Former Cubs Talk About Staying

So everything went down pretty much like most of us thought it would and the Cubs have agreed to exclusive negotiating rights with Mesa under a nonbinding agreement to build a new state of the art spring training complex. This is only the first step or as the East Valley Tribune equates Mesa has "merely gotten to first base". I'm confident that all the hurdles will be cleared and look forward to a sunny future in Mesa at the Cubs new Wrigleyville West complex.

So what do some former Cubs think about staying in Mesa, this article gives insight from Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Lee Smith, Big Daddy, and more. Without talking to Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams, I would guess they echo the positive sentiments on staying in Arizona as both have homes here.

Pitchers and Catchers...won't be long!

T

Not Official Until Cubs Say So, but...

The Cubs have yet to give "official" word but the battle for the Cubs spring training future appears to be over as the team is poised to sign an agreement with the City of Mesa. As you've probably heard Mesa has provided the Cubs with a 14 page Memorandum of Understanding on a new training complex to be ready for spring of 2013. The Mesa city council plans to approve the proposal on Monday night with the Cubs expected to sign shortly thereafter. The project still needs to jump a few funding hurdles, none of which appear insurmountable.

The Chicago Tribunes Dave van Dyck said in an article yesterday, "the Cubs will retain their spring home in Arizona, under a tentative agreement reached for a state-of-the-art $84-million facility in East Mesa"...However, van Dyck doesn't tell how he knows of this "tentative agreement" or that he has an inside source for this knowledge.

Lending more credence to the "tentative agreement"; Dave Moulton columnist/sports radio host and one of those who helped promote the potential move to Naples posted this at 9:55 last night about not getting the Cubs: "it feels like we dated a married woman who had officially separated from her husband. We began to fall for each other and then suddenly when it came time to file the divorce papers, she went running back to her husband for the sake of the kids".

Even after the Cubs sign the agreement as expected with Mesa next week, much work will still need to be done to make this new spring training complex a reality. However the people of Mesa and Arizona have experience in these areas and a great relationship with the Cubs that goes back to 1952. Sure the Cubs new owners are interested in making money but if all goes as planned by 2013 the Ricketts and Mesa will be giving the organization and Cubs fans the best spring training experience in all of baseball. This can only help in the Cubs quest for a World Series Championship.

Sources Say, Cubs Stay

Jude LaCava a local sports anchor at KSAZ FOX 10 (local FOX TV affiliate) here in Phoenix had this report last night about the Cubs keeping spring training in Arizona. Jude says sources close to the Ricketts say it's 99 percent the Cubs are staying.

I worked on Jude's show at FOX 10 about a dozen years ago, he is a good guy and knows his sports. However, Jude also said at one point before the NFL season that Michael Vick signing with the Minnesota Vikings was a "done deal" according to "sources", so take this for what it's worth.

Just Think Spring

A belated Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoyed, or at least survived, the holiday season.

Here at Boys of Spring we are gearing up for our big season. Yep, hard to believe that less than a month from now pitchers and catchers will report for Cubs spring training. A lot has happened since I last blogged -- bye bye Bradley -- Hawk to the Hall -- Byrd in Center -- McGwire on roids -- Mad Dog back -- Cubs Convention -- and, of course, the always fun "It's Mesa...no it's Naples...no it's Mesa...no it's Naples" debate on the future home of Cubs spring training. I'll touch on some of those topics in this blog, but be forewarned, 30 days from now, for better or worse, I will be back blogging daily (or close to daily) on all things Cubs. It's Spring time -- my time of year!

Someone asked me recently what makes Boys of Spring different from other Cubs websites? I said part of it is that I'm a huge Cubs fan who has been lucky enough to be the Cubs spring training Public Address Announcer for soon to be 27 spring seasons. (I started this gig when I was 7 years old) So, I'm a fan, but I also sit and work in the press box so I can give a bit of an inside view during the season before the season.

The content you see here (my photos, video, and blogs) are exclusive to BOS. We take pride in the design of our website and DO NOT have any pop ups or cluttered advertising to bother you. When the Cubs arrive on February 18, you can expect my daily multi-media reports taking you right up through opening day. At BOS we focus on Cubs spring training -- that is what we do.

