Kuzul

Bobbleheads, t-shirts and refrigerator magnets.

Oh, my!

One of the pleasures a fan of a lousy team has to look forward to every season are the cool promotions that sucker you in to handing over a hundred bucks you may not have otherwise.

I’ve become an expert at this in recent years rooting on the Mariners, unfortunately. I have more dolls than any 31 year old man should, thanks to the annual Ichiro bobbles. Though, they’re sucking me in again this season.

This year’s edition includes a hit counter so we can follow him on his quest to 200 a season and 3000 overall.

I got to thinking, naturally, because that’s what this stuff does to me: what promotions would us fans who like a good old chuckle line up for, even though our favorite team would never do it?

This list is the byproduct of that thinking. I apologize in advance.

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With the recent debate about “experts” finally reaching a decision on which Chicago Cubs game Ferris Bueller attended, it’s important to also recognize some of the greatest showcases of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field to appear on the silver screen.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

By far the most intimate portrayal of the inner sanctum of Wrigley Field, Daniel Stern’s homage to his beloved Chicago Cubs gives us everything we need in an interesting sports movie. Henry Roovenflavor/Rosinbagger/Rowengartner loves his Cubs but stinks as a little league outfielder. The 12-year-old breaks his arm, and after the tendons heal a little tightly, he is able to touch 100 on the radar gun.

He then is signed by the Cubs and mentored by pre-psychotic Gary Busey, not the modern Busey who might be more inclined to rant about the coming apocalypse and how it was caused by aggressive colby jack cheese statues than life lessons about dealing from your “have-to.”

Henry leads the Cubbies to a World Series when he floats an underhanded meatball to the villainous chubby bunny, Butch Heddo, whose John Kruk likeness and softball physique fails to save him from swinging through the floater. Cubs win, Cubs win!

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Convict Jimmy Dworski (Jim Belushi) has a dilemma. He’s won a pair of tickets to see the Cubs play the Angels in the World Series, but the game conflicts with his schedule, which consists of one hour of free time in the yard and plenty of reading time in his prison cell.

Loyal to the core, Jimmy (along with his deliciously awful pony tail) escapes from prison, finds the filofax of an uptight ad executive, Spencer Barnes, pretends to be Spencer for the week, hooks up with the boss’s daughter and takes a meeting with a powerful food magnate while Spencer is left homeless and penniless wandering the streets of Southern California in a dirty sweater and a pair of Richard Simmons sweatpants.

The climax features Dworski catching a Mark Grace home run, fleeing the cops and sneaking back into the prison with the help of Barnes, who has a new lease on life. Shockingly, did anyone else know that Belushi is a Cubs fan? Oh wait, he’s the go-to guy for every major Chicago sports promo the last 15 years on ABC. Can we get a Cusack please? I’ll even take a Malkovich or a Joe Mantegna.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

When con man Eddie Farrel (Dana Carvey) steals the car of local mobster Sal Nichols (which also happens to have a briefcase full of money inside), Farrel and his best friend, Lou Pesquino, go on the run.

Eddie returns to a house he and Lou had previously burglarized when he realizes the expected house guest cancelled his trip. Mistaken for “Jonathan Albertson,” ad executive extraordinaire, Farrel lives the con and becomes a hit with the CEO, his family and especially, his daughter.

Seeing his clients blew their proposal off to go to the Cubs game, Eddie takes the CEO, Milt Malkin, to Wrigley for the afternoon and—in one of the best cons ever—pretends to be “President Bush 1” in the bathroom (which is somehow lacking the wonderful stage fright-inducing urinal troughs Cubs fans have grown to love) to convince potential clients they need to buy into their hand blower products instead of old fashioned paper towels. Hand blowers, good. Paper towels, bad. Real bad.

