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.

Everything Cubs Site Notes

I want to once again wish everyone a happy New Year and thank you for reading the over 800 posts on Everything Cubs blog over the last two years. I will continue to provide you with the latest on everything Cubs! Today, let's reset to remind you about some of the features on the site and provide you with links to articles over the holiday break in case you are just retuning to the office and starting to check in on the site again.

Comments and Emails
We love when you contact us here on Everything Cubs Blog! Remember that it is easy to comment on any posts. No log-in is required and the option to comment anonymously is available. Click on where it says comments at the bottom of each post or click on the post heading and then scroll down to comment. Also, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the site or the Cubs, pop me an email at cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.

Polls
Thanks to everyone that voted on our last poll. Here are the results:
Question: Who should join Pat Hughes in the WGN Radio Booth in 2011?
Answers:
1. Dave Otto- 26 votes
2. Rick Suttcliffe- 9 votes
3. Mark Grace- 3 votes
4. Dan Plesac- 2 votes
5. Other, Todd Hollandsworth, Keith Moreland- 1 vote each.

A new poll has been posted for a few days on the right sidebar. It askes what you are most looking forward to about the 2011 season. Please vote if you have not already!

RIP Ron Santo
Some of you have probably noticed the picture and writing to honor Ron Santo on the right sidebar. That will remain there for as long as I write on this site. Ronnie should not be forgotten and will not be forgotten by true fans.

2011 Schedule Previews
I recently wrapped up a six part series previewing the Cubs 2011 schedule. Links to the start of the month-by-month breakdown can be accessed by clicking here. I wrapped it up this past weekend with August and September.

Other Recent Posts
The Cubs Convention is just over a week away! Click here for an early preview. Today the Hall of Fame voting results were posted, and my final post of 2010 reviewed the top ten Cubs news stories of the year.

Upcoming Posts
Next week we will countdown to the Cubs Convention and then provide full coverage all weekend long. We will finish out this week with coverage of all the latest rumors and news, including the Cubs pursuit of Matt Garza. Also, a Down on the Farm Report should be in the works this weekend or sometime next week.

Thank you once again for reading!

HOF Voting Results Preview

Update 1/5: Robert Alomar and Bert Blyleven will make up the 2011 Hall of Fame Class. Lee Smith got just 45.3%, a decline from last year.

Tomorrow at noon CT, the 2011 Hall of Fame Class will be announced during a live special on the MLB Network. The most notable ex-Cubs who's up for election is closer Lee Smith. He received nearly half of the votes last year but was still a ways away from the 75% needed for induction into the Hall. This will be Smith's ninth time on the ballot.

Let's take a look at how he fared the first eight times:

• 2003: 42.3%
• 2004: 36.6%
• 2005: 38.8%
• 2006: 45%
• 2007: 39.8%
• 2008: 43.3%
• 2009: 44.5%
• 2010: 47.3%

Other former Cubs on the ballot include Fred McGriff, first timer Rafael Palmeiro and Benito Santiago. Another guy with a Cubs connection who has a shot at being elected is ex-coach Alan Trammell.

All of the Chicago Tribune writers votes were released in the paper. Some other guys have posted their ballots on blogs or sites. Here is a list of who each writer voted for.

• Dave van Dyck: Roberto Alomar, Jack Morris, Lee Smith
• Mark Gonzales: Alomar, Burt Blyleven, Barry Larkin
• Teddy Greenstein: Alomar, Blyleven, Don Mattingly, Tim Raines, Smith
• Philip Hersh: Alomar, Blyleven, Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dave Parker, Raines, Alan Trammell, Larry Walker
• Fred Mitchell: Alomar, Blyleven, Larkin, Morris, Raines, Smith
• Paul Sullivan: Alomar, Harold Baines, Lee Smith, Raines
• Bruce Miles: Alomar, Jeff Bagwell, Blyleven, Larkin, Martinez, Morris, Raines, Smith, Trammell
• ESPN team: Alomar (94.4%) and Blyleven (77.8%)

Smith got the vote of just 9 of the 18 ESPN writers that were polled.

I will update this post tomorrow afternoon with the results of the BBWAA 2011 Hall of Fame voting!

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!

Schedule Breakdown: September

September 2-4 VS Pittsburgh Pirates
With expanded rosters after September call-ups, the Cubs and Pirates will start the final month with a three game series. In 2010, the Cubs dropped 10 of the 15 meetings against the Bucs to lose the season series for the first time since 2006. The Cubs will look to secure a season series win by taking the final three meetings of the year between the two '10 bottom dwellers..

