2000-05-02

Background Music: Tracy Chapman, the cd with the song “Give Me One Reason” A bit sad for the day, but enough to keep me from strangling my coworker in response to his stellar lack of intelligence and effort. Schmuck.

First night game of the new millenium (or whatever, I’m tired of the whole millenium date argument) for my Chicago Cubbies, and our very own Wonder Boy, Kerry Wood, is pitching tonight. Praise Jesus and Hallelujah.

For anyone who might be suffering from temporary brain damage, aka those whose tiny brains do not recognize the name Kerry Wood, he is the man, the boy, the star, the first exciting pitcher the Cubs’ haven’t traded away after one season, the superstar who pitched a 20-strikeout game in his rookie season, tying the record for most strikeouts in one game, ever.

Ever.

And at the time, the guy wasn’t even old enough to buy himself a beer at the Gingerman Tavern after the game. Not that there would have been a shortage of Cubs’ fans eager to buy him a drink, after we manage to recover from the shock of actually having a pitcher of this caliber in our bullpen.

Surely there must be some mistake, we think to ourselves, hardly daring to hope. You mean he hasn’t been traded away, or treated so poorly by ownership that he decides not to resign even if hell freezes over?

You mean he’s actually ours? To keep?

Of course, the man (young, but now of a legal age for the women of Chicago to try to get him drunk and get in his pants) went and got himself injured, and sewn up again, and bounced temporarily down to our farm team in Florida, where he promptly blew away the competition.

And tonight he’s back. Good luck, Kerry. May you throw 98 mph fastballs, hard breaking balls and that new change-up they say you’ve learned since last pitching a game for us. And don’t worry. We miss the curveball they won’t let you pitch anymore, too, but we’ll love you anyway.

HOLY SHIT!

Not only is the game on, not only is Kerry Wood pitching a winning game (we’re up 4-0), but he is also responsible for two of our runs: the pitcher, a notoriously poor batter for almost any team, the pitcher of our kickin’ ass Cubbies, batted in a 2-run homer.

Damn that boy is good.

This is going to be a short entry, because I just have to go watch the rest of this game. But I would like to mention that my trip to Seattle to see J. this last weekend, and to meet the rest of his family, was excellent. We did much exploring and hiking around, and I have to say that for this mostly city chick, standing in a snow basin at the foot of a semi-circle of snow-encrusted mountains, watching the waterfalls running beneath the snow and the avalanche that crashed and rumbled at the top of the mountain (no joke), remembering the sign at the trailhead that said “If you spot a grizzly or black bear, please alert the park rangers at the following number…”, that was quite a lot of amazing wilderness for one weekend.

(We’re up 5-0 now. Keep throwing those strikeouts, Kerry.)