BOOK REVIEW: THE CUBS ON CATALINA

In light of how I may someday want to promote my Cubs book on this site, I think that now is a perfect time to talk about other Cubs books, such as the one I'm reviewing today.

While at the Cubs Convention I had the opportunity to meet Cubs fan and book writer Jim Vitti, who wrote "The Cubs on Catalina: A scrapbook of memories about a 30-year love affair between one of baseball's classic teams... & California's most fanciful isle."

The book is quite clearly a labor of love. It's about a team that entered Spring Training with one objective (to get into shape) but often times found themselves sidetracked by things like movie stars (such as Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable), or perhaps barroom brawls involving future U.S. presidents.

I'm not sure how Vitti pulled it off, but the book is rich with interviews and quotes from the players themselves as they recounted memories about the island and what it was like to have Spring Training there. Chapters include stories of the island, the players, the dames, Ronald Reagan's humble beginnings as a Cubs broadcaster, the great quake of '33, the story of P.K. Wrigley, Cubs Legend that Wasn't Conrad Lopez, and even a special chapter on the Catalina try-out of a young lefty phenom by the name of Roy Hobbs.

The Cubs on Catalina is a great book that any nostalgic Cubs fan would enjoy. It's obviously a labor of love on Vitti's part, and would be worth the money just for the dozens upon dozens of pictures of our classic Cubs. The only place it falls short is in a way that isn't the fault of the writer - all the interior pictures are in black and white, I'm guessing because color printing can be painfully expensive. Regardless, if you're interested in buying the book, you can purchase it here at Amazon.com for a whopping 37% off cover price.

SPELLING IT OUT

In light of the Sammy Sosa trade, it's obvious that the Cubs really need to fill a hole in the outfield. Rumor has it that along with newly acquired prospects Mike Fontenot and Dave Crouthers, the Cubs will trade Sergio Mitre to the Devil-Rays for slugging outfielder Aubrey Huff and also possibly the D-Ray's closer Danys Baez.

Baez will be 27 until September 10th, and last season he saved 30 games while blowing only 3. He made only 1.75 million during last season, though I believe he's due for a raise. Regardless, while he's no Gagne or Smoltz, he's also no LaTroy Hawkins - in a good way. Baez would definitely fill the need.

Aubrey Huff will be 28 all year long. In the last two season, Huff has hit 34 and 29 homeruns, driven in 107 and 104 RBI, and batted .311 and .297. He's considerably younger than Sosa was, considerably cheaper than Sosa was (he's due for a raise from last year's 2.6 million), and he strikes out about 100 times less in a season than Sosa does. And he's left-handed, and can play at first, third, left, or right (albeit not splendidly, but it's conceivable that once he's given a single position, he'll be good to go).

Jerry Hairston Jr. will be 29 after May 29th. Although he missed half of last season from a fluke injury, Hairston's numbers showed a lot of promise. In 86 games he batted .303, hit 19 doubles, walked and struck out 29 times, stole 13 bases, and had an OBP of .378. He's naturally a second baseman, but also plays all three outfield positions.

This gives the Cubs the following tenative lineup:

RF Jerry Hairston Jr. R
2B Todd Walker L
SS Nomar Garciappara R
LF Audrey Huff L
3B Aramis Ramirez R
1B Derrek Lee R
CF Corey Patterson L
C Michael Barret R

This isn't a bad lineup, not at all. The Cubs sorely needed some balance from their hitters last season, they were predominantly righty heavy. One could contend that Derrek should be the #2 guy in the lineup rather than Walker, or perhaps even #3, tossing Nomar into the #5 spot.

This gives the Cubs a balanced attack, it gives them a team where they aren't relying on only one or even two players. To me, this lineup would be good enough to win the National League pennant, along with the team's already stellar pitching. Of course, Huff remains just a rumor, so there's no need to get too excited just yet. It's just as possible that Jeromy Burnitz will be out there instead, which would suck worse than spending the weekend at a White Sox convention.

We'll see what happens in the next few days, but I suddenly find myself very excited about next year.

FINAL MEMORIES ABOUT SAMMY

I can still remember where I was when I heard that Sammy Sosa had been traded to the Cubs. I was on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier my brother had been stationed on. We were doing a "tiger cruise," which is essentially when family members of the sailors are flown into Bermuda and sail back to Norfolk with their relatives. While there, a burly guy whose nickname was "Tank" told me that the Cubs had traded George Bell for a guy who couldn't even hit his own weight. I was pretty surprised; Bell had been a solid offensive player the previous year (at least from the perspective of a 12-year-old).

I remember in his first year as a Cub, Sammy had missed a lot of time with injury. But the times when he was healthy, he played exciting baseball. I can't remember the details any longer, but I can remember watching a game late in the season where Sammy had a big day at the plate and in the field. He was an exciting player to watch. Of course as time went on, Sammy became extravagant. He had his 30-30 pendant, his bizarre haircut. He started slugging more and more homeruns, and then in 1998, everything came together and Sosa became the most thrilling player to watch in all of baseball.

