Looking at 6 top Opening Day moments in Chicago Cubs history

Kosuke Fukudome: March 31st, 2008

Plenty of buzz surrounded the Cubs and Wrigley Field for Opening Day in 2008, specifically the major signing of Kosuke Fukudome. On the first pitch he saw, the first Japanese player to don the Cubbie Blue pinstripes roped a double to center field.

An otherwise uneventful game until the ninth inning, Fukudome returned to the plate with the team trailing 3-0. On the heels of a Derrek Lee single and an A-Ram walk, Fukudome instilled new life into Cubs fans by smacking a game-tying home run to right-center field, an incredible feat for yet another Cubs debut.

Unfortunately, the Brewers ultimately won the game 4-3 with a run in the top half of the tenth from a Tony Gwynn, Jr. sacrifice fly allowed by Bob Howry.

Corey Patterson: March 31st, 2003

With how infamous the conclusion to the 2003 season remains as a scar in the hearts of many, perhaps Opening Day was just as memorable on the other end of the spectrum. With the Cubs starting off in New York, the lineup tattooed the Mets pitching staff for 15 runs and ran future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine out of the game in just the fourth inning.

The boisterous day was led by Corey Patterson on a 4-for-6 outing on two home runs and seven runs batted in. To this day, it is still the most productive individual performance for a Cubs hitter on Opening Day. Other contributions came from a four RBI day from Mark Bellhorn and two more from Moises Alou in the 15-2 win.

Mark Grace: April 1st, 1996

The Cubs opened the 1996 season on April Fool’s Day but there was no fooling Mark Grace and his late inning heroics. Unseasonably warm for the first day of the month, North Side fans watched a rollercoaster of a game as the Cubs traded runs with the Padres.

After blowing a lead in the top half of the ninth, the Cubs led off the tenth in a 4-4 tie with a Rey Sánchez single off the legendary closer Trevor Hoffman. That was followed up by a Brian McRae single and a Ryne Sandberg walk.

With one out, Grace stepped up to the plate and knocked a ground ball through the hole to left to drive in the winning run and the walk-off victory, letting fans go home happy humans.