As Chicago Cubs fans flocked to Wrigley Field for the Cubs’ home opener against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, they shared one hope for this season: to see the team make the playoffs, after narrowly missing out last year.
“New team, new hope, new adventures,” said Cecy Mendoza, 52, from River Grove. “Fingers crossed, they make it past October, but if not, there’s always next year.”
And the team did not disappoint: In his first MLB start, lefty Shota Imanaga worked up to 92 pitches over six innings and held the Rockies hitless to the sixth inning, garnering nine strikeouts as the Cubs went on to a 5-0 home-opener win.
Father and son Aaron and Layne Basham, from Texas, brought a piece of the Lone Star state with them: their cowboy hats, styled with bright blue Cubs jackets. Aaron, 48, has been a Cubs fan since childhood, growing up in Arizona before the Diamondbacks were a team.
“I was on a waiting list for a long time for season tickets,” Aaron Basham said. “I didn’t want to say no, so we just bought them. We’re coming back and forth.”
Cloudy skies, chilly temps and rain did not deter Cubs fans eager for a new season and a shot at the postseason.
“Everybody’s gonna be cheering and having just as good of a time as if it was 90 degrees out here, so don’t bother us none,” said Layne Basham, 20.
Though Kasey Woods, 19, from Buffalo Grove, has attended Cubs games before, this was her first home opener. She attended Monday’s game with her father, Cornelius Woods, who drove up from Missouri but used to live in Chicago.
“You can leave your town, but you can’t leave your team,” he said.
Kasey predicts outfielder Seiya Suzuki will make a “strong, strong impact,” and her dad hopes the pitching staff “holds up” under new manager Craig Counsell.
Fans also walked in and out of the DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field, which opened for sports betting for the first time. The sportsbook operated solely for dining before the state approved its gambling license in March.
“We’re gonna check out the sportsbook for the first time this year, so it should be exciting,” said Andy Diaz, 47, a Cubs fan from the South Side.
Mendoza, who also plans to go, said she believes the sportsbook can draw in more money and fans.
“I think it’s a good thing for the community,” she said. “Those who cannot be in-person at the game, they can always just hang out there.”
But Jack Walker, 65, from far west suburban Cary, said gambling is “the one thing” he won’t participate in.
“I don’t want to lose what I worked hard for,” Walker said.
Walker, a “die-hard” Cubs fan with a Cubs tattoo, said this season, he wants to try something new on the menu option: the steak sandwich. But that’s in addition to his usual — a hot dog.
“Every winter, I say I can’t wait to get a hot dog here. I don’t know why they’re better here,” Walker said.
Likewise, for Rachel Bacon’s first Cubs home opener, the 27-year-old from Missouri came to the ballpark with two things on her mind.
“I am hoping to see a Cubs win and have a Chicago dog,” she said.
