The Cubs began the season looking farther than ever from their 2003 high-water mark: five outs from the World Series. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the two “horses” who carried them to those heights, were once again on the disabled list with arm woes, which is where they’ve spent much of their time since manager Dusty Baker rode them so hard three years ago. The team had finally acquired a leadoff man in center fielder Juan Pierre–at the cost of some highly regarded pitching prospects sent to the Florida Marlins–but failed during yet another off-season to entice a high-priced free agent to replace Sammy Sosa. At two positions they were going with players starting their first full seasons–Matt Murton in left field and Ronny Cedeno at shortstop. And then, of course, there were the White Sox, showing them up on the south side of town. As the season opened, it looked disheartening to be a Cubs fan, and the cold, blustery weather on opening day made the picture even worse.
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Yet nothing dissuaded a crowd of more than 40,000 from packing the grandstand and the newly expanded bleachers as the Cubs faced their archrivals, the Saint Louis Cardinals. They were rewarded by a performance by Greg Maddux that bordered on the miraculous. Maddux returned to Chicago two years ago to provide the young pitching staff with the sort of veteran presence that might put the Cubs over the top. But with Wood and Prior available only in fits and starts, Maddux’s second Chicago tour became nothing more than a late-career victory lap that saw him close in on and soon surpass 300 wins. He clearly wasn’t the pitcher he’d been, but he was a good, sturdy starter who’d take his turn every five days and give the Cubs a chance to win, even when he was getting knocked around.
Then he did it again last week. This time the wind was blowing out, another weather condition that’s troubled Maddux in recent years, as his pitches have flattened out and he’s gotten the ball up. Yet again he threw each pitch the way he wanted, befuddling the Cincinnati Reds’ fearsome lineup. When he fell behind catcher Javier Valentin three balls and no strikes, Valentin fully expected Maddux to go ahead and walk him. There were two outs and the pitcher was up next. Instead, Maddux threw two strikes, then a letter-high fastball tailing over the inside corner for a called strike three. He sauntered to the dugout, having saved the pitcher to lead off the next inning.
