It was an interesting day for the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano Friday — and it started early.
After sitting for a day, he chased a line drive toward the left- center field wall from the Astros’ Carlos Lee with two outs in the first inning. And with his patented “hop” at the end, he speared it to save a run for the team and himself from the fans’ wrath, for at least a while.
When he struck out in the second inning, out came the boos from the 37,291 skeptics on hand. That mood was changed with a fifth-inning single and then again when he drove in the tying run with a booming double in the seventh of the 7-2 victory.
“I feel great today, that’s what I want to do — play defense,” Soriano said. “When I play better defense I feel better at home plate.”
Now the fans love him?
“That’s what I said all the time, 50-50,” he said of the love-hate relationship. “When I’m doing well, the fans love me. When I’m doing badly the fans hate me. I just have to be more consistent and do my job.”
Nonetheless, his play didn’t stop manager Lou Piniella from pulling him after he scored the go-ahead run in the six-run seventh.
“That’s part of the game,” he said. “I don’t worry about that.”
Actually, the day began with general manager Jim Hendry appearing on MLB Network Radio and replying to a question from Sirius XM host Jim Memolo about whether the team would buy out Soriano’s contract (about $90 million) before it ends five years from now.
“Never been a thought to it, Jimmy. Never been a thought to it,” Hendry replied. “No. Those things are speculated by probably people in your profession, not ours.”
Soriano, who wears a near-constant smile, is back in good graces.
“I think this game is very difficult,” he said. “You have to be very strong mentally. You have the talent, but if you’re not strong mentally the talent doesn’t work.”