vogelsong on his way to a gem? That’s unlikely, mostly due to the fact that the weather was so bad and with 12 base-hits and 5 errors from both dugouts dropping like free popcorn, the probability of a shut-out cruising throughout a 9-inning game is probably nil. With better weather, and considering Vogelsong’s performance up to today’s game, I might be inclined to bet he could have been on his way to something more glorious than his linescore from this cold, wet, soggy outing.
To say the least, play on the field was disgusting and disturbing. Springtime in Chicago, HOOAH!!
Of other interest, the lumbering Doug Davis starts his first game as a Cub (and his first MLB start since July 2010).
A 6-inning game called at 2 hours and 11 minutes? You may want to thank Slowpoke Doug Davis for this, but let’s be fair…I want to be optimistic about Davis’ return, he’s had quite an interesting career (and no, I’m not talking about his 2005 appearance as a potential home buyer in “Flip This House”). After a much-publicized battle with thyroid cancer in 2008, he’s still cancer-free and you still want to be optimistic about his future not only as a Major League pitcher, but also as a Cub. All that aside, he has the worst facial hair in baseball, hands down. A porn-star landing strip on my chin? No, thanks!
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