So, Milton Bradley has taken his game to Seattle and the spring schedule doesn't have the Mariners coming to Hohokam this season. To bad as I'm sure Cubs fans would have showed him some real love for his dedication and amazing effort as a Cub last season. The Cubs get Carlos Silva in return; I don't know what to say about him that his 5-18 record over the past two years doesn't say.

The Cubs signed free agent Marlon Byrd to play center field allowing Kosuke to move back to his best defensive position in right. Byrd never batted lower than .283 for the Rangers under Cubs new batting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Byrd had career highs last season in at bats, hits, doubles, HR's, RBI's, and SLG, but his OBP dropped to .329 from the previous years .380. Byrd gives all he's got on the field and his temperament should be better suited for the Cubs than Bradley.

Some great news this off season has been The Hawk getting elected to the Hall of Fame. Andre Dawson was the epitome of a hard working ball player. I remember the spring of 1987 when Cubs GM Dallas Green wasn't too keen on Dawson and his agent being in Mesa trying to leverage a deal to put The Hawk in the Cubs outfield. The blank check contract worked for Dawson, even though Green tried to get him on the cheap but Andre earned all the incentives for his amazing year. I've got some old photos I took of Dawson at spring training back then...I'll try to dig them up.

With Mark McGwire's recent, less than contrite steroid confession, it makes us Cubs fans wonder when the Sultan of Sammy will open up about himself and those crazy days of seemingly never ending home runs. I think Sosa's well-documented ego will eventually leave him wanting to reconcile with the team and city where he reached astronomical adoration and cult status before the melt down ending the 2004 season. It's been 5 years since Sosa left Chicago in January 2005; with passing time and new team ownership Sosa's exit wounds are less apparent. I think the Cubs would be inclined to ease the slugger back into some aspects of the organization if...Sosa comes clean about his knowledge and participation involving performance enhancing drugs. It would also help if he does it in a more genuine manner than McGwire. I believe Cubs fans will also be forgiving and eventually, (I said eventually) take him back as one of there own.

In the first round of the 1984 draft, the Oakland A's selected a tall and slim former pitcher turned first baseman from USC -- Mark McGwire. In the second round of that 84 draft the Cubs selected a skinny 6 foot, 150 pound high school pitcher out of Las Vegas. This kid sure didn't look like a future Hall of Famer, but it was Greg Maddux. Coincidently, 1984 was my first spring helping to do the PA announcing at Cubs spring training.

While Maddux played in the same era as McGwire and Sosa, he was one guy who steered clear of all the PED crap and had the body to prove it. The Cubs could not have brought back a better person to help assist GM Jim Hendry than the Mad Dog. Maddux will help in developing minor league players and lend his skills in talent evaluation as well as work with the spring training staff. This should pay big dividends down the road for the Cubs whole minor league system. Check out the mustache on young Greg...chicks dig the stache.

The future of Cubs spring training hangs in the balance as the Ricketts family weigh the options of staying in Arizona or moving to Naples, Florida. I've written a blog about this, you can scroll down and read it. The Cubs are going to make a decision any day now on giving one of the groups (Mesa or Naples) an exclusive bargaining window (probably a minimum of 90 days). This will allow the chosen group time to put a funding strategy in place and have a concrete plan to show the Cubs they can deliver a new Cubs spring training complex by the spring of 2012 or 2013. Mesa appears to have more hurdles to clear in order to fund such a project. I won't go into any more on this subject until the Ricketts make this first decision. Suffice it to say that if the first group selected can't come through, they will keep the second available as a fall back option.

The Third Annual Fergie and Friends Game will be held this March 17 at Hohokam Stadium. The charity baseball game pits Cubs Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins and a team of former MLB stars against a local All-Star team. Last season a who's who of Hall of Famers attended or played including Billy Williams, Rollie Fingers, Juan Marichal, Bob Feller, Harmon Killebrew, and other sports Hall of Famers, including the NFL's Bobby Bell, the NBA's Hal Greer, and the great Meadowlark Lemon. Former Cubs stars that attended or played in last years game include Ron Santo, Keith Moreland, Randy Hundley, Jody Davis, Steve Trout, Lee Smith, Dave Kingman, Bob Dernier, Bill Buckner, Jay Johnstone and Willie Wilson. Other MLB greats who played included Bert Campaneris, Tommy John, Dave Stewart, Amos Otis, George Foster, John Mayberry, and Bernie Carbo. This game is a lot of fun and raises money for many great causes.

