Early Cubs Convention Preview

Don't look now... we're less than two weeks away from the 27th annual Cubs Convention! As longtime readers, Everything Cubs Blog brings you full coverage leading up to, during and after the Convention.

The 2012 Convention runs from Jan. 13-15. None of the lists of attendees or schedules of events for the weekend have yet been released, but we should be able to put together at least a partial list and schedule by the end of this week, so check back for that.

Each year there are several story lines to keep on eye on during Convention weekend. Here are some of the highlights of Conventions in recent years, followed by a list of things to look out for at this year's event.

2011: Honoring Ronnie
By far the biggest story of the 2011 Cubs Convention was honoring Cubs Legend Ron Santo, who passed away the month before the event. A video featuring #10 was displayed at the Opening Ceremonies. During one of the Saturday morning sessions, Tom Ricketts announced that the Cubs would wear #10 patches in 2011 and that Ron Santo would be honored with a statue, to be unveiled on August 10. Later Saturday, two different sessions were held for fans to hear stories about Santo, one with his former booth-mates Pat Hughes, Cory Provus, Andy Masur and Judd Sirott. The other featured Santo's teammates- Randy Hundley, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Milt Pappas, Jose Cardenal and Glen Beckert. Another big story of the weekend was the return of fan-favorite Kerry Wood to Chicago.
Click here for last year's coverage: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

2010: Welcoming the Ricketts
The biggest story of the 2010 Convention was the welcoming of the new owners of the Chicago Cubs. Saturday morning there was a packed audience for the "Meet the Ricketts" session as Tom, Pete, Todd and Laura took questions from fans about their plans for the team. One unexpected bit of news was Geovany Soto showing up 40 pounds lighter than he was at the end of the '09 season.
Click here for 2010 coverage: Opening Night, Weekend Recap

2009: Remembering the Past
The 2009 Cubs Convention, the first one covered here on Everything Cubs Blog, was extremely interesting. The weekend was filled with Cubs history as the 25th anniversary of the 1984 team and the 40th anniversary of the 1969 team were celebrated. Carlos Zambrano also talking about making Cubs history tossing a no-hitter in September of 2008. The Convention was packed as the Cubs were coming off a division title.
Click here for 2009 coverage: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as we continue to countdown to the "Unofficial Opening Day!"

Cubs Convention Recap: Meet Cubs Baseball Management

David Kaplan was joined by Mike Quade, Jim Hendry and Randy Bush for the Meet Cubs Baseball Management session last Saturday at the Cubs Convention. It was an interesting one, so here's the recap:

