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Slammin' Sammy Sosa did record his 60th home run of the season against the Dodgers. But it came in the ninth inning, after Andrew Zarzour had departed. The solo shot against Scott Sauerbeck was the only other run the Cubs managed, and the Dodgers hung on for a 4-2 win (getting a solo home run by Eric Young in the seventh inning to pad its lead). Dodgers win! Dodgers win!
So, Zarzour gets a big "W" in his Major League pitching debut! He, of course, was the talk of the town that night. The media throng flocked his way, and he found that more overwhelming than pitching to Sammy Sosa or Preston Wilson. The lights from the cameras were so bright, the questions so probing (or sometimes so dumb — "how does it feel?")
"Enjoy your moment. You've earned it. And you never know what may happen next," catcher Mike Piazza told Zarzour as he headed into the media room. Zarzour spent most of his interview time lavishing praise on his catcher for calling such a great game and hitting the big three-run homer early that set the tone. He also played up his teammates who were flawless in the field. Still, the spotlight rested mainly on the 7-foot-2 frame of one Andrew Zarzour.
After the reporters fled to file their stories, Zarzour ambled back to the lounge area where players' friends and families hung out to wait for their loved ones. Zarzour knew his mom would be there and envisioned a nice steak dinner somewhere. Better yet, he had the crazy notion to go to a Waffle House somewhere and eat a huge stack of pancakes. Does LA even have a Waffle House?
As he rounded the corner to get to the lounge, a lump immediately formed in his throat. His proud mom was standing there, but she wasn't alone.
There stood Andrew's dad, his older sister Mary Katherine and his younger brother Timmy. The whole family was together, for the first time in what felt like forever for Andrew.
They immediately formed a hug huddle around Andrew, and all of the emotions that he had worked so hard to keep in check all day came flooding out. "We wouldn't have missed this for the world," a tearful Mr. Zarzour said to his son. "We're so proud of you."
It was a special time for sure, maybe the best part of this special day...
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