Soriano apologizes for not hustling
Cubs outfielder poses at home on long single, gets thrown at
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
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Alfonso Soriano was nearly hit in the head by Francisely Bueno on Wednesday. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
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ATLANTA -- Alfonso Soriano said Wednesday was the last time you'll see him not hustle out of the batter's box. However, it may not be the last time he has a pitch thrown at him.
In the eighth inning of the first game of the Cubs' day-night doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, Soriano led off with a single to left. He watched it, obviously thinking the ball was going over the wall. It didn't.
Soriano ended up with a long single. Cubs manager Lou Piniella was not pleased.
"I talked to Alfonso about it, and I told him that he's one of our leaders here and there's no need for that, and he agrees and says it won't happen again, it's over," Piniella said after the Cubs' 10-2 win over the Braves.
Soriano appeared embarrassed by the incident.
"I apologized to [Piniella], and I apologized to my teammates," Soriano said. "I said to him that's not going to happen again. I apologized to him."
The Braves didn't deliver any kind of apology after pitcher Francisley Bueno, making his Major League debut, threw a pitch at Soriano's head in the ninth inning. Home-plate umpire Ed Rapuano immediately ejected the pitcher.
Last year, Soriano hit three home runs on June 9 in the first game of a series in Atlanta, and the next night, Tim Hudson hit Soriano with a fastball on the left triceps. Chicago's Ted Lilly was ejected after his 10th pitch hit Edgar Renteria in the series finale.
Earlier this season, on June 11 at Wrigley Field, Atlanta's Jeff Bennett hit Soriano on the left hand, and he suffered a broken bone, which sidelined him for six weeks.
Cubs outfielder Jim Edmonds didn't know about the history between the two teams, but he did know what Bueno did was wrong.
"It's part of the game, but you can't throw at someone's head," Edmonds said.
"It's part of the game," Soriano said. "There's nothing you can do about it."
But isn't he tired of being targeted?
"I don't know what they want to do to have two guys thrown out," Soriano said of the Braves, who lost both Bueno and coach Chino Cadahia. Manager Bobby Cox had been tossed earlier after an argument with crew chief Joe West.
"I don't want to fight with somebody in the game, that's not me," Soriano said.
He didn't expect anything further.
"I didn't think they would throw at me in the last at-bat, and they did," Soriano said. "It's part of the game."
He did not consider charging the mound.
"That's not me," Soriano said. "They do it and I take it like it's part of the game. We have pitchers who can do that to the other team -- if they do it to us, why can't we do it to them?"