• The Matt Garza trade actually started during the Winter Meetings in Orlando. The Cubs were hopeful at the time that they could come to a conclusion within a week.
• Fortunately, the Cubs were the lucky recipient of Garza. Hendry said that there was an A.L. team with a better offer, but the Rays didn't want Matt to stay in the American League.
• Randy Bush looks at stats and a lot of other factors when he goes scouting. Bush spends a lot of time reading reports from scouts and statistical analysts.
• Bush visits each minor league club in the system twice a year. He does most of his scouting within the organization.
• Who needs to be protected from the Rule V Draft is a big decision at the end of each season.
• Mike Quade gave credit to Zambrano for his job down the stretch. The entire group in the clubhouse was familiar with Quade, so it made it easier for him once he took over.
• He was fairly demanding once he took over. Q told the young guys that they "aren't young anymore."
• The veterans have to carry a team late in the season. The kids played better once Mike took over, and the veterans did their job.
• When Kap asked if this was Hendry's most challenging offseason, Jim said that you don't look at one being more challenging than another.
• Matt Garza was "kind of a dream" for the Cubs going into the winter.
• The situation with Kerry Wood is not only a great feel good story, but it helps the team.
• Hendry said that it makes it easier to make a deal with a team if he has a good relationship with that club's GM.
• The Cubs plan on mixing and matching at the top of the order since they don't have a prototypical lead-off man.
• Jeff Baker did a great job against left handed pitching, but he doesn't have great speed. If there is a lefty on the hill, there is a chance Baker will hit first.
• Bush said that Oneri Fleita stresses the importance of playing the game the right way at the minor league level.
• A lot of time when people don't think Soriano is giving a full effort, he is actually trying to play through injuries.
• Jim Hendry still thinks Sori is capable of hitting 30 home runs, plus he is a great guy in the clubhouse. Jim still sees him as a productive player.
• Quade and Larry Rothschild are very good friends. The Cubs will miss him and wish him well.
• Hendry also thinks the world of Larry. He was wanted by the Yankees and the move was the right move for him.
• He has stayed with the Cubs in the past when he could have made money elsewhere. Jim wanted Larry to be able to do what he wanted to do.
• It remains to be seen whether the Cubs will be able to fill the holes at first, second and third from within the system. Josh Vitters is a corner infielder very high on the radar who figured some things out offensively last season.
• Hendry was thrilled that Greg Maddux wanted to return to the Cubs. He doesn't want to be a full time guy yet. He enjoyed his first year and was involved in a few more things with Randy and Jim this winter.
• Garza throws seven days a week from January first on.
• Quade is concerned by high pitch counts, especially early in the season.
• Kap called the concern with pitch count "nonsense."
• Mike "has no idea" whether or not Garza will be his number one starter. As far as Q is concerned, whoever is pitching for him on a given day is the ace.
• He is not a fan of having his middle of the order guys lay down bunts.
• Quade is going to look at it as if Zambrano's problems never happened. That is his philosophy with everyone. The things that go south you deal with along the way.
• Jose Cera gets credit for signing Starlin Castro out of the Dominican Republic.
• Castro has done a great job handling all of the challenges along the way. He has a lot of work left to do and he has to improve defensively, but the Cubs are very proud of him.
• The fans are going to get a quality effort from the Cubs everyday and he is not going to be happy if there are players not hustling.
• The Cubs are going to find ways to score runs and win close games.
• There are discussions that the commissioners office is having about realignment. The Cubs have thought about the fact that there is one division in baseball with six teams and there is another division with only four teams.
• The mentality of football is a lot different from baseball. Each manager handles things in different ways, Quade is not interested in calling guys out publicly.
• There is a very good likelihood that Andrew Cashner will end up in the rotation.
• Mike also mentioned Randy Wells, Carlos Silva, Casey Coleman and the now traded Tom Gorzelanny as guys competing for spots in the rotation.
• The guys competing for the rotation could end up helping the bullpen depth.
• Hendry thinks that Koyie Hill is well worth $850,000. He does a great job with the pitching staff and defensively. Hill is very good with some of the younger pitchers.
• Especially in the National League, the bench is very important. Quade thinks that having an experienced guy like Hill coming off the bench will be very helpful over the 162 game season.
• Quade expects Carlos to handle himself well. If he explodes once in a while, that will be okay. The Cubs do not plan on having Greg Maddux be an emotional coach for Z.
• When asked how they deal with players not taking days off when they are injured, Jim said that the Cubs have a great trainer in Mark O'Neal who is on top of the medical situation.
• Hendry likes having guys on the team who wanted to play through little injuries, such and Derrek Lee.
• If there is a guy who goes into a tailspin, Quade will certainly try to get them out of the lineup.
• When asked about Pujols, Jim said that he cannot comment on other team's players. The Cubs are very happy to have Pena.
• Mike loves Theriot to death, but he takes what he says with a grain of salt. The Cubs do not need any extra motivation to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Quade might have some things that Ryan said in the back of his mind, and hopefully they can "make him pay."
• Jim is not bothered by the development of rumors through facebook, twitter, radio and blogs. He does not like the fact that his players names get tossed around for trade rumors that are untrue.
• He thinks that blogs hurt the quality of good journalists sometimes.
• The goal for the Chicago Cubs is to win the division and then go from there. That is what they expect to do. "It's that simple," Q said.
• The day games are part of what makes the organization special, the Cubs need to make sure that they use it as an advantage instead of a disadvantage.
• The Cubs won more home games in the three year period from 2007-2009 than any other team in the league. They played great at home all summer during 2008.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Cubs Convention Day 3

Throughout the weekend at the Hilton it was noticeably less packed. For the first time, the convention was not a sell out. However, it was still packed.

On Sunday there were just two sessions. Many people are always cleared out by the final day, and when you top that off with the lower attendance to begin with this year and the Bears game- the two sessions were not all that crowded.

The first session was called "The 25 Club". Wayne Messmer chatted three of the Cubs 25-year-olds about life in the bigs. Tyler Colvin, Scott Maine and Darwin Barney were on the panel. James Russell was also scheduled to attend, but he did not show up.

