Shortstop Finally Locked Down on the North Side

Starlin Castro appears to be the shortstop that the Cubs have been searching for. The 21-year old second year pro, in his first full season, is still going through some growing pains defensively but has stayed consistent at the plate. Shortstop is a very important position for a good club. They Cubs have had a revolving door there as of late. Let us take a look at the Cubs shortstops of recent years and see how they fared compared to Castro's stats.

• 2010-2011- Starlin Castro, .308 AVG


• 2009- Ryan Theriot, .284 AVG


• 2008- Theriot, .307 AVG


• 2007- Theriot, .266 AVG


• Backup/ sometimes starter '05-'08- Ronny Cedeno: .243 career hitter


• 2006- Cesar Izturis, .246 AVG


• 2005- Nomar Garciaparra, .283 AVG


• 2004- Alex S. Gonzalez- .217 AVG


• 2003- Alex S. Gonzalez- .228 AVG

The point being, Castro has a chance to be the best Cubs shortstop since Ernie Banks. The Cubs middle infield of Castro and Darwin Barney is something that you could build a team around. Potentially, here is what the Cubs lineup could look like in 2013.

• 1. Tony Campana, CF


• 2. Darwin Barney, 2B


• 3. Starlin Castro, SS


• 4. Brett Jackson, RF


• 5. Geovany Soto, C


• 6. Josh Vitters, 3B


• 7. Alfonso Soriano, LF


• 8. Free Agent Signing, 1B

The pitching staff-

1. Andrew Cashner

2. Chris Carpenter

3. Jay Jackson

4. Randy Wells

5. Matt Garza

Closer: Carlos Marmol

Can this team win? The Cubsh have shortstop and second base figured out long term, now they just need to develop pitching and more hitters!

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.

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.