2004 - NSBB at the Convention

[Jon]

New format for the sale of Cubs Convention passes? I don't like the sound of that.

 

Forgive me if this was already posted (I looked and didn't see it), but I just listened to the Meet Cubs Management session and thought it was worth noting that Dusty said that the reason he didn't go out to Prior after the Barman incident was not only that he didn't want to break up any rythm but that nobody in the dugout could see what happened and they didn't know about it until someone went into the clubhouse to check the replay on TV. Assuming that it's correct, I'd say that it's a pretty understandable reason.

[mlpeel]

Asked where he would play on the team, Michael Barrett said he very much hoped it wouldn't be any position other than catcher; evidently he didn't like shuffling to the infield periodically. The two Todds (Hollandsworth and Walker) said they'd be happy to line up wherever Bakers asked them to go on a given day.

 

Barrett also said that he would like to stay away from the infield not only for his sake, but for the fans' sake.

 

Thanks for the clarification, Jon.

 

BTW, I kept an eye out for you; I think I spotted you once, but there were just too many people in between to catch up to you. Sorry we missed connections -- but that was pretty much the story of the Convention for me: I missed quite a few folks, I was kinda lucky to hook up with the folks I did. Man, that was a busy place...

[mlpeel]

New format for the sale of Cubs Convention passes? I don't like the sound of that.

 

I'd have been happier if they'd gone into more specifics myself...

[Jon]

Thanks for the clarification, Jon.

 

BTW, I kept an eye out for you; I think I spotted you once, but there were just too many people in between to catch up to you. Sorry we missed connections -- but that was pretty much the story of the Convention for me: I missed quite a few folks, I was kinda lucky to hook up with the folks I did. Man, that was a busy place...

He definitely stressed that he'd like to start as many games behind the plate as humanly possible and really has no interest in playing elsewhere, although it sounded like he'd certainly be willing to in an emergency backup-type situation.

 

I was looking for you, as well, but no luck. My schedule was nowhere close to what I had planned out. Guess I should have known better after last year. Now if I could only find a way to make my way down to Mesa...

 

As for the passes, I wonder if they'll try to find a way to prevent resale on the secondary market (such as only being able to pick up the passes at the hotel by providing the actual credit card used), but that would probably be pretty complicated and incredibly time consuming. I'm not sure if that would make a big impact, as well.

[mlpeel]

As for the passes, I wonder if they'll try to find a way to prevent resale on the secondary market (such as only being able to pick up the passes at the hotel by providing the actual credit card used), but that would probably be pretty complicated and incredibly time consuming. I'm not sure if that would make a big impact, as well.

 

Yeah, while McDonough was talking about availability and trying to keep the crowd from overfilling the hotel, it was clear he was thinking of those bids on eBay too. Somebody at the meeting joked about buying Convention passes through Wrigley Premium Ticket Service next year.

 

Maybe I shouldn't root for a changed system. I gave away 2 tickets this year: I could have gotten 1 more, auctioned it off, and financed pretty much my whole weekend with the proceeds...

[shnsajax]

Just for you, Tim:

 

Oneri Fleita said he believes Brendan Harris can play shortstop.

 

Jose Martinez had elbow surgery, but should be ready on about the same schedule as Guzman (i.e., 5/1).

 

Jonathan Ramos had shoulder surgery; the Cubs gave him extra time just to make certain he'd recover fully. He's throwing off a mound, pretty much good to go.

Thanks, Mark. You know I've been puzzling over those for ages!

 

hmm...so maybe in 2005 the Cubs could feature Jose Vidro at 2nd with Harris at SS? Any chance they will have him work out at SS in Iowa this season, or do they simply want him to focus on the bat and play 2nd?

[Mushimus]

Just for you, Tim:

 

Oneri Fleita said he believes Brendan Harris can play shortstop.

 

Jose Martinez had elbow surgery, but should be ready on about the same schedule as Guzman (i.e., 5/1).

 

Jonathan Ramos had shoulder surgery; the Cubs gave him extra time just to make certain he'd recover fully. He's throwing off a mound, pretty much good to go.

Thanks, Mark. You know I've been puzzling over those for ages!