29 days till pitchers and catchers!

T

Spring Training Schedule 2010

The Cubs have released the Spring Training schedule, which includes a total of 35 games, 15 at HoHoKam Park, 18 road games in Arizona and 2 against the White Sox in Las Vegas.

Games of note - The Cubs will play the White Sox five times but only once in Mesa on March 6, twice in Glendale on March 7 and 19, as well as the two games in Las Vegas on March 12-13.

The Cubs open the spring season at home in Mesa against the Oakland Athletics, and close the spring with a pair of exhibition games against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 2-3. The Cubs last home game will be at HoHoKam on April 1 vs the Colorado Rockies.

The Cubs are off on St. Patricks day March 17.

Individual game tickets for the 2010 Cubs home Spring Training games will go on sale Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. CT on cubs.com or by calling 1-800-905-3315.

The ticket box office at HoHoKam Park will open for individual game tickets beginning on January 12, 2010 at 9 a.m. MST.

Season tickets for 2010 at HoHoKam Park go on sale Monday, January 4 at 9 a.m. MST at the HoHoKam box office or by calling 480-964-4467.

Group tickets for catered events on the Patio, Tent and Suite areas are also available by calling (480) 664-2171.

Fans can direct ticket and additional spring training questions to info2010@mesahohokams.com.

The Cubs' 35-game Spring Training schedule for 2010 is below. All games begin at 1:05 p.m. Arizona time unless otherwise noted. Split-squad games are denoted with an (ss).

2010 Cubs Spring Training Schedule

March 4 vs. Oakland Athletics
March 5 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
March 6 vs. Chicago White Sox
March 7 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (ss) and at Chicago White Sox, Glendale, Ariz.
March 8 at Oakland Athletics, Phoenix
March 9 vs. Milwaukee Brewers
March 10 vs. San Francisco Giants
March 11 at San Diego Padres, Peoria
March 12 at Milwaukee Brewers (ss), Maryvale; vs. Chicago White Sox, Las Vegas
March 13 vs. Cincinnati Reds (ss); vs. Chicago White Sox, Las Vegas
March 14 at Los Angeles Angels, Tempe
March 15 at Colorado Rockies, Tucson
March 16 vs. Texas Rangers
March 18 at Los Angeles Dodgers, Glendale
March 19 at Chicago White Sox, Glendale
March 20 vs. Kansas City Royals (ss); at Oakland Athletics, Phoenix
March 21 at Cincinnati Reds, Goodyear
March 22 vs. Cleveland Indians
March 23 at Kansas City Royals, Surprise
March 24 at Texas Rangers, Surprise
March 25 at Arizona Diamondbacks, Tucson
March 26 vs. Oakland Athletics
March 27 vs. San Diego Padres
March 28 at Seattle Mariners, Peoria
March 29 vs. Cincinnati Reds
March 30 at San Francisco Giants, Scottsdale
March 31 vs. Los Angeles Angels (ss); at Milwaukee Brewers (ss), Maryvale
April 1 vs. Colorado Rockies
April 2 at Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field
April 3 at Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field

It's Up to the Ricketts but Mesa Sells Tickets

First off, I would like to congratulate the Ricketts family who have recently taken controlling interest of the Cubs and wish them the best of luck and a long, prosperous ownership of our favorite team. Actual Cub fans own the team! Wow. What a concept!

With the conclusion of last night's Yankees-Phillies game, we come to the end of another baseball season. The evil empire got what they paid for and will put their 27th title trophy in the case. So, now the Cubs need to win only 25 World Series titles to catch the Yankees. Hey, I did wish the Ricketts "luck," didn't I?

You may have had a glimmer of enjoyment, or perhaps even more disappointment, depending on how you viewed the Yankees title knowing a kid from Peoria, Illinois, who broke into the majors as a Cub led the Bronx bankroll to the title. I'm not trying to take anything away from Joe Girardi, but I think most of us would like our chances as Manager with that lineup. So, anywho-hizzle, enough of that! The season is done, let's talk spring training.

The Ricketts family is in AZ this week, and on their to-do list is looking at potential new spring training sites here in Mesa. As you probably know already, an interested and organized group from Naples Florida is making overtures to lure Cubs spring training to the Grapefruit league. The Cubs have an escape clause in their current spring training contract so that they could pay the City of Mesa $4.2 million and leave in 2012. All the sweet new digs around the Cactus League have made the Cubs a bit jealous, especially the upscale and architecturally appealing Camelback Ranch complex shared by the White Sox and Dodgers in Glendale.