As much as I complain about him now, Sammy's name graced the back of my first-ever jersey. I loved watching him blast homeruns, and I think we take his production for granted now. The man did something that no one else ever has, and from 1998 to 2001, Sammy was the best power hitter in the history of the game. Better than McGwire, Bonds, Aaron, or Ruth. He was phenomenal. He also let it all get to his head.

Sammy's last few years have been hard to watch. He has evaporated into an average hitter. If he were a true team leader, that might be ok, but his attitude is not conductive to poor play. And while he truly was a great Cub, I'm glad he's now gone. However, I will say this: I hope they retire his jersey number as soon as possible. For all the baggage he brought, there's only one #21.

Sammy, I really won't miss you, but I'm still glad you were here. Thanks for the memories, buddy.

HATE THE FISH

The big piece of news from this weekend is that the Marlins have won out on the Delgado sweepstakes, signing Big Carlos to a four year 52 million dollar deal. This makes them the favorite to win the NL pennant in the eyes of many pundits.

Well, coming from a fan of the Predicted 2004 World Series Champions, I can say with no hesitation that pre-season predictions mean jack. But wait, doesn't this mean that the Delgado losers - the Mets and Orioles - might renew their interest in Sammy Sosa?

Eh, I doubt it. Sammy Sosad is the monkey on the Cubs back, and he's not going anywhere. Instead, the Cubs should be worrying about how they're going to make it through next season with their self-pupported "superstar" hating Chicago, hating the fans who boo him, hating the teammates and coaches who can't stand him. I have absolutely no doubt that when Sammy finally gets out of town, he's going to have an explosive year. But I don't think Sammy will have a productive year in blue pinstripes. He's just not the type of player who can play unhappy and angry, and his misery will just seem to compound itself as the season wears on.

Anyway, this is the last time I'm going to be speculating on Sammy Sosa, one way or the other. Maybe the Cubs media wants to keep Sammy in the forefront, but I'm a little sick of discussing him. So, unless something concrete happens, we're off to other pastures, baby.

The Tribune finally sits down with Dusty Baker and asks about the chaotic 2004 season. Oh no wait, sorry, this article is actually about the Delgado signing and whether or not the Cubs will be able to unload Sammy Sosa.

According to the Sun-times, Jim Hendry is poised to finally make a few big moves, like trading for a closer and a leadoff hitter. ...nope, wait, sorry, this one's actually about how Hendry might unload Sammy on the Orioles or Mets.

Here's a great article crying foul over the Cubs lack of a team leader; a possible reason the team played so poorly at times last year. Wait, sorry, this one's about Sammy possibly going to the Mets. Sorry.

Finally - FINALLY! - an article that isn't about Sammy Sosa! Hollandsworth and DuBois plan on giving the Cubs big numbers from left field. Hmm. It has a picture of Sammy at the top. And it's written by Carrie Muskat. And Dusty has said that his "platoon" will primarily consist of Hollandsworth getting all the starts. Aw, screw it.

QUESTIONS I WISH I'D ASKED

Now that I'm back from my first Cubs Convention, I've come to realize that I really squandored my opportunity to hit up meetings with management and ask the hard questions. I guess I wanted to be polite (they could stick that moniker on my tombstone: he was really polite). If I could go back in time and ask any question I wanted to Dusty and Hendry, I believe it would've been this:

Dusty, considering that you've often been called a player's manager, there seem to have been considerable problems last year with the attitude of various guys on the team. Why was it that you couldn't control your players and allowed them to fall apart only weeks away from a playoff berth?

Oh, and I would've told him my girlfriend loves him. But do you see how even that is too polite a question? Sure, it would've irritated the piss out of him, but ultimately I don't think I can be mean enough to be really entertaining in that way. Give me a few more heartbreaks, though, and maybe I'll change.

WHAT'S NEWS IN THE CUBS WORLD

They write country songs about the shit the Cubs have been pulling off, with titles like "a little too much talk and not enough action," "the guy who signed Sammy Sosa stole my girlfriend, I hope his bad luck turns around," or "my feet stink, the cooler's empty, and the Cubs suck."

So let's see, what are they talking about today...

Rather than link an individual article, I'll just send you right over to the Tribune Cubs section, where every new article is about the team chemistry problems from last year. Only Rick Morrissey seems interested on calling the Cubs bluff: the sleight of hand manuever the Cubs have pulled where they found themselves in a corner surrounded by angry and embittered fans, and said, "you're mad that we haven't done anything? Well look over there! Sammy Sosa is a selfish asshole!" Unfortunately many fans have taken it hook, line, and bait.

Over at the Sun-Times, Mark Prior discusses some of the tougher concerns that fans have had.

