Whether you’re a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan, there’s no getting around that giddy feeling of the Major League Baseball season opening in Chicago. The first recorded game in Chicago was played in August 1851—to give you some perspective on how deep you have to dig to find the sport’s roots in the Windy City.
Much to the chagrin of New York Yankee standout Derek Jeter, now the owner of the Miami Marlins, the Cubs started the season hitting it out of the park—quite literally.
The Cub’s leadoff batter and center fielder Ian Happ took a swing at the first pitch of the season, a middle-middle fastball from the Marlins’ Jose Urena. Happ sent the ball over the right-field fence before jogging in the first of eight runs to leave the Cubs on top, 8-4.
It’s simply hard to think of a better way for the Cubbies to start the season.
The Sox rolled up their sleeves and got to work late last month, after having been pummeled in Spring training by the Kansas City Royals. Thankfully, when it counts, the Southsiders were able to walk away with back-to-back wins against the Royals, 14-7 and 4-3.
Even if the Cubs or Sox didn’t manage to put their best foot forward at the beginning of the season, there’s no doubt that every true fan in the city would do everything in their power to be at the first home game—rain, snow, or shine.