THE BLUES BROTHERS

While it only plays a blink of a role, many movie fans can’t shake their immediate knowledge of Wrigley Field’s address (1060 W. Addison to the layperson) thanks to Jake and Elwood Blues, who—while on a mission from God—give police and bounty hunters the Cubs ivy-grown burial ground as their home address.

Arguably the most popular film to ever showcase the city of Chicago, “The Blues Brothers” is one of the most popular comedies of all time and arguably the best performance by the late, great John Belushi.

Fans of Bluto (“Animal House”) may disagree, but more Chicagoans have celebrity impersonator jobs thanks to this film and its two protagonists. It also features Carrie Fisher, while she was still in the smoking hot Princess Leia stage, not the current Ron Cey-shaped version blabbing about the other “snow” she enjoyed on Hoth while filming “The Empire Strikes Back.”

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

“Hey, cowgirls: see the grass? Don’t eat it!” bellows scout Ernie Capadino (played by the perfectly sarcastic Jon Lovitz), as Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller walk out onto the lush green landscape of Wrigley Field for the first time.

A historically based dramedy about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) that sprung up during World War II thanks to Phillip K. Wrigley (name ring a bell?).

Wrigley plays host for the tryout early on in the film. Walter Harvey, the character based on Wrigley, invites the girls to play at “Harvey Field,” which exposed us (and more than likely Madonna, as per her resume) to great names like “All-the-Way” Mae, Betty “Spaghetti” Horn, and—of course—the “lovely” Marla Hooch. “What a hitter!”

RUNNERS UP: The Break-Up, Sleepless in Seattle, Uncle Buck.

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“It’s only spring training.”

Say it over and over to yourself, Cubs fans.

“It’s only spring training.”

Yes, it’s only been four games—four games that don’t count for anything, to be exact—but it’s hard for a team to look any worse than the Chicago Cubs have so far.

In just four spring training games, the Cubs have committed 14 errors, including three in the first inning of a 12-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Those three errors helped give the Brewers a 6-1 first-inning lead, as starter Carlos Silva gave up two home runs in the frame.

It also led to the much-publicized altercation between Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who committed one of the three errors.

Manager Mike Quade, who took over for Lou Piniella following his retirement last August, held a team meeting on Thursday. The meeting, Quade said, was related to the Cubs’ overall play so far, not just the altercation in the dugout.

“I do like the fact that some people were pissed off. I really do,” Quade said. “Now let’s see if we can take some of that in the right direction.”

Quade said there would be no fines or suspensions handed out to Silva or Ramirez.

Thursday’s fight was more of a culmination of the last four games for the Cubs than just another incident. The entire team has struggled in the field, raising eyebrows along with tempers.

“If we were going to have everybody fight that has made mistakes this spring, we’d have the cage match of all time,” Quade said.

You got that right.

While Quade is quick to point out that it’s only four games, that’s also the point: It’s only four games.

If the Cubs are already coming apart at the seams after just four spring training games, how are they going to look when the games actually count for something?

Silva is one of six guys trying to win a spot in the Cubs’ starting rotation this season. Quade has yet to name a fourth or fifth starter, but Silva believes he should have a job based on his first-half performance last season.

Over his first 16 starts, Silva was 9-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He missed most of August with an irregular heartbeat and was clobbered by the Houston Astros in his lone start after coming back on September 7.

Quade certainly has a reputation as a players’ manager, but he has to get a handle on his team ASAP.

Yes, it’s only spring training, and yes, it’s only four games, but if he establishes himself as someone who will tolerate this type of play, even if it the games don’t count, it will be impossible for him to change that perception during the regular season.

Quade has already said that Silva doesn’t owe anyone an apology. 

Really? He doesn’t need to apologize for fighting with a teammate, not even to that teammate at least?

Ramirez has addressed the media about the situation, saying, “It’s in the past, and you move on.” But Silva has remained silent, refusing all requests for a statement.

So Silva doesn’t have to apologize, explain what happened or do anything really to smooth the situation out or clarify what happened. He’ll just leave it up to the speculation of the media, and we all know that can lead to all sorts of ideas.  