Colvin told a story about an elementary school teacher who gave him a low grade on an essay about his career goal. She told him that becoming a Major League Baseball player was not a realistic goal. He showed her. Tyler also said that he was never a standout player growing up.

Darwin Barney hit over .600 in high school but still did not get drafted until after he went to college. When asked about a avoiding the temptation to go out and party in the city of Chicago, Barney said that it is pretty easy since he has a wife and a two-year old to go home to. Colvin said the same, but instead of a child he has his beloved dog.

Scott Maine said that Greg Maddux gave his season a huge boost by the instruction he gave him this season. Colvin credited Billy Williams and Derrek Lee as guys who have given him hitting advice.

Next up was the annual Down on the Farm session hosted by Vineline editor Mike Huang. Before the session, a handout describing Cubs prospects that will appear in the February issue of Vineline was passed out. Albert Cabrera and Rob Whitenack are the two guys who Vineline editors think will make a big splash in 2011.

In the past, they have listed 50 names from the farm, but this year they cut it down to 20. Here is the list:

• Tony Campana, OF
• Brett Jackson, OF
• Chris Carpenter, RHP
• Jay Jackson, RHP
• Welington Castillo, C
• Aaron Kurcz, RHP
• Rafael Dolis, RHP
• Junior Lake, INF
• Ryan Flaherty, INF
• DJ LeMahieu, INF
• Micah Gibbs, C
• Marcos Mateo, RHP
• Reggie Golden, OF
• Trey McNutt, RHP
• Brooks Raley, LHP
• Chris Rusin, LHP
• Hayden Simpson, RHP
• Kyle Smit, RHP
• Josh Vitters, 3B
• Logan Watkins, UTL

DJ LeMahieu, Jay Jackson and Chris Carpenter were all at the minor league session. The guys enjoyed their first Cubs Convention experience and the thrill of getting their names announced at the Opening Ceremonies.

All three guys had different draft day stories to share. Carpenter followed the whole thing with his family. DJ watched from his room at LSU with some teammates since the Tigers were still in the College World Series at the time. Jackson did not even watch his draft. He was outside shooting baskets when he got the text that he was a Cub.

Oneri Fleita (farm director) and Tim Wilken (scouting director) were both at the session. Fleita talked about how much he hates making the phone call to tell someone that they are traded or released. Wilken mentioned that a player's "make up" on and off the field is taken into consideration.

Tim talked about the Matt Garza,mentioning the fact that the Cubs have a lot of depth in their organization at positions like shortstop and catcher. Jim Hendry worked on the deal for three to four months. Wilken actually spent time at the end of the 2010 season watching Carlos Pena and Fernando Perez play in person. Both were already on the Cubs' radar.

Even though the Cubs are coming off a down year, the Cubs Convention was just as much fun as it always is. There is a lot of hope for the future in this organization. Welcoming Kerry Wood back, honoring Ron Santo and introducing the two ex-Rays to Chicago were the highlights of the weekend.

Click if you missed my recaps of Day 1 or Day 2. I'll have some more Convention wrap-up thoughout the week.

Day 2 at the Hilton

Day two of the 26th annual Cubs Convention was a total blast. There are many tales to tell, but I will try to briefly hit on most of highlights from the day in this first hand account.

The day opened up with the Ricketts Family Forum in the grand ballroom. Tom Ricketts started things with his opening statement, which included an annoucement about the teams plans to honor Ron Santo. A #10 patch will be worn on the jerseys of all the Cubs players all season long, and a statue will be unvailed on August 10th before the game against the Nationals.

The other highlight of the Ricketts' session was when a vocal fan voiced his displeasure with the fact that the family allowed Ryne Sandberg to leave the organization. Tom said that Ryno was given a chance to return but he felt that he would have better shot at managing in the bigs by going elsewhere.

Todd Ricketts talked about his experience on Undercover Boss. He enjoyed his hour of fame on national TV.

When one fan asked how Jim Hendry has a job, the family handed the question well by citing some of the reasons they trust Hendry. However, it was host Len Kasper who actually came up with the best example of a plus of having Jim. Len mentioned the fact that Kerry Wood's relationship with the Cubs GM helped lure him to the team.

