The last time first baseman Garrett Cooper homered at Wrigley Field — before Tuesday, that is — was during the 2020 playoffs. Ballparks were still empty because of the pandemic as Cooper’s Marlins swept the Cubs in a best-of-three wild-card series.
“It was dead silent when I hit that home run,” he said. “So it would have been a little bit different with some boos from the crowd. It’s a whole different animal coming to Wrigley when there’s 40,000-50,000 people here.”
When asked why he chose to sign a non-roster invite deal with the Cubs this winter, Cooper first listed the opportunity and his familiarity with manager Craig Counsell and bench coach Ryan Flaherty. But then he brought up a third factor, which played out Tuesday, when he went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and home run.
“As a DH/first-base type,” Cooper said, “you want to go to a place where you’re rewarded with some line drives that go out.”
He pointed to J.D. Martinez, who brought up similar factors when asked about turning down an offer from the Giants.
“It’s not the best hitter-friendly park for me,” Martinez told reporters at his introductory news conference with the Mets. “If I go there and I hit .260 with 20 [home runs], people are going to say I’m old and washed up and I’m done, and [I’ll] find myself out of the game.”
Cooper, who made the team out of spring training, was drawn to the power-alley dimensions at Wrigley. And on Tuesday, he smacked a three-run homer to right-center field. This time, there were fans in the stands. And this time, they were on his side.
Six-day rotation
The Cubs began the season on a six-day rotation, using five starting pitchers. That equation is a little more complicated now that they’re down to five starters after left-hander Justin Steele’s hamstring strain in the season opener. The Cubs threw a bullpen game Wednesday, starting lefty reliever Luke Little.
Regardless, it’s a different setup than the traditional five-man rotation schedule the Cubs have mostly stuck to in recent years.
“I think every season and every team and every group of players present their own strengths and their own set of challenges and the things that we’re going to try to protect and the strengths that we’re going to try to accentuate,” Counsell said. “So every team is a little bit different, and every roster is a little bit different, and during the season, the roster changes. So that’s why there’s just not one, ‘This is how you do it.’ You just kind of read your team and try to put people in positions to succeed.”
Injury update
Counsell said right-hander Jameson Taillon’s live batting practice session Tuesday at the Cubs’ Arizona complex went well. Taillon (strained back) remains on track to make a minor-league rehab start Sunday. But it will likely be for Double-A Tennessee, not Triple-A Iowa, for weather-related reasons.
Taillon is expected to make several rehab outings before returning from the injured list, Counsell said.
