Let's hope the Cubs opening in Japan portends better things than 2000

The Cubs have reported to spring training, so if you were hankering for shots of guys in shorts playing catch, well, you're all set now.

It's officially just pitchers and catchers who have to report at this stage, but Dansby Swanson is there showing everybody his hernia scar and Nico Hoerner is throwing the ball a good 10 to 15 feet (just like Nick Madrigal used to), so they both seem to ready-ish. Remember, while Opening Day is Thursday, March 27, the Cubs and Dodgers actually get things started with games on March 18 and 19. And then they go back to spring training, which is just weird.

It's a lot earlier than the last time they opened in Japan, in 2000. Those games were March 29 and 30. The Cubs won the opener that year, beating Mike Hampton in his Mets' debut. Hampton had been traded to the Mets from Houston in the offseason in a deal that brought him and a pre-Operation Shutdown Derek Bell to New York in exchange for Octavio Dotel and Roger Cedeno.

Hampton gave up just two runs in five innings, but walked NINE Cubs. Do you know how hard it was to walk the 2000 Cubs nine times in a series, much less in the first five innings of a game? Jon Lieber got the win working seven innings and giving up just one run and Rick Aguilera earned the save.

The Cubs put the game away late on a seventh inning two-run homer by Shane Andrews. No, seriously.