Most will argue that spring training is meaningless and how a team plays in March has no bearing on their performance in April and beyond. Certainly that’s true; no one expects the Cubs to regularly make 14 errors in any four-game span.

But the Cubs aren’t known for being a patient, levelheaded team.

In fact, the altercation between Silva and Ramirez conjured memories of the dust-up between Carlos Zambrano and then-first baseman Derrek Lee on June 25 last season, which led to Zambrano’s suspension and entry into anger management classes.

After Quade took over for Piniella, the Cubs went 17-9, including an 11-1 mark on the road, so the players will respond to him.

But Quade can’t let this go on much longer. Four games is still four games, and this is a team that emptied its farm system for Matt Garza to contend in the pitching-deep NL Central, with a fanbase expecting Albert Pujols in Cubs white and blue in 2012.

While it may not seem like a big deal now, if the Cubs struggle during the regular season or another incident like this one occurs, everyone will point to these first four days as the genesis. Quade can do a lot to stop that before it happens by taking control of this team and reminding them that fighting and sloppy play aren’t going to be tolerated, whether it’s in March or September.

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The Chicago Cubs have not been world champions since the glory days of 1908. They have not won a pennant since 1945.

Some individuals are optimistic that 2011 will be the year that the Cubs finally win the pennant. No one dares to predict that they will win the World Series.

The Cubs may challenge for the Central Division crown, but they will have to do it without a fifth starter.

What, you say? Isn’t Carlos Silva the Cubs’ fifth starter?

That is exactly why the Cubs’ pitching may be a problem.

The Seattle Mariners, an organization that, like the Cubs, managed to win a record 116 regular season games and not win the World Series, sent Carlos Silva to Chicago in exchange for Milton Bradley in Dec. 2009. Both teams hoped that a change of scenery would help the players.

In 2010, Silva was 10-6, but as we all know, a pitcher’s won-lost record can be deceiving (see Cy Young Award winner and ERA leader Felix Hernandez). Silva had a 103 ERA+, which is slightly above average, but that’s where it ends.

Silva averaged only 5.4 innings over 21 starts. He worked 113 innings and allowed 120 hits and 24 walks for a 1.274 WHIP.

Today, managers and pitching coaches love pitcher who can “eat up innings.” Forget about effectiveness. He can give us innings. Silva has trouble doing even that.

Overall, 2010 was a season that would rank Silva in the middle of starting pitchers, but it was the best season he has had since 2005 with the Minnesota Twins, when he was 9-8 with a 130 ERA+ and a 1.173 WHIP.

The Cubs are fooling themselves and their fans if they are counting on Silva, even as a fifth starter.

Now 32 years old, Silva is in his eighth full season. He has had ERAs below 4.19 only twice in his career. The first time was during his rookie season with the Philadelphia Phillies in limited duty, and the second time was in 2005 with the Twins.

An examination of Silva’s lifetime record is revealing. He has won 70 games. He has lost 70 games. Fine—that is acceptable for a fifth starter.

But Silva has a 4.68 ERA and a 93 ERA+. He has allowed 1,496 hits in 1,241.2 innings or 10.8 hits per nine innings.

His WHIP of 1.397 is that “low” only because he has great control. The problem is that batters tee off on him because they know he’s always around the strike zone.

A popular sports site ranks Silva 129th among 150 major league starting pitchers. Ranked just above Silva is Arizona’s young Barry Enright, and ranked just below Silva is Jason Marquis.

Carlos Silva does not project to get any better. He is not the answer to the Cubs’ need for a fifth starter, and if it weren’t for the paucity of starting pitching in baseball, it is doubtful that he would still be on a major league roster.

