The Northside Media Guide

The last day of the baseball season is always filled with mixed emotions. If the team you follow has had a good year then you do not want it to end but if it's been a bad season then chances are you are ready for it to be over. Maybe it is the kid in me but I am never ready for the baseball season to be over. Yes, there are the playoffs and the World Series but when the last out is made in the Cubs final game that is when my baseball season comes to an end.

After following a team day in and day out for seven-plus months, the final out is made then nothing. No more lineups, no more pre-game shows, no more Pat Hughes ... just thoughts on what could have been.

It has been a long season and it is time for the CCO to take a break but not without a few thoughts and tips of the cap ...

To say the Cubs season has not gone the way the Ricketts family and Jim Hendry thought it would is an understatement, but there are two players that keep people tuning into the games ... Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney.

Castro and Barney have provided many of the Cubs highlights over the first 54 games. The 21-year old shortstop continues to prove that he has the tools to play at the highest level while being one of the youngest in the game ... and his double play partner, the rookie from Oregon State, has shown where a high baseball IQ and hard work can get you.

Here are several videos, courtesy of MLB.com, of 'Double Trouble' over the first two months of the season. Enjoy the off day ...

Opening Day is like no other on the calendar and the feeling felt on the first day of a baseball season is hard to explain to those that do not follow the game with the same passion as we have for our entire lives. Baseball begins as winter is coming to an end. There is a feeling of optimism and hope and for one day being able to dream that maybe this season is the season we've been waiting for.

Greg Maddux will host Uncork for a Cause on March 24 at J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, a fundraiser to benefit the Maddux Foundation.

The event will include an all-star laden silent auction and wine tasting, along with hors d'oeuvres from J&G Steakhouse. Tickets are available at www.uncorkforacause.com.

Happy New from everyone at the CCO!

Another year over and a new one just begun ... it is hard to believe it is 2011. With the calendar turning over once again, it means a new baseball season is just around the corner. Here are a few numbers to put into perspective on just how close it is to the 2011 season ... 13, 44, 57 and 90.

As in 13 days until the 26th Cubs Convention, 44 days until pitchers and catchers report to Fitch Park, 57 days until the Cubs' Cactus League opener against the Oakland A's at HoHoKam Park and 90 days before the first pitch of the 2011 season at Wrigley Field.

No matter if you are nine or thirty-nine, the final day of the baseball season is always a sad one. After following a team day in and day out for seven months, the final out is made and then nothing. No lineups, no Pat Hughes, no first pitches, no ball fours, no home runs, no errors ... just thoughts of what could have been.

It has been a long year and it is time for the CCO to take a little break but not without a few thoughts and tips of the cap ...

The first pitch, the crack of the bat and the optimism felt by millions upon millions from city to city from coast to coast ... it must be Opening Day.

Opening Day is very special. Every team, every player and every fan receives a fresh start, a clean slate. Last season is a distant memory and it has been replaced by a new hope for the season that lies ahead ...

The first pitch of the Cubs' 2010 exhibition season is less than 24 hours away. While most of the roster spots may be filled, Lou Piniella has stated in recent days his team has six open spots on the active roster ... that will be decided during Spring Training.

Beyond the Opening Day roster (that many focus on this time of year) is the Cubs' Major League roster ... or 40-man roster. It is important for young players, as well as non-roster invitees, to have good springs and make positive impressions on the big league coaching staff.

Here is a look at a few storylines of the spring, a couple of names to keep an eye on and a complete Spring Training roster, with each player's number. If you listen close enough you can hear Pat Hughes practicing his lead-in ...

Pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday ... and if you listen close enough you can almost hear Pat Hughes and those seven wonderful words. With that said, is the Cubs Opening Day roster almost set?

Many players have already reported to Fitch Park, in some cases 10 days before their reporting date (Thursday, February 18 is first on field workout for pitchers. Position players report on February 22 with the first full squad workout on Tuesday, February 23). Reportedly many of the players are excited to compete for jobs this spring.

With health concerns aside, do the Cubs have any spots available on their Opening Day roster?

The 2010 baseball annuals for The Sporting News and Athlon Sports made their way to the newsstands this week.

While Baseball Prospectus projected the Cubs to have a losing season (79-83), the Sporting News predicts the Cubs will reach the post-season ... as the NL Wild Card.

Athlon Sports is not as optimistic as the Sporting News about the Cubs for the 2010 season but still predicted a winning campaign.

With pitchers and catchers reporting in six days, two respected publications have slightly different views of the same team.