'No hard feelings' as Fowler moves on with Cardinals
ST. LOUIS - Dexter Fowler said he is used to wearing red now.
The former Cubs center fielder greeted the Chicago and St. Louis media as a member of the Cardinals before Sunday night's game at Busch Stadium.
Fowler, a key member of the Cubs' world-championship team last year and the playoff team from 2015, signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Cardinals during the off-season.
There still are some loose Cubs ends to tie up. Fowler said he is likely to receive his World Series ring during the Cardinals' first visit to Wrigley Field, June 2-4. Fowler also exchanged pleasantries with Cubs manager Joe Maddon during pregame ceremonies at home plate.
"There are no hard feelings," Fowler said. "They know this game is a business. I had to make the decision that was right for me and my family."
Fowler termed the short and busy off-season a "whirlwind" after winning the World Series with the Cubs and signing with a new team.
Last year proved fortuitous for Fowler, who was not expected to sign back with the Cubs after 2015. When an apparent deal with Baltimore fell through late in the winter, he returned to the Cubs early in spring training of 2016.
"Sometimes you've just got to thank God and go at it," he said. "He punches you in the gut sometimes, but you've got to keep going. That was a great decision, and I'm pretty happy with my decision here."
Fowler's replacement as Cubs leadoff hitter is Kyle Schwarber.
"It's going to be good to see him," Schwarber said. "Like we've all said, he's still part of the family. He's going to be in the Cubs history book for a long time as being one of the ones to break the curse. We wish him all the best."
A horse's … oh, never mind:
Last year during spring training, Kyle Schwarber broke a windshield with a batting-practice home run. This year, he got an animate object.
"I hit a Clydesdale in the butt," he said.
The horse's owner apparently wasn't upset, as Schwarber now has one of the horse's shoes hanging up at his locker.
"Maybe it will give us some luck," he said.
As part of their opening-night festivities, the Cardinals paraded Clydesdales around the warning track They passed by the Cubs dugout without incident.
Schwarber led off the game with a solid single to right field. No animals were harmed in the making of that hit.
A tribute lineup:
There was no magical or sabermetrics formula to Cubs manager Joe Maddon going with an outfield of Kyle Schwarber in left, Jason Heyward in center and Ben Zobrist in right against Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez for the opener.
"It's a tribute to the World Series, that's it," Maddon said. "Those were the guys who were on the field during the seventh game of the World Series, so I wanted to, as a tribute to them and what they had done for us, put them on the field tonight. It's no more complicated than that."
Javier Baez started at second base, a position he will share with Zobrist. Heyward will be the Cubs' normal right fielder.