References

Baseball Reference

Sportsline

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As everyone knows Albert Pujols did not sign a contract extension with the Saint Louis Cardinals by the deadline that was put in place by Pujols.  As a result Pujols will become a free agent after the 2011 Major League Baseball season.  At the Winter Meetings, Pujols will sign the largest contract in the history of baseball, 10 years for $300 million, with the Chicago Cubs.  Immediately afterwards the world will start its decline into the apocalypse.
 
At his press conference Pujols will sacrifice a live billy goat on stage at Wrigley Field.  He will drink its blood and exclaim, “I have ended the Billy Goat Curse.  There is only room for one GOAT in Chicago, and it is I Albert Pujols who is the Greatest Of All Time!”  Michael Jordan will instantly take this as a slight to his Chicago GOAT status and attempt a baseball comeback with the Chicago White Sox.  He goes 0-23 in Spring Training and concedes that Pujols is indeed the GOAT in Chicago and ends his comeback bid.
 
On Opening Day Pujols hits three home runs, two of which land on Waveland Avenue.  The “W” flag is flown above Wrigley Field, and it remains there for the rest of the season.
 
At the All Star break the Cubs will have a perfect record, Pujols will be leading the Triple Crown race with a .666 batting average, 45 home runs, and 153 RBI.  The National League will lose the All Star game because manager Charlie Manuel removed Pujols so that Ryan Howard could get into the game at first base.  Unsettled by even an exhibition game loss Pujols decrees that all black cats in the state of Illinois be euthanized so that none of them can cross his path.  He said the late great Ron Santo would have wanted it that way.  The citizens of Illinois follow his edict since they are still scared of him after watching him butcher and devour an entire live billy goat on stage just a few months earlier.
 
Shortly after clinching the division (in early August), Pujols tracks down Steve Bartman from the witness protection agency location he is hiding out at on one of his off days.  He has a press conference to announce that he has forgiven Bartman and that if someone has an issue with Bartman, they have an issue with him.  Bartman is immediately given a key to the city and is a regular at Cubs games again.
 
The Cubs finish the season 162-0.  Pujols breaks every major single season hitting record in the history of baseball.  He then informs Ernie Banks that he will be now known as Mr. Cub, and that Banks needs to find a new nickname.  Banks dies less then a week later from a broken heart.  Pujols delivers the eulogy at Banks funeral and lets everyone know that Banks was the second greatest Cub of all time after himself.
 
The Cubs sweep the Marlins in the Division Series.  Afterwards Pujols tells everyone, “I took my talents to South Beach, and it will never be the same.”  The Miami Heat immediately trade LeBron James to open up a spot on the roster for their new starting small forward, Albert Pujols.
 
In the NLCS the Cubs sweep the Phillies despite Pujols being intentionally walked in every at bat of the series.  Charlie Manuel defended the move by saying he knew Pujols wanted revenge from the All Star game and feared he would hit a home run in every at bat.  Even more amazingly the Phillies lose every game despite Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee both throwing no-hitters in the first two games of the series.
 
The Cubs then go on to embarrass the Red Sox in the World Series.  Pujols not only wins the World Series MVP, but also becomes the first player to hit a ball through the Green Monster.
 
The Cubs had gone 104 straight years without winning the World Series.  Not a single Cubs fan was alive the last time they won it all.  The streak had reached such a depressing level that even Cleveland sports fans felt sorry for Cubs fans.  Little did we all know that the Cubs were not meant to win another World Series and that by doing so they triggered the end of the world. 
 
Natural disasters started to occur at an alarming rate.  Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and hurricanes became commonplace.  A quarter of the world’s population was wiped out by the time the Cubs held their victory parade.  Archaeologists soon discovered that the Mayan prediction that the world would end on 12/21/2012 had some validity after the words “Pujols” and “Cubs” were decoded on a newly discovered artifact.
 
On the fateful day of 12/21/2012 an asteroid the size of Alaska hit the earth.  Everything was destroyed with the exception of cockroaches, Twinkies, and Albert Pujols.  Cardinals fans would now get their wish.  Albert Pujols would have to go screw himself for the rest of eternity.
 