The next session in the Grand Ballroom was filled with Cubs pitchers. Wood, Wells, Cashner, Samardzija and Marshall were all there. They talked at length about the challenges of moving from the rotation to the bullpen and vice versa. Dave Otto gave Cash a hard time about his casiual shirt.

Next I went to the "On the Road with #10" session in the Contenintial Ballroom. Pat Hughes, Judd Sirott, Andy Masur and Cory Provus shared stories of working with the legendary third baseman in the radio booth.

Pat Hughes shared his favorite Santo story about the time Ronnie burned his hair piece on the heater in the booth at Shea Stadium during the National Anthem. He also told about the Yogart Machine in Arizona, the eggs spilled on the proclamation and more.

Cory Provus shared about the time that he "lost it" laughing when Santo told him that live on the air during the pregame show that you cannot eat too many bannanas or you will get "plugged up". Andy Masur remembered helping Ronnie search a hotel room for his lost hair piece and eventually finding it stuck to the bottom of a Fed Ex box. Sirott talked about the experience of trying to host the Cubs Central Pregame show with Ron on a daily basis.

All four guys are great story tellers (especially Pat). This session will be available on WGNRadio.com. If you were not there and have not heard it yet, this is a must listen.

I made it to "Meet Cubs Bussiness Management" just in time to hear Jim in Tinley Park, who frequently comments on Chicago Cubs Online (a site that I visit often and used to write for) get booed for suggesting that the Cubs should abandom tradition to try to increase their chance of winning.

After that it was Santo's teammates from the '60s on the Remembering Ronnie session. Randy Hundley, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Milt Pappas, Jose Cardenal and Glen Beckert shared their memories and stories. They had a lot of great things to say about the inperational legend and also had a lot of laughs.

Randy Hundley was simply hillarous. The Rebel told one story about how he always liked to "slap Ron's fanny". He also poked fun at Cardenal's accent. Every time Jose spoke, Hundley asked, "What did he just say?" The Rebel ended up making the best point of the night- Isn't it great that we can sit here and talk about a friend that is gone like this (with a smile on our faces)?

Go Cubs Go!!! I'll keep you posted from the Convention.

Cubs Convention Day 1

The 26th annual Cubs Convention is underway!

As always, the weekend opened with a bang during the ceremonies on Friday evening. Pat Hughes introduced all of the people from the organization attending the weekend, including new Cubs Carlos Pena, Fernando Perez and Matt Garza. The loudest ovation of the night was for the finally man introduced- Kerry Wood. In his welcome back to Chicago, Woody tossed out the first pitch.

Wayne Messmer performed another fine rendition of the National Anthem, Tom Ricketts spoke about the organization and the current and former Cubs tossed their hats into the audience.

Jim Hendry received mostly cheers but a few boos as well when he was introduced. Mike Quade got a positive reaction from the fan base. Besides Hendry, the only other guys to receive a mixed reaction were Crane Kenney and John Grabow.

After the boom ceremonies it was time for the autograph treasure hunt. Guys signing this year included Steve Trout, Dave Otto, Tim Stoddard, Mike Bielecki, Todd Walker, Bill Buckner, Glen Beckert, Lee Smith, Jose Cardenal and Milt Pappas. I got signatures from Becker and Cardenal and later I ran into Milt in the hall.

The first night concluded with WGN Sports Night Live, hosted by Brian Noonan and Judd Sirott. Quade, Hendry and Ricketts joined the guys first. All three are optimistic about the Cubs chances and Tom said that his family is doing everything they can to bring the fanbase a he World Series.

For the next third minutes Noonan and Judd chatted with Randy Wells, James Russell and Andrew Cashner. Russell and Cash are excited about competing for a spot in the rotation in Spring Training. Wells told a funny story about a seven year old girl asking him, "How come my brother says you suck?"

Pat Hughes, Len Kasper and Bob Brenly were up next. Len and Bob did not have their annual January bash, but they are planning on having it during the summer in 2011. Pat and Judd shared a few Ronnie memories.

The focus was then turned to the farm system. Jay Jackson and Chris Carpenter both like how the Cubs organization is starting to feel like a family. The young players are familiar with coaches on the big league staff like Mark Riggins who have worked with them at the minor league level. Oneri Fleita was also on the panel. He talked about the importance of a player's attitude and personality when he is working with Tim Wilken to decide who the Cubs should draft.

