CCO Interviews

Special Assignment - Peoria Chiefs v. Kane County Cougars

Recently, I had the pleasure of being able to cover the series between the Chiefs and Kane County. It was a pleasant addition to be able to meet some of the executives from the Cubs organization. I'd like to thank Shawn Touney, Director of Public Relations for the Kane County Cougars, as well as Broadcast and Media Manager Nate Baliva of the Peoria Chiefs for their hospitality.

I'd also like to mention reporters Chris Emma of Northsiders Report.com and Mike Knapp of the Beacon News, who were my companions during the series; as well as reporter Larry Peterson of the Fox Valley Labor News, and Woodrow Carroll as they all made me feel welcome in the press box.

As the television voice of the Cubs since 2005, Len Kasper has endeared himself to many Cubs fans. His professional approach, accurate descriptions and disciplined preparation allow Len to execute his job in an efficient and successful manner.

When you invite the Cubs into your living room every day, you are inviting Len Kasper in as well. He is a major part of the Chicago Cubs organization and he took time to answer a few questions for the CCO ...

Holden Kushner has been with XM Radio, Channel 175 since 2005 first hosting MLB Live Weekend. Since, Holden has hosted such shows as Baseball This Morning, The Show and of late, Inside Pitch.

Holden recently took time from his shows on XM Radio to answer a few questions about the Cubs off-season for the CCO....

Over the years, for many, Pat Hughes as become as synonymous with the Chicago Cubs as Harry Caray and his partner Ron Santo. Hughes' love for the game of baseball is heard on a daily basis as he describes the actions on the field in his unique way. We welcome Pat into our lives and his voice has become the soundtrack of many our summers.

The Voice of the Chicago Cubs recently took time out from preparing for the upcoming season and discussed a variety of topics with the CCO....

Yesterday the CCO ran part one of our Q&A with Dayn Perry. If you didn't get the chance to see it, go read yesterday's article for Dayn's thoughts on Lou Piniella, Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis....just to name a few.

Now, it's time for part two....

If you're a baseball fan, you have certainly read something written by Dayn Perry. Dayn is a regular writer for FoxSports.com and Chicago Sports Review. He has also written for Baseball Prospectus and is currently working on a biography of Reggie Jackson. In his book Winners, Dayn offers a detailed and entertaining view of analyzing the game of baseball. Dayn illustrates how to look past traditional stats and examine how a baseball team actually wins games. And as the title reads, It's Not the Way You Think.

The CCO is thrilled that Dayn recently took some time to answer a few questions regarding the Cubs. Here is what he had to say....

AC036198 and EAMUS CATULI.... What does that mean? Are they Greek or something? Well, they are actually Latin and they are signs on the rooftop of the Lakeview Baseball Club just beyond the right field wall of Wrigley Field on Sheffield Avenue.

The Chicago Cubs announced a change to their Minor League system on September 21st. The Tennessee Smokies are now the Double-A affiliate of the Cubs replacing the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. The Diamond Jaxx had been an affiliate of the Cubs organization since 1998. The Cubs and Smokies agreed to a 2-year player development contract....the Smokies were a part of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for the past two seasons.

The Tennessee Smokies organization has a long history that dates back to 1896. They were most recently apart of the Blue Jays organization for 22 years before the St. Louis Cardinals made them their affiliate in 2003 and the Diamondbacks took over in 2005....and now they are a part of one of the most storied franchises in the history of the game.

I was on a flight recently with a member of the Smokies staff, Dan Blue. He was kind enough to take some time to answer a few questions for the CCO....

Too many times this year I have heard those words come out of Ira Levin's mouth You see, Ira is a Budweiser vendor in the left field upper deck, which also happens to be the approximate location of my season tickets. Every now and again I enjoy a frothy beverage at the game, but many times, I enjoy Ira's banter more than the beer and unfortunately much more than the product on the field.

The History of the Cubs Convention from the Creator of the Cubs Convention, John McDonough and the Manager of Special Events Joe Rios

The Cubs Convention....why? I know every year the Cubs hold their annual convention to kick off the upcoming baseball season. The Cubs invite current and former players, people pile into the Hilton and it becomes 'Cubs Heaven', but how did it get started? There is little information on the Internet concerning the History of the Cubs Convention. The one name that kept surfacing was John McDonough.

John McDonough is the Vice President of Marketing and Broadcasting for the Chicago Cubs. He created the Cubs Convention, and became the architect of the Celebrity Guest Conductor of the 7th Inning Stretch after Harry Caray passed away in 1998. Mr. McDonough came up with the idea of the 'Believe' bracelets. He started with the Cubs as the Director of Sales and Promotions in 1983 and took his current position in 1991.

I was thrilled at the opportunity to do an interview with Mr. McDonough and Joe Rios, Manager of Special Events, Player Relations and Entertainment....and these are my notes from what they had to say....