Now this may only be a blip of Cubs related news up in Chicago, but here in AZ it's a very big deal. So much so that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and a bevy of political who's who of AZ hosted a meet and greet at the Red Mountain Ranch Country Club for the Ricketts on Tuesday evening. Even John McCain got into the act with videotaped comments for the Cubs first family. The message to the Ricketts was simple, if not a bit wanton - PLEASE, STAY IN ARIZONA, WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!

The Cubs want to consolidate their spring training into one campus like complex and, currently have Hohokam Stadium for the spring games and Fitch Park for training. The two baseball parks are a half mile apart. The team is looking for a minimum of 120 contiguous acres for the new site. The vision is of a 15,000 seat Stadium, another half dozen training fields, a large weight room, clubhouse and offices for an 11 month a year minor league and spring baseball operations headquarters. The term "Wrigleyville West" keeps coming up in the discussion and for Mesa this would include room to develop hotels, shopping, restaurants, and even a possible Cactus League museum around the Cubs complex.

How it all would be paid for is a whole nuther discussion and we're not at that point. Right now, it's locations, land and concepts. Several land owners and developers here in AZ gave brief pitches to the Ricketts family yesterday. A yet-to-be-determined private/public mix of funding is going to be looked at with any of these deals.

What I haven't talked about is the Naples offer, which right now is under wraps and a bit vague. There would also be financing issues as both FLA and AZ don't want to put more burdens on the taxpayer. So, if all things are relatively equal as to the type of "Wrigleyville" spring complex both AZ and Florida are willing to build, why would the Cubs move across the country?

We know Arizona and the Cubs have a lot of spring training history -- nearly 60 years worth -- but history doesn't mean much in today's financially driven society. Witness the Dodgers exit from Vero Beach and 61 years at Dodgertown. So let's put it on Florida to tell us why the Cubs should move there? Below are some of the main reasons expressed in articles and interviews about what Florida has to offer, and my responses.

1) The only marquee franchise the Cactus League has besides the Cubs is the Dodgers, while the Grapefruit League has the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Phillies.

Besides the fact that this is "East Coast" bias at its best, with the Giants, Angels, and White Sox not considered "marquee", why would the Cubs want to dilute their brand and compete with the Yankees and Red Sox in the spring when the Cubs are king of the Cactus League? The Cubs own the top two ALL-TIME home spring training season attendance marks in all of MLB baseball, beating the Yankees. That's money in the Ricketts' pockets. With the Cubs top draw and number one here in the Cactus League, that's proven. In Florida we just don't know, no guarantees they have the same drawing power.

2) Including this year, teams who trained in the Grapefruit League have won 16 of the last 19 World Series. So, the Cubs should move because that's where winning teams train.

This argument sounds like one of the best reasons for the Cubs to think about moving but under closer scrutiny it's mushier than a Florida swamp. Consider that until 1998 only 8 teams held spring training in Arizona. That meant 20 teams in Florida, and until 2003, only 10 teams trained in Arizona. As you can see, the odds were huge in favor of the league with 20 teams as opposed to 8 or 10 teams.

Good teams win the World Series not spring training states. Despite being one of only 6 teams in the Cactus League, the Oakland As won three straight WS Titles in 1972, 73, and 74 playing spring ball right here in Mesa, AZ. Or how about the great Yankees teams from 1948 to 1953 who won 5 straight World Series? They trained in Florida from 1948 to 50, but in 1951 at the request of Giants owner Horace Stoneham, the Yankees switched training sites to Arizona for the 1951 season. Yes, the Yankees still won the series that year after training in AZ, then went back to Florida and won in 1952 and 53.

In recent years the Diamondbacks, Angels, and White Sox have all won the World Series. In the last seven years, 5 teams have moved from Florida to Arizona, and with the arrival this coming spring of the Reds to AZ, the Cactus League will finally be on even terms with the Grapefruit League with 15 teams each.

3) The Cubs would be closer to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico for scouting purposes by being in Florida.

