You don’t know how much I wanted to use the less-deployed homer sobriquet “dongs” in that headline. But I am adult. So I didn’t do it, and instead simply let you know here at the top of the post. Sometimes people call homers dongs. Just sayin’.
The Cubs won their season opener today against the Marlins, and did so by four runs. Thus, the three solo homers the Cubs hit on the day were entirely unnecessary, and just a dog and pony show for the people who like that kind of thing. I am, of course, kidding, and also, I’m a people who likes that kind of thing, so.
Ian Happ, of course, led off today’s game – indeed, the entire MLB season – with a 392-foot blast on the first pitch he saw:
Let’s settle in and enjoy the first pitch of the 2018 @MLB seaso– pic.twitter.com/VdNov3BeTx
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
Pitchers of the baseball world: do not make a mistake with a fastball on the first pitch to Ian Happ. He will abuse you to the tune of a 107-mph shot like that.
The last time a batter hit a homer on the first pitch of the entire MLB season? Dwight Evans in 1986 off of Jack Morris.
I did not see the homer live, as I was stuck in traffic getting to Marlins Park thanks to a rental car reservation that wasn’t reserved, but I did hear it on the radio. I was listening to the Dan Le Batard Show (I was flipping around trying to find the game), and I swear to you, I thought they were doing a bit. They were talking about how terrible the Marlins were, and what a joke the season was going to be, etc., and then one of the guys says the first pitch was a homer. I thought they were just making another joke about the Marlins. Heh.
Anthony Rizzo followed suit by knocking a homer just one foot further one inning later:
Power with a purpose. #TeamRizzo pic.twitter.com/g209t2Jitl
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
With patches honoring Stoneman-Douglas High School – Rizzo’s alma mater, and the site of a tragic mass shooting, the vigil for which Rizzo spoke at – it had to be pretty special for Rizzo to do that today.
The longest shot of the day came third, with Kyle Schwarber ripping his own 107-mph blast a cool 406 feet out to right center:
.@kschwarb12 connects.
Ball travels far. pic.twitter.com/PaqlfJmwQt
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
It probably would have felt better if the homer didn’t come on the same day as his rough third inning in left field, which featured a triple on which he got a terrible read, and an error overrunning a single. But, it is good to see that he wasn’t carrying those concerns with him to the plate.
Happ concurs:
Same. pic.twitter.com/5eFY2ePKep
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
The Cubs don’t figure to lose too many games this year in which they homer three times. Good start.