Updated - 11:55am CST with Cubs 2007 Convention Schedule
As the 22nd annual Cubs Convention kicks off this weekend, the feeling is like none prior, and no, not Mark. Usually, this weekend is a feel-good story, one filled with players from yester-year and idols from days gone by, showing up to rehash the good times as well as the opportunities lost. Normally, this weekend is about fun, family and fame, but this year, the story changes. It has been 99 years and counting, and finally, that feeling is different, it is foreign, unparalleled and unseen. Finally, the Cubs Convention is not about Ernie Banks, its not about Billy Williams, its not about Ron Santo, finally, it is about winning. Sure, those three deities will be in attendance, but like them, all we care about now is winning. And so, as the saying goes, the Buck stops here....
Harry Caray referred to it as the "unofficial opening day", some refer to it as the "kick-off to spring training", call it what you want but the bottom line is baseball is just around the corner.
The excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season was evident from the day the passes to the Convention went on sale. Despite a horrible 2006 season the 3-day event sold out in just 20 minutes, the fastest in Cubs Convention History. This year should be extremely interesting with all of the change that has taken place on the North Side of Chicago....especially the Saturday morning question and answer session with Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella.
Not only will there be current and former Cubs in attendance, there will also be representatives from the Iowa Cubs, Tennessee Smokies and Peoria Chiefs (obviously their new manager will be in attendance). XM Radio will have live broadcasts, via Holden Kushner, throughout the weekend and WGN Radio will air shows from time to time on Friday and Saturday, including Sports Central Live with Dave Kaplan on Friday night.
2007 Cubs Convention Schedule
Friday, January 19th
- 5:00pm - 5:30pm - Opening Ceremonies
- 6:00pm - 6:45pm - Autograph Hunt Game
- 7:00pm - 9:00pm - Sports Central Live with Dave Kaplan and Tom Waddle, Broadcast Live on 720 WGN with the following guests and times:
- 7:00pm - 7:30pm - Ryan Dempster, Mark DeRosa and Scott Eyre
- 8:00pm - Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, Pat Hughes and Ron Santo
- 8:00pm - 8:30pm - Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Michael Barrett
- 8:30pm - 9:00pm - Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly
- 7:00pm - 8:30pm - Cubs Bingo
Saturday, January 20th
- 9:00am - 10:00am - Meet Cubs Management with Spike O'Dell and Dave Kaplan (Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella and Randy Bush)
- 9:30am - 10:30am - The Evolution of Sports Medicine
- 9:30am - 10:30am - Cubs Jeopardy
- 10:00am - 11:00am - Cubs Care Clinic
- 10:30am - 11:30am - Not for Women Only with Kathy O'Malley and Judy Markey (Mike Bielecki, Neal Cotts, Ryan Theriot, Scott Eyre and Sean Marshall)
- 11:00am - 12:00pm - Vine Line Live
- 11:30am - 12:30pm - Piniella 101
- 11:30am - 12:30pm - Hitting Clinic
- 12:00 - 1:00pm - So You Want to Be a Major Leaguer with John Williams (Michael Barrett, Billy Williams and Tim Stoddard)
- 12:30pm - 1:30pm - A New Beginning
- 1:30pm - 2:30pm - Tales from the Bullpen with Steve Cochran (Lee Smith, Rod Beck, Scott Eyre and Ryan Dempster)
- 1:30pm - 2:30pm - The Boys of Zimmer, the Summer of '89
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm - It's A No-Hitter! 35th Anniversary Celebration
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm - For Kids Only
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm - Stump the Hughes
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm - Wheelchair Cubs
- 3:30pm - 4:30pm - WGN-TV: Producing Cubs Baseball
- 4:30pm - 5:30pm - New Guys in Pinstripes
- 4:30pm - 5:30pm - The Art of Pitching Clinic
- 8:00pm - 12:00am - Rock 'n Roll Revue
Sunday, January 21st
- 9:00am - 10:00am - Meet Cubs Business Management
- 10:30am - 11:30am - Down on the Farm
- 11:30am - 12:45pm - "Hello Again Everybody" - The Harry Caray Story
Scheduled to attend this years Convention, list compiled from Cubs.com, the Chicago Tribune and the VineLine:
- Ernie Banks
- Michael Barrett
- Rob Beck
- Glenn Beckert
- Mike Bielecki
- Larry Biitner
- Bob Brenly
- Jose Cardenal
- Neal Cotts
- Ron Coomer
- Doug Dascenzo
- Jody Davis
- Ivan DeJesus
- Ryan Dempster
- Bob Dernier
- Mark DeRosa
- Scott Eyre
- Carmen Fanzone
- Oneri Fleita
- Doug Glanville
- Mark Grace
- Richie Hebner
- Jim Hendry
- Glenallen Hill
- Rich Hill
- Burt Hooton
- Bobby Howry
- Pat Hughes
- Randy Hundley
- Ferguson Jenkins
- Len Kasper
- Les Lancaster
- Derrek Lee
- Ted Lilly
- Bill Madlock
- Sean Marshall
- John McDonough
- Mickey Morandini
- Keith Moreland
- Matt Murton
- Rich Nye
- Will Ohman
- Gene Oliver
- Dave Otto
- Andy Pafko
- Milt Pappas
- Eric Patterson
- Gerald Perry
- Lou Piniella
- Mark Prior
- Mike Quade
- Paul Reuschel
- Larry Rothschild
- Ryne Sandberg
- Scott Sanderson
- Ron Santo
- Matt Sinatro
- Dwight Smith
- Lee Smith
- Alfonso Soriano
- Tim Stoddard
- Lester Strode
- Rick Sutcliffe
- Ryan Theriot
- Alan Trammell
- Steve Trout
- Donald Veal
- Jerome Walton
- Billy Williams
- Kerry Wood
- Michael Wuertz
- Carlos Zambrano
The CCO will have daily recaps from all 3 days of the Convention and a big wrap up of the weekend on Monday morning. Pitchers and catchers report to Mesa in 26 days, the first game of Spring Training is 40 days away but the Convention....well it starts in just a few short hours....
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