While that would be true, the team has scouts who cover this territory anyhow. With the islands being only so big, it's not like the Cubs' scouts can't see all the talent available. Being in Florida would mean the Cubs are a lot further from the Arizona Rookie League and the Arizona Fall League in which the Cubs have teams and major interests, especially the fall league with the top minor league talent from all MLB teams.

4) The beaches.

AZ doesn't have the ocean right at our door, this is true, but Florida folks tell me if you can go snowboarding or skiing on a mountain slope during the day, then drive a couple hours and watch a spring training game in short sleeves that evening, as I did this past spring, that's not too bad. Arizona has a great central location in the Southwest so that just about the time it takes for you to drive a long stretch in the Grapefruit League from one team to another, you can be at the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, or the Mexican white sand beaches of Rocky Point.

The bottom line on all this is that the Cubs are king of the Cactus League and Arizona knows it. The Cubs help generate a huge amount of money into the states economy -- $52 million a year according to a recent study.

Rancher and businessman Dwight (Pat) Patterson, known as the "Father of the Cactus League," was a pivotal figure in bringing the Cubs here to spring train in 1952. He loved the Cubs and was also instrumental in getting previous Cubs spring stadiums built, including the current one that honors his name - Hohokam Stadium, (Dwight W. Patterson Field).

It will take the same type of perseverance and drive from Arizona leaders that Patterson exhibited to get a deal done and build "Wrigleyville West". Mesa and the Cubs have been a great match for a long time. I'm confident the Ricketts family will decide to stay west, as have Cubs greats Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Ryne Sandberg, who all own homes in Arizona.

In spring of 2011, all 15 of the Cactus League teams will be playing in the greater Phoenix area. What a fantastic set-up for fans--one central location where you can see half the MLB teams with minimal driving and maximum sunshine. After you're burned out from another Chicago winter, head south to the Cactus League and the Valley of the Sun to watch the Cubs at Wrigleyville West. Yeah, that just sounds right.

Photos
Top - Tom Ricketts, left, talks with Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne
Sandberg, his wife, Margaret, and Mesa officials.
Photo by Ralph Freso, East ValleyTribune

Second down - Camelback Ranch, White Sox and Dodgers
new spring complex

Third down - The planned Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies
future spring complex on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community land

Fourth down - The Cubs current ballpark, Hohokam Stadium
in the PA booth, who is that dude?

"The Game" is Over

One more year added to the books without a World Series for the Cubs...I know they're not "officially" eliminated yet but we have known the outcome for some time now. The year ending suspension of Milton "The Game" Bradley only puts a bold exclamation point on a disappointing season.

I will admit that while being skeptical of the Bradley signing, as a fan I was hopeful that he would provide a spark or attitude that seemed to be missing in the past two season's playoffs. Milton has attitude alright but not the type I had hoped to see, and unfortunately it wasn't much of a surprise. Last spring training had given hope that this leopard had changed it's spots or at least the spots had faded a bit.



Showing some attitude during Spring Training

Bradley came in early to Fitch Park this past February before position players needed to report. I took that as a good sign that he was dedicated and motivated to begin his Cubs experience and ready to show fans he deserved a $30 million dollar contract. He was focused and hard working and seemed to blend in well with his new teammates on the Cubs veteran ballclub. I already knew he wasn't a chatty type and during spring training his bat did the talking, finishing up the Cactus League with a .460 BA, .526 OBP, and .800 Slugging Average...Just more evidence not to give spring training stats to much importance.

So buoyed with past successful signings by GM Jim Hendry I became a Milton believer and by the time opening day rolled around I thought, maybe, just maybe this guy was the missing spark. In the end I was fooled, and even if Bradley had started the season hot instead of the Arctic coolness of his sub .200 batting average, I think it would have been inevitable that we ended up at this point...perhaps just a different route. The question is where do we go from here? What could the Cubs get for "The Game" if anything? We fans can speculate but it'll be Hendry and the Ricketts who must make the decisions on Bradley, the easy one, showing him the door, the hard one, does he walk with Ricketts $20 million?

The current upside of the Bradley suspension is that we will get a chance to see the Cubs Number 1 pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Tyler Colvin who has been called up to fill the outfield vacancy. Colvin played this season at Double-A Tennessee batted .300 with 14 homers, 12 doubles, seven triples and 50 RBIs in 84 games. Photo of Colvin below at Fitch Park spring 2008.