It's a full day of sessions tomorrow!

"The Unofficial Opening Day" is a Day Away!

For the third straight year, Everything Cubs blog will have the Cubs Convention covered with posts live from the event all weekend long. It's by far the best weekend of the winter! Get ready Cubs fans, Cubs Convention 2011 is on the way!

For those of you not going to the Convention, in addition to checking back for updates each day right here on this site, you can get your Cubs fix on WGN Radio. Sports Night with Judd Sirott and Brian Noonan will be broadcasting live on Friday night. Sports Central with David Kaplan and Jim Memelo starts at at 4:00.

Here are some notes from day two of the Cubs Caravan and more:

• Today tour 1 of the Cubs Caravan stopped at Lincoln Library in Springfield and O'Brien Field for the Peoria Chiefs fanfest.
• Tour 2 went to Augustus H. Burley High School, St. Luke Academy, Harriet Beecher Stowe School and USO of Illinois.
• Carrie Muskat wrote about the Cubs lead-off situation. She expexts to see Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker and Kosuke all get ABs there.
• Mike Quade said yesterday that he always views the previous year's division champs as the favorites going into the season. In this case, Mike thinks the Reds are the team to beat.
• Dave Otto, Gary Matthews, Keith Moreland and Doug Glanville are the four guys in the mix for the open spot in the Cubs' radio booth.
• Gordon Wittenmyer provided another update on the opening day starter's race. It is still between Garza, Zambrano and Dempster.
• Kerry Wood is still thinking about 2003. He also mentioned in his chat with Fred Mitchell that he is glad to be home.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted from the Convention all weekend long!

Midweek Quick Hits as the Cubs Caravan Gets Underway

There's a lot going on in the world of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs Convention is just two days away! Let's catchup on the latest notes:

• The Cubs Caravan started today. Tour one stopped at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse (Cubs Caravan Luncheon) and Cleveland Elementary School. Tour two also went to the luncheon as well as Lake View High School, Mt. Carmel Academy, Prospect High School and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford.
• Mike Quade made his return to his Prospect High School, where he attended.
• Bruce Miles reports that Andrew Cashner wants to start. Add another name to the rotation mix, as James Russell is expected to get a shot to stretch out in the spring.
• Quade said that Matt Garza is in the mix for the opening day assignment along with Dempster and Zambrano.
• Miles also reports that the Cubs are not counting on Angel Guzman at all. They will see how he progresses in Spring Training but will not rush it.
• If you missed it earlier, the Cubs have signed Reed Johnson to a minor league contract and avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill.
• Johnson is expected to compete with Fernando Perez for the fifth outfield spot.
• Paul Sullivan writes that Quade hasn't committed to a lead-off man, but he has said that Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker are in the mix.
• The report date for pitchers and catchers is set for February 13 with the first workout taking place the following day. The first full squad workout is set for February 19.
• There was a report from 670 the score today that Kerry Wood's contract has a clause to become the team's radio broadcaster after his retirement in it. The Cubs have denied the report and Wood told David Kaplan that he has no interest in broadcasting.
• According to multiple reports, the Cubs new radio broadcaster will not be named this weekend. The station and the team will wait to make the announcement until close to the first broadcast of the spring.
• The full schedule for the Cubs Convention has been released.
• Be sure to vote on our new poll up on the right sidebar!

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted.

Cubs Convention: Full Schedule & List of Attending Players Released

Only three more days until the greatest weekend of the winter! It is the unofficial opening day... and the 2011 Cubs Convention is loaded with great sessions and attending players. Five diffent current Cubs make their first trip to the mid-winter gathering, while one more returns to the Windy City after a few years away.


List of Attending Current Players (First timers in italics):

• Jeff Baker
• Darwin Barney
• Justin Berg
• Marlon Byrd
• Andrew Cashner
• Starlin Castro
• Casey Coleman
• Tyler Colvin
• Blake DeWitt
• Matt Garza
• Tom Gorzelanny
• John Grabow
• Koyie Hill
• Scott Maine
• Carlos Marmol
• Sean Marshall
• Carlos Pena
• Fernando Perez
• Aramis Ramirez
• James Russell
• Jeff Samardzija
• Carlos Silva
• Geovany Soto
• Randy Wells
• Kerry Wood
• Carlos Zambrano