DISCLAIMER:  This article does not endorse the sacrificing of live billy goats, the euthanization of black cats, and I hope Mr. Cub Ernie Banks lives to be older then Methuselah.

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Carlos Zambrano has been to the mountaintop and back.

He has braved the treacherous climb, studied with the celebrated Dharma bums in the Himalayas, found inner peace with the spirit of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and even spent a few months in the swamps of Dagobah under Jedi master Yoda.

He is ready.

Of course, Luke Skywalker also thought he was ready and then hurried off only to have his hand cut off by his asthma-bound father Darth Vader at Cloud City. While I’m pretty sure Zambrano’s appendages are safe, he still controls much of the Chicago Cubs’ density—I mean, destiny—this season.

Sure, he may do as much damage to the dynamic of the Chicago Cubs this season as Anakin Skywalker did when he basically killed all the Jedi Knights once he joined the “Dark Side,” but he could also do as much good as the Skywalker family eventually did for the freedom of the galaxy. You see, the problem with Zambrano is that too much can be a bad thing but—and hear me out on this—too little may also.

Zambrano was the only semblance of passion in last year’s lifeless, heartless and pathetic Cubs campaign. Derrek “6-4-3 inning-ending double play” Lee deserved plenty of guff for his lack of obvious concern. Aramis Ramirez couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat at the time, Alfonso Soriano looked like Wyle E. Coyote in left field and Kosuke Fukudome did more spinning in the batter’s box than the late DJ AM ever did in the booth.

The whole season lacked anything special, and the entire roster looked as if it was joining manager Lou Piniella in his impending retirement.

Heck, even the hot dog vendor deserved a little bit of the fury. It was THAT bad. Honestly, Zambrano’s outburst in late June was not the worst thing to happen and, as usual, Jim Hendry blindly threw him under the bus to maintain appearances and the status quo. The same GM who hired Piniella—a manager that had thrown more temper tantrums than all of the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ put together—now was condemning a MUCH younger man for doing the same thing.

While I don’t condone showing your teammates up, I do support players calling a spade a spade when calling out an entire team that hadn’t shown positive life since their brilliant general manager thought adding clubhouse great Milton Bradley was a good idea. Zambrano hit the boiling point many Cubs fans had been at all season, yet he was entirely at fault according to Cubs brass and the Chicago media machine, but they all failed to see that he was calling himself out as well.

Hendry, as usual, missed a real opportunity to call out his cast of wayward (and overpriced) toys, but—just like he did when he failed to handle the Ryne Sandberg managerial situation professionally—he showed he lacked the stones to lead. Having the guts to gamble is not the same as having the intestinal fortitude to be a leader. Hendry unfortunately lacks this, which is why he couldn’t bring himself to hire a manager who just might challenge him on how he ran the ballclub.

Mike Quade is a good man, and a solid coach, but make no mistakes about it: He is a “yes” man from head to toe. Zambrano, on the other hand, is not. He speaks from the gut, which can be misinterpreted in the sound bite world we live in these days, especially in Chicago, where the media calls fall and winter “QB Hunting Season” and the summer becomes a hot mess of pessimism.

The awfully negative Chicago media loves to give stupid nicknames like “Old Z” and “New Z,” or “Good Rex (Grossman)” and “Bad Rex,” but here’s a little secret for you: He’s the same guy no matter if you change his name to “Good Z,” “New Z,” or even Pee-Wee Herman. The Cubs have spent four years trying to reign in a wild horse and it obviously isn’t working.

If memory serves, the last major blowup Zambrano had was in 2007 when he gave catcher Michael Barrett a judo chop to the grill. The result? Piniella blew his fuse a few games later and the Cubs went on a magical run to the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Don’t let the media fool you: Emotion and getting in a teammate’s face can work magic when the gauge is on empty. It’s the “crawling into a hole and quietly fading” that gets me worked up, and Zambrano’s emotion doesn’t tolerate that. He wants to win that bad, and if you don’t want it at the same level, then you better take some self-defense classes because you deserve anything Zambrano brings to you.