September 5-7 VS Cincinnati Reds
This series could be a huge September matchup between two clubs battling for the division. Or it could be a meaningless battle between two teams out of the hunt. Time will tell.

September 9-11 @New York Mets
The Cubs will visit Ron Santo's least favorite city for a three game weekend matchup at Citi Field. There will be a 9/11 game in New York on the 10th anniversary of the horrific bombings in 2001. Expect a special ceremony on the field before the game to remember those that we lost.

September 12-15 @Cincinnati Reds
Seven games in the final month against the defending division champs always has potential for some excitement. Even if the Cubbies find themselves out of the race, they could be playing the role of spoilers during this four game series. The Cubs will seek a season series win after dropping 12 of the 16 meetings in 2010.

September 16-18 VS Houston Astros
The final homestand of the season kicks off as the 'Stros come to town. Fans will soak up the final weekend games of the year at Wrigley in the sun as the series features three straight day games. The Cubs will hope they can improve on their 313-362 all time head-to-head record against Houston in 2011.

September 19-21 VS Milwaukee Brewers
The final games at Wrigley this season take place with a Monday though Wednesday series against the 'Crew. Perhaps the Cubs will have punched their ticket into the postseason, but otherwise fans will get a final look at their favorite Cubs players before another long winter. Wednesday's Wrigley finale will take place at 1:20 after 7:05 starts on Monday and Tuesday.

September 23-25 @St. Louis Cardinals
The Cubs and Cards have one more big series for the 2011 season. Maybe the division title will be on the line for one or both of these clubs. Friday will feature a night game before two day games round out the weekend and the season set.

September 26-28 @San Diego Padres
The Cubs went to San Diego to start the final road trip in 2010 and this time around the journey ends out on the West Coast. The start times for all three games are still TBD. For the first time in a long time, the final game of the season will be in the middle of the week instead of on a Sunday. With the new schedule structure, the season starts on a Friday and ends on a Wednesday.

Schedule Breakdown: August

August 1-4 @Pittsburgh Pirates
The Cubs will start the final two months at PNC Park to play the Pirates. The two teams will play four straight night games, all of which start at 6:05. The Cubbies must get this month start with a series win against the lowly Bucs.

August 5-7 VS Cincinnati Reds
A stretch of six straight home games starts with a weekend set with the defending NL Central champions. All three games against the Reds are afternoon games, with 1:20 starts on Friday and Sunday and a TBD start on Saturday.

August 8-10 VS Washington Nationals
The Nationals, who continue to try to build a solid franchise, will come to Wrigley for three straight night games. All of the games start at 7:05. The Nats are expected to make improvement again this season with the addition of Jayson Werth this winter.

August 12-14 @Atlanta Braves
This could be a big series with teams that are looking to improve on their 2010 marks. Both clubs will be under new managers after their legendary skippers retired last season. The last time the Cubs and Braves met Piniella announced that it would be the last game of his career. The Cubbies struggled against the Braves a year ago including blowout losses on Opening Day and in Lou's last game.

August 15-17 @Houston Astros
The Cubs will go back to Houston for a mid-August set agains the 'Stos. The first two games of the series will be under the lights with a 1:05 start on Wednesday. This set concludes a six game trip.

August 19-21 VS St. Louis Cardinals
The Cubs and Cardinals start a three game series at Wrigley Field Friday through Saturday. Quade's squad has an off day on Thursday to rest up for the series. Friday's game starts at 1:20, Saturday is a 3:10 FOX contest and Sunday's game could end up on ESPN Sunday night game.

August 22-25 VS Atlanta Braves
The Braves and Cubs play all seven games against one another during the month of August. Atlanta will visit Chicago for the first time during Mike Quade's tenure with the team. Thursday's series finale will start at 1:20 after three night games start the set.

August 26-28 @Milwaukee Brewers
The Cubs and Crew meet once again in a battle of two teams under new management. The Brewers hired former Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke as their manager this winter. There is potential for a division contending team this season.

August 29-31 @San Francisco Giants
The Cubs go to the Bay Area for a three game date with the Giants to conclude the month. The first two games start at 9:15 locally, and then Wednesday's game starts at 2:45. The Boys in Blue will look to come out 2-1 during this brief West Coast visit.

Happy New Year!

May the new year bring health, happiness and many Cubs victories! Happy 2011 Cubs fans!

Hopefully this is the start of a magical year for the Chicago Cubs. Will this be the year we go all the way??

Click for the schedule breakdowns from: April, May, June and July. The final two previews are still to come.

Click here to view my breakdown of the top ten Cubs news stories of 2010, which was posted Friday.

Go Cubs Go and once again have a safe and happy New Year's!