Former Players

• Ernie Bankes
• Glenn Beckert
• Mike Bielecki
• Bill Buckner
• Jose Cardenal
• Doug Glanville
• Randy Hundley
• Fergie Jenkins
• Greg Maddux
• Gary Matthrews
• Keith Moreland
• Dave Otto
• Milt Pappas
• Lee Smith
• Tim Stoddard
• Steve Trout
• Todd Walker
• Billy Williams

Minor League Players:

• Chris Carpenter
• Jay Jackson
• DJ LeMahieu

Baseball Staff/Broadcasters:

• Jim Hendry
• Randy Bush
• Oneri Fleita
• Tim Wilken
• Pat Hughes
• Len Kasper
• Bob Brenly

Team Executives:

• Tom Ricketts
• Pete Ricketts
• Laura Ricketts
• Todd Ricketts
• Crane Kenney

Coaching Staff:

• Mike Quade
• Mark Riggins
• Rudy Jaramillo
• Lester Strode
• Bob Dernier
• Ivan DeJesus
• Dave Keller

Now for the full Cubs Convention schedule of events!

Friday:

• 5:00-5:30 Opening Ceremonies
• 6:00-6:45 Autograph Treasure Hunt
• 7:00-8:30 Cubs Bingo
• 7:00-9:00 WGN Sports Night Live with Judd and Noonan

Saturday:

• 9:00-10:00 The Ricketts' Family Forum (hosted by Len Kasper)
• 10:00-11:00 Meet Cubs Baseball Management (hosted by David Kaplan)
• 10:30-11:30 The Pitching Evolution (hosted by Dave Otto)
• 11:00-Noon The Future of the Cubs' Facilities (hosted by Crane Kenney)
• 11:30-12:30 For Kids Only Press Conference (hosted by Peter Chase)
• Noon-1:00 The Q Factor (hosted by Bob Brenly)
• 12:30-1:30 Battery Talk (hosted by Dave Otto)
• 1:00-2:00 On the Road with #10 (hosted by Pat Hughes)
• 1:30-2:30 Meet Cubs Business Management (hosted by David Kaplan)
• 2:00-3:00 TV Baseball 101 (hosted by Bob Vorwald)
• 2:20-3:30 Off the Field and Off the Cuff (hosted by John Williams & Nick Digilio)
• 3:00-4:00 Remembering Ronnie (hosted by Wayne Messmer)
• 3:30-4:30 The Dominican Way of Life (hosted by Oneri Fleita)
• 4:00-6:00 Sports Central Live with Kap & Memolo

Sunday

• 9:15-10:15 The 25 Club (hosted by Wayne Messmer)
• 10:45-11:45 Down on the Farm (hosted by Mike Huang)

Our Convention coverage continues as the Cubs Caravan kicks off tomorrow!

Updated Cubs Convention Information

Well, we'll have to hold off our quick hits covering the rumors and news for this week until tomorrow. Lots of Cubs Convention news from today to pass along. The full schedule of sessions has not yet been released, but here is what we can gather so far thanks to Cubs.com and WGNRadio.com. The schedule of sessions looks great this year!

Friday
5:00-5:30 Opening Ceremonies: All of the former and current Cubs will be introduced by Pat Hughes. This is my favorite part of the convention each year.
6:00-6:45 Autograph Treasure Hunt: You will be handed a map and search the hotel for locations where you will find current or former Cubs signing. Always a good time.
7:00-9:30 WGN Sports Night Live: Join Brian Noonan and Judd Sirott as they host the annual live remote from the convention. If cannot make it to the Hilton, tune in live on 720-AM.
Guest Schedule for Sports Night:
7:00-7:30 Tom Ricketts, Jim Hendry and Mike Quade
7:30-8:00 James Russell, Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells
8:00-8:30 Len Kasper, Bob Brenly and Pat Hughes
8:30-9:00 Chris Archer, Chris Carpenter, Jay Jackson and DJ LeMahieu
7:00-8:30 Cubs Bingo: If you're not interested in attending radio shows all night, join Wayne Messmer for some bingo, which has great baseball related prizes.

