Cubs reporter takes plunge in Lake Michigan after predicting season-opening homer
The Chicago Cubs couldn’t have scripted a better start to the 2018 season. On the very first pitch of the 2018 season, newly anointed leadoff man Ian Happ launched a home run off Miami Marlins starter Jose Urena.
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Unfortunately for Cubs reporter Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation, it was the one outcome he did not want to see. Or at the very least the last outcome he expected to see. That’s because just minutes before first pitch, Cerami promised to jump in Lake Michigan if Happ happened to homer on the first pitch of the season.
If Ian Happ leads off today's game with a home run, I will jump in Lake Michigan later today.
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) March 29, 2018
As they say in the Twitterverse, that tweet didn’t age well.
We’re guessing Cerami was counting on Happ taking the season’s first pitch, as is customary for most leadoff hitters. We can only imagine his feelings when Happ took a swing, connected and then drove it over the right field wall at Marlins Park.
We know what his feelings were about an hour later. Definitely wet. Maybe a little cold too. That’s because Cerami immediately proved to be a man of his word, jumping into Lake Michigan before the game moved to the fourth inning.
Promises are promises. #ThanksIan #LetsGoCubs #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/IqB66kzoJE
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) March 29, 2018
Props to Michael Cerami.
Props to Ian Happ, too. It already appears he could be the leadoff man Joe Maddon desperately wanted Kyle Schwarber to be last season.
By the way, that Happ homered here isn’t a huge surprise. He hit 24 homers as a rookie last season, which is mighty impressive. His season was simply overshadowed by Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge putting up record home run numbers. If Happ keeps mashing homers like he did on opening day, he’ll be on everyone’s radar sooner than later.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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