Cubs reliever Scott Eyre debuted his new glove this weekend, the one with the name “Steve Ire” sewn into it.
This is a glove story like no other. Manager Lou Piniella has frequently mispronounced Eyre’s last name, calling him “Ire,” and has also referred to him as “Stevie” instead of Scott.
Asked about the new glove last week, Eyre denied he’d had the “nickname” sewn into it. But he finally confessed Saturday after the glove was shown on TV when he entered the game in the seventh inning.
“I told Len [Kasper] and Bob [Brenly],” Eyre said, admitting he originally had tried to hide it from the media and his manager.
“I had to break it in. It’s game-ready now. In all honesty, [Ryan Dempster] didn’t think I’d actually do it because I’d had my other glove since 2003. It’s been in 300-some games, and I’m very superstitious. But I thought it’d be funny. I used it [Friday] and today.”
Eyre didn’t tell Piniella about the glove but said he’d probably ask him to autograph it after the season.
“I hope it doesn’t offend him or anything,” Eyre said. “My comment still stands: ‘Scott didn’t pitch very well. Stevie’s been pitching good.’ My wife thinks it’s funny. I’ve gotten about seven text messages about the glove. So I did it. It’s done with, and I’ll go back to my old glove now.”
30-homer club
Alfonso Soriano has hit at least 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons and five times in his career. He did it twice with the Yankees, once with the Rangers and once with the Nationals.
“I think I have my timing at the right time,” he said. “It’s September, and the team needs the offense.”
Home, sweet home
The Cubs set a single-season attendance record Saturday. They have now drawn 3,211,098 fans, surpassing the 2004 mark of 3,170,184. The Cubs expanded the bleachers in 2006, which helped break the record.
Extra innings
VCR alert: The “Lead-Off Man” show at 1 p.m. Sunday on WGN-Ch. 9 will feature a video of the wacky 2007 season by Pete Toma, the producer on Cubs telecasts. … While the starting time for Saturday’s game in Cincinnati was moved up to 2:55 p.m. to accommodate Fox’s “Game of the Week” broadcast, the national telecast will be blacked out in Chicago, and the game will air locally on WGN-Ch. 9. … Carlos Marmol extended his scoreless-innings streak to 22 1/3 innings. … Aramis Ramirez hit the 100-RBI mark for the second straight season and the fourth time in his career.
