(PLS NOTE: a number of you sent me notes saying Reed's number is 9 (not 8), so I fixed it. But my question is this: when I edit an old post and save it, do you who get Cubby Blue emailed get another email or not?)
Folklore stuff.
Kerry Wood definitely did it as a rookie on May 6, 1998 with his 20 strikeout performance against the Astros.
But that one's an official legendary performance that's in the record books.
You can ask any baseball fan and they'll know that.
Remember Sam Fuld's catch last year?
Cub fans will, because it became a story - a bit of folklore.
You won't find anything about it in any book.
Folklore stuff - I figure that's what Reed Johnson did last night, and he's only been a Cub about 15 minutes.
Washington National Felipe Lopez hit a ball about as far as you could hit it in their new park, about half way between Johnson and left fielder Mark DeRosa.
Reed ran.
Ran some more.
And took a dive on the warning track stretched out like a 6 year old jumping on a bed, snared the ball and smashed into the padded wall with his head.
Full speed.
Came up showing the ump the ball with the bill of his cap turned up goofy like a cartoon character.
Man, you won't see a better catch than that.
Next time Reed shows up at Wrigley, it'll be standing O time.
(By the way, I hope he never tries that there...)
But the Cubs lost their second game in a row, this one 3-5 to the Nats.
Tonight is Zambrano (3-1) vs. a guy named Chico (0-4).
Lets get a W.
Oh, one more thing.
Maybe in a couple years you might be in a bar somewhere watching a baseball game, and you'll see a pretty good catch.
And you'll say, "Yeah, but do you remember the Reed Johnson catch in '08?"
Folklore.
One of the coolest parts of the game of baseball.