Saturday
9:00-10:00 Ricketts Family Forum: A Q&A with all the members of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs. This one won't be excited as the Meet the Ricketts session for last year, but it will still be fun as fans have a chance to hammer the owners with questions.
10:00-11:00 Meet Cubs Baseball Management: Guests include Mike Quade, Randy Bush, and Jim Hendry plus a surprise appearance from from office member Greg Maddux. David Kaplan will host this session.
10:30-11:30 Pitching Evolution: A full hour all about the hurlers! Kerry Wood will be welcomed back with a panel that also includes Andrew Cashner, Randy Wells, Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall and new pitching coach Mark Riggins.
Noon-1:00 The Q Factor: Talk to Mike Quade for the first time he's taken over as the skipper! Lester Strode, Mark Riggins, Bobby Dernier, Ivan DeJesus and Dave Keller will also be on this session.
1:00-2:00 On the Road with #10: Expect this one to be a popular session. Ron Santo's partner Pat Hughes will share memories of his 15-year co-worker as will Judd Sirott, Andy Masur and Cory Provus.
1:30-2:30 Meet Cubs Business Management
2:30-3:30 Off the Field and Off the Cuff: Join WGN Radio's John Williams and Nick Digillio as they find out what things are like from a player's perspective off the field. Sean Marshall, John Grabow, Mike Bielecki and Todd Walker will all be on the panel.
3:00-4:00 Remembering Ronnie: Seven of the Cubs' legends former teammates will share their memeries of their time with the Ron Santo. The group is made up of three Hall of Famers- Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams plus Randy Hundley, Ron's roommate Glen Beckert, Jose Cardinal and Milt Pappas.
3:30-4:30 The Dominican Way of Life: Some of the Cubs biggest stars, including Aramis Ramirez, Starlin Castro and Carlos Pena, talk about what life is like in the Dominican Republic and what it is like to come play baseball in the states. Oneri Fleita also joines the panel to talk about the Cubs develop international talent.
4:00-6:50 Sports Central Live: David Kaplan and Jim Memolo broadcast live from the Convention. For the first time ever, the show will air on Friday and Saturday nights from the Hilton. Several other sessions will be posted on WGNRadio.com, but only Sports Central and Sports Night air live on the station. Here is the list of guests that will join Kap & Memolo:
4:00-4:30: Keith Moreland, Lee Smith and Tim Stoddard
4:30-5:00: Koyie Hill and Sean Marshall
5:00-5:30: Oneri Fleita and Tim Wilken
5:30-6:00: Chris Archer and Chris Carpenter
8:00-Midnight Rock'n Roll Revue

Sunday
9:15-10:15 Transition to the Big Leagues: Several of the Cubs youngest stars will chat about what it is like to get the call to the show for the first time. Tyler Colvin, James Russell, Darwin Barney and Scott Maine will all be featured.
10:45-11:45 Down on the Farm: The Vineline team will do their annual minor league showcase as they host a Q&A with Oneri Fleita and Tim Wilken on the system. Prospects expected to attend the session this year include Chris Archer, Jay Jackson and D.J. LeMahieu.

Look like a great schedule of events... it is only a week away! More sessions should be added on Saturday, I will update you when they come out.

An Early Look at the Cubs Convention

The 26th annual Cubs Convention is only ten days away! A full list of attendees will probably be announced next weekend with a schedule for sessions released next week. Plans include honoring Ron Santo and welcoming back Kerry Wood. For now, here is the partial list of attendees from Cubs.com and Vineline!

• Kerry Wood
• Carlos Pena
• Greg Maddux
• Carlos Zambrano
• Aramis Ramirez
• Carlos Marmol
• Marlon Byrd
• Mike Quade
• Starlin Castro
• Tyler Colvin
• Chris Archer
• Jay Jackson
• DJ LeMahieu
• Chris Carpenter

As always, the annual Cubs Caravan will tour the Chicagoland area the week leading up to the Convention. Members of the Cubs organization will tour schools, hospitals and make other stops January 12 and 13. Here is the full list of attendees for the Caravan. Usually most of these guys are also at the Convention.

• Justin Berg
• Bob Brenly
• Randy Bush
• Andrew Cashner
• Ivan DeJesus
• Bob Dernier
• Blake DeWitt
• Pat Hughes
• Len Kasper
• Dave Keller
• Sean Marshall
• Dave Otto
• Mike Quade
• Mark Riggins
• James Russell
• Lester Strode
• Randy Wells
• Carlos Zambrano

The annual Cubs Caravan Luncheon will take place at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse next Wednesday and will feature Mike Quade among other players and coaches.