After 102 years without a World Series, I’m sure plenty of Cubs fans would agree that enough is enough. You’ve got to want it as bad as he does, or this isn’t going to work.

I’d love, for once, to see the Cubs and their management give Zambrano all the slack he needs to be himself. It’s not a coincidence that his performance has gone down since they began worrying about his psyche. The minute you tell someone to not be themselves, you’ll also see their performance resemble someone else as well.

You can’t have both.

In Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker had the greatest potential as a Jedi Knight but he gave into his anger and emotion too much, which led to his destructive nature and him becoming Darth Vader. But when given unconditional love regardless thanks to his son, who believed in him, it was Anakin (as Darth Vader) who eventually defeated the Emperor by throwing him down the reactor shaft.

Unconditional love and support throughout the early part of his career fostered in the golden age of Carlos Zambrano. Perhaps a little freedom, some support and some emotional space might bring him back to the days when he mowed down opponents like defenseless Ewoks and gave a team in contention the emotional boost it needed down the stretch.

Too much of anything is a bad thing, and that goes for restraint as well.

Me, personally, I’d rather not see “New Z” or “Old Z.” I just want to see Carlos Zambrano, the pitcher who has shown electric brilliance more than a few times and still has plenty left to showcase. If you bottle that up with the right mix, you’ve got something sweeter than Yoo-Hoo and more potent than any ginger root west of the Great Wall of China.

If you don’t, all you’ll have is a regretful son of a Jedi staring at a two-starred sunset, wondering what might have been had he left Tatooine with the old hermit, Ben Kenobi.

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As spring training gets underway in Florida and Arizona, we take one last look at the recent Major League Baseball offseason and how the various trades and acquisitions will affect the fantasy landscape for 2011.

While there was much more movement than the players listed below, this is a fantasy roster comprised of the most notable players per position that will be wearing different uniforms from Opening Day 2010 and should be on radars come draft time 2011. Not all players in this article are necessarily top-tier options, but each carries some value all the way through the mid-to-late rounds if you have a position of need during your draft.

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Chicago is spinning with excitement for next off-season, and they haven’t even been eliminated yet. Albert Pujols will become a free agent after the conclusion of this season, and some clubs have the rival right in their cross hairs. The Cardinals were unable to strike a deal with their current face of the organization and will now have to compete for his work. Pujols was reportedly seeking a 10-year, 300-million dollar contract and the Cardinals were unwilling to match it. Should the Cubs do what the Cardinals didn’t?

Think back a few years, Cub fans. Does this ring a bell? Middle-aged superstar searching for a lot of cash along with many years? Reminds me a little bit of a speedy, second baseman (now outfielder) named Alfonso Soriano. That deal hasn’t exactly panned out for the Friendly Confines. Should the Cubs take the risk again?

Obviously Soriano isn’t Pujols; they are extraordinarily different players and talents. Almost nothing between them is similar except that they both have the capability to hit for power. Currently, Pujols is regarded as the best player in baseball by many analysts, managers, fans, and fellow players. He is also 31. Assuming the Cubs, or any team, gives Pujols his desired contract, he would be 41 by the time it runs up. What are the odds that Pujols is still on the upturn at 31? His talents should, unless he actually is a machine like his nickname suggests, be dwindling.

If the Cubs can find a way to pay Pujols enough money per year for him to drop his contract to four or five years, then it would be an excellent deal. Get a veteran who can lead your team to long lost glory? Perfect. On top of that, you take away your in-division rival’s best player and soul of the team.  How much better could the Cubs have it?

It seems the Cubs are noticing their opportunity after they signed first basemen Carlos Pena to a one year, ten million dollar contract. There will be salary available and a gap at first base, Pujols’ position.