Oh, and the Cub Reporter has information on [EDIT: I had the wrong name, thanks James] Jorge Julio, a young reliever for the Baltimore Orioles who might now be available for trade. Lugo probably isn't the answer as a closer. In fact, he's probably going to follow a career pattern very similar to the legendary Mel Rojas. But as pathetic as it is, I'm so desperate for a move - any move - I'd take even Lugo and consider it an improvement.

Now I'm going to get back to editing the book I've written about the Cubs. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some better (ie: real) news.

BACK FROM THE CONVENTION

It was a busy weekend at the Cubs Convention, but also a bit disappointing. I'm a bit bummed out because I was hoping to meet many of my fellow bloggers, including Al Yellon, Andy Dolan, and my fellow Goat Riders Rob and Byron. Unfortunately because of the snow, at least half of those didn't even make it in. Otherwise, a good time was had by all and I will try to recap it now, hopefully in an interesting manner.

First, I got to ask several players and personal questions during the Convention, and I will now provide the script:

During the Saturday morning radio broadcast on WGN featuring Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker

K: First of all, I'd like to thank you both for making the Cubs competitive. But it seems to me that historically, the Cubs have entered the season a couple of players away from a Pennant. This is another year that it seems like we're only a couple of steps away from winning it all...

Dusty: We're always a couple of players away?

K: It seems that way to me. And yet question marks remain regarding the leadoff hitter and the closer. In fact it seems like the team has taken two steps backward this off season. So I guess my question is, are you trying to kill us?

Dusty: First of all, this hasn't always been a very good organization. Just a few years ago when I came into the team, they finished with what, 67 wins? (yadda yadda, skirts the question, never really answers what I asked)

During the doctor and pitcher conference featuring Kerry Wood and Mark Prior

K: I was just wondering if during the course of a 162 game season, it goes without question that you have to pitch through pain? And if so, does good pitching mechanics counteract that at all?

Kerry Wood: There's no question that you pitch sore sometimes, but there's a difference between soreness and a sharp pain.

Mark Prior: Yeah, you're going to pitch sore, but it's really a matter about knowing yourself and knowing your body. Sometimes it comes down to knowing if you're going to have to miss the next game, or try to pitch through it and as a consequence miss the next two years.

Later on, while encountering Jim Hendry in the hall way.

K: Hi Jim.

Jim: We're not gonna kill you!

Also of note, I got to attend Ryne Sandberg's introspection on his career, I had a ball autographed by Kerry Wood, and I shook hands with Popeye himself, Don Zimmer. It was a fun weekend and we'll have pictures posted here later. And maybe some genuine Cubs news, too.

CALL ME NOSTRAKURTIS

In my last post, I commented about the likelihood of the Cubs making more than a few announcements this week because of the upcoming Cubs Convention. True enough, they made several announcements yesterday.

First, the Cubs have avoided arbitration with Corey Patterson, Kyle Farnsworth, and Michael Barrett, while still working on new deals with Nuclear Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez. In the meantime, the Cubs also signed former NL Rookie of the Year Scott Williamson to a one year deal plus a team option, similar to the contract the Cubs gave Ryan Dempster before last season. Williamson is great when healthy, but spends a tremendous amount of time on the DL. Chances are, he'll miss the majority of the '05 campaign, but it could pan out nicely for the Cubs.

Aramis is looking for $10.25 million in arbitration, while the Cubs have so far countered with 8 million. Ramirez has only one year left before he is eligible for free agency.

The Cubs also did one other thing this week - they've announced that they're removing the player names off the backs of the home jerseys. I'm pretty happy about that - I think the nameless jerseys are classier looking. Also, to convey to you just how lame I am, I have had no fewer than three arguments with my girlfriend on this very subject, dating back to the beginning of the 2004 season. Obviously, she prefers them with names on the back.

Anyway, I'm leaving for Chicago early on Friday morning to make a minimally 8-hour drive to the Convention, depending on the weather. I think the snow is supposed to calm own a bit, but it'd be annoying to miss the first day of the convention while in transit. I'm planning on bringing a tape recorder with me for interviewing purposes.

BACK IN THE SWING

It looks like my personal page here will eventually become linked to Goat Riders, so I'll be posting my thoughts here again on hopefully a regular basis. I'm actually disappointed in myself because I haven't been posting a lot, but I have been writing a book, which can lead to distraction. (The first draft is done, now I'm at the part where I sit down, read it, decide the whole thing sucks, and edit it until it's unrecognizable and hopefully better). It also doesn't help that the Cubs have pretty much done nothing.

With the Convention looming in less than a week, it's probably not unfair to expect a few announcements. Historically, the Cubs have announced big signings/transactions during the Convention, if only to prevent an unruly mob from storming the Cubs front office trying to re-enact the French Revolution. I guess we'll wait until after that before I start getting really pissed at the team.