More on the Convention and the Caravan next week!

Post Holiday Quick Hits

• Brandon Webb, who was being targeted by the Cubs, signed a one-year contract with the Rangers.
• Click to enjoy a great article on Ron Santo by Barry Rozner.
• Carrie Muskat has an update on former Cubs pitcher Mark Prior.
• Bruce Miles broke down his Hall of Fame ballot, which includes Lee Smith and eight others.
• Bruce Levine says that the Cubs are still in the mix for Matt Garza.
• Rick Sutcliffe is very interested in joining Pat Hughes in the WGN Radio booth. Mark Grace is not expected to leave Arizona, but Keith Moreland, Dave Otto and Randy Hundley are also in the mix.
• Andrew Cashner will have a shot at the Cubs rotation next season.
• Last week I broke down the Cubs schedule for April and May.
• According the Vineline, a special Ron Santo tribute will take place at the Cubs Convention.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted.

Quick Hits Before the Holidays: Searching for Pat's Partner, Kap's New Show, The Cubs Convention & More

Here's the latest Cubs news and notes:

• Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says that the field for the Cubs radio analyst is wide open. Former Cubs are preferred but others will be considered.
• The search for Pat's new partner will be a joint effort between the radio station and the Cubs.
• Lou Piniella has no plans of going back into broadcasting. Another guy unlikely to take over for Santo is ex-Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone, who is now with the White Sox.
• Click here for a breakdown of candidates and be sure to vote on our new poll on the right sidebar.
• Pat Hughes' input will be considered but he will not have the final say. The station is hoping to have a decision by the Cubs Convention next month.
• Speaking of the Cubs Convention, a partial list of attendees has already been released. Kerry Wood will make his return while Carlos Pena is welcomed to the Cubs.
• Mike Quade will be there for his first Convention as the skipper and Aramis Ramirez is scheduled to make his first visit to the midwinter gathering.
• Other guys expected to return include Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Marmol, Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd.
• Chris Archer, Jay Jackson, DJ LeMahieu and Chris Carpenter will all attend and take part in the minor league session on Sunday.
• The 2011 Cubs Caravan luncheon is set for Jan. 12. Mike Quade, Andrew Cashner, Koyie Hill, Sean Marshall, Randy Wells and James Russell will all be at the luncheon, which is emceed by Len Kasper.
• WGN Radio's weeknight sports show will return to the airwaves tonight. Sports Central received the boot last April, but now David Kaplan returns with "Sports Night" when the Hawks and Cubs don't play. The show will be three full hours (7:00-10:00 CT).
• Len Kasper will be one of the rotating cast of co-hosts, a group which also includes Glen Kozlowski, David Haugh, Brian Noonan, Dave Eanet and Phil Rogers. The show will focus on the Hawks, Cubs and Northwestern since they all play their games on WGN-720. Jim Hendry and Mike Quade will be frequent guests on the program.
• The Cubs signed former Astros farmhand Polin Trinidad, a left handed pitcher.
• The team is still looking for pitching. They are still in the mix for Brandon Webb and Matt Garza.
• Pat Hughes was given a five year contract extension by WGN Radio through 2015.
• David Kaplan recently inked a new contract with Comcast Sports Net that includes hosting duties on the Cubs pre- and postgame shows.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

What are Cubs Fans Thankful For?

It was a tough year, but there are still some things for Cubs fans to be thankful for!

• We can get our baseball fix this holiday weekend as a Cubs Classic airs on Comcast Sports Net at 11am today.
• The minor league system is full of bright young stars.
• Only two months until the Cubs Convention.
• Only three months until Spring Training.
• The MLB Network has great baseball coverage all year around.
• Site like Bleed Cubbie Blue, Chicago Cubs Online, and The Cub Reporter where Cubs fans can come together to discus their favorite team.
• Larry Rothschild is gone!
• The Cubs play the Pirates on Opening Day at Wrigley... sounds like a W!
• The Cubs get to play the Red Sox and Yankees next season, which will make for some fun series.
• Our roster includes talented players like Marlon Byrd, Carlos Marmol, Tyler Colvin, and Starlin Castro.
• We have the greatest fan base in all of professional sports. Someday we're going to go all the way.

Go Cubs Go!!! Have a happy Thanksgiving!