However, Chicago probably shouldn’t get too far ahead of itself. There are still 162 games left to be played before this is even an issue. The wait has begun and it’s going to be a long stretch before it’s over, and that’s exactly what all baseball fans will be doing; waiting.

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Did you know that Major League Baseball is the only sport where the ground rules are different from venue to venue?  Because of this strange stipulation, each ballpark has its own unique feature, dimensions and quirks.

This is the reason some stadiums like Yankee Stadium are such hitter’s parks, and other stadiums like CitiField are such pitcher’s parks.

Here is a list of the 20 most interesting quirks in MLB history:

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With the Chicago Cubs just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Mesa, Arizona, the dreadful realization of seeking a replacement for the legendary and passionate radio broadcaster Ron Santo begins to sink in.

Ron Santo tragically passed away on December 3, 2010 due to complications from bladder cancer and diabetes

The Cubs have a tall task at hand as Pat Hughes, who worked with Ron Santo for 15 years in the booth, simply put it, “Ronnie was one of the all-time icons of Chicago sports. You have Ron and Billy Williams and Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg and Gale Sayers and Mike Ditka and Dick Butkus and Walter Payton and Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. They are the pantheon of Chicago sports”

Many felt Ron Santo had lost his way in the booth with his lack of knowledge of baseball and his inability to discuss key events during a game.

But, this is what made Ron Santo true and genuine.

He was a fan favorite.

He would say what every fan was thinking and you can attest he was the voice of the people.

He wore his heart on his sleeve and he would not be ashamed to let it be known.

Pat Hughes recalls a game where the Cubs outfielder Brant Brown dropped a routine fly ball that allowed three runs to score against the Milwaukee Brewers during a game with playoff implications.

The Cubs ended up losing the game.  After the game, Hughes recollects Jim Riggleman, the Cubs manager at the time, had to reconcile Santo to make sure he was going to be fine.

As for Cubs fans, they loved his passion and his dedication for the team.

Every Cubs fan is familiar with the expression, “Bleed Cubbie Blue.”

Ron Santo literally did.

The Cubs have a tough decision to find the right person to accompany Pat Hughes this season in what already is a sensitive and delicate issue.

Fans will be skeptical at first when the Cubs finally make their decision and they may not accept a character who is less intriguing than Santo.

Pat Hughes asks fans to welcome his new side-kick and to allow him some time to become comfortable in the booth.

“He’s not going to be as entertaining or as popular.  Please, please, give the new guy a chance and let us grow as a team.  Whoever the new guy is, I hope the audience gives him a chance,” pleads Hughes.

The Cubs apparently have narrowed their decision down to Dave Otto and Keith Mooreland.  Both were active last year in the booth with Cubs when they would fill-in for Santo when he could not make a trip or a game.

Whoever the Cubs decide to choose, the new broadcaster is in the unfortunate position where he may face heavy scrutiny from the general public which will make the transition period very difficult.

The Cubs have to make sure they hire a person who will not try to overshadow Santo’s legacy.

There will be a few bumps on the road during the adjustment period between Pat Hughes and his new partner.  However, Hughes, a five-time Illinois Sportscaster of the Year recipient, should make it a smooth ride for his new counterpart.

This season will have a different feel for many loyal Cubs fans who religiously listened to Cubs broadcast on the radio.

There will not be as many as obnoxious and hilarious moments involving someone’s hair piece catching fire or conversations involving Pat’s sweaters.

On opening day when the first broadcast call is produced, emotions will be running high as an area of unfamiliarity will be explored.

It is fitting as we never really knew what we were going to expect from Ron Santo listening to him every day.

But Cubs fans have been part of something that is rare throughout these years and as Pat Hughes expressed, “Finally, these past few days it has been as clear to me as it’s ever been that these past 15 with Ron Santo, I’ve been part of something very special.”

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