 

hmm...so maybe in 2005 the Cubs could feature Jose Vidro at 2nd with Harris at SS? Any chance they will have him work out at SS in Iowa this season, or do they simply want him to focus on the bat and play 2nd?

 

How about an infield of Chavez, harris, vidro, and lee :shock: Well we all can dream.

[shnsajax]

Can they afford both Chavez and Beltran? :lol:

 

If not I'll settle for Aramis at 3rd.

[abuck1220]

Just for you, Tim:

 

Oneri Fleita said he believes Brendan Harris can play shortstop.

 

Jose Martinez had elbow surgery, but should be ready on about the same schedule as Guzman (i.e., 5/1).

 

Jonathan Ramos had shoulder surgery; the Cubs gave him extra time just to make certain he'd recover fully. He's throwing off a mound, pretty much good to go.

Thanks, Mark. You know I've been puzzling over those for ages!

 

hmm...so maybe in 2005 the Cubs could feature Jose Vidro at 2nd with Harris at SS? Any chance they will have him work out at SS in Iowa this season, or do they simply want him to focus on the bat and play 2nd?

 

i know this wasn't directed to me, but...it was thrown in at the end of the answer to an audience member's question. the question was about what they planned on doing w/ harris since ramirez had 3b covered for the near future. they said something along the lines of "that's what so great about harris. he can play 2b too. i think he could even play ss." something like that. no mention of any specific plans for him to play ss at iowa.

[mlpeel]

hmm...so maybe in 2005 the Cubs could feature Jose Vidro at 2nd with Harris at SS? Any chance they will have him work out at SS in Iowa this season, or do they simply want him to focus on the bat and play 2nd?

 

Harris won't play shortstop at Iowa this year, except perhaps in emergencies: the emphasis will be on getting him ready for the majors, with the idea that he'll get a shot at either second or third next spring. But if Ronnie Cedeno doesn't bounce back and Ryan Theriot doesn't develop at the plate and Buck Coats washes out against a higher level of competition, they might revisit the notion of Harris at short -- depending on what other options they have at the other positions. It's only a possibility, not a priority right now. But it beats heck out of the farm director saying, "He's not a shortstop."

[mlpeel]

i know this wasn't directed to me, but...it was thrown in at the end of the answer to an audience member's question.

 

I spoke to Mr. Fleita after the meeting about it also; I made sure it wasn't simply an off-the-cuff remark before repeating it here. As it happens, Harris himself feels he can handle the position, which he played in college, at the major league level.

 

But that doesn't make your conclusion wrong: Nate Frese will play the bulk of the innings at short for Iowa.

[JC]

I talked to Wellemeyer (and Bobby Hill) a bit after a game last year on the Red Line. Welly did seem really shy and in awe that I actually knew who he was. I didn't talk to him all that much, because I didn't know what to say after he had given up 2 HRs in a 4-run 10th inning against Milwaukee just an hour or so before hand.

 

BTW, Raw, that was a great excerpt you provided. I can't remember whether it was here or on "the other site", but I knew at that point that Bobby Hill was gone. While you didn't say it, the information you conveyed was so descriptive that it was a fairly easy conclusion.

[HoopsCubs]

I quite forgot a Kerry Wood comment worth mentioning: he discounted the Cardinals in the division race, saying they haven't done much in the offseason and don't have anything in the minors. He said it was a Cubs-Astros race. Nothing like fanning the flames of that rivalry before spring training has even begun...

 

Rich Smiley passed along a few items from "New Cubs" and "The Skipper and His Crew":

 

Asked where he would play on the team, Michael Barrett said he very much hoped it wouldn't be any position other than catcher; evidently he didn't like shuffling to the infield periodically. The two Todds (Hollandsworth and Walker) said they'd be happy to line up wherever Bakers asked them to go on a given day.

 

Asked how he would adapt to the NL after pitching in the AL, LaTroy Hawkins described it as a new challenge; he quipped he'll be glad to face the White Sox, a lineup he already knows.

 

Derrek Lee said his father Leon regarded Hee Seop Choi (his first big sign in Korea) like a grandson -- so Leon felt he was watching his grandson get traded for his son.

 

The players assembled agreed that the most important thing a manager brings to a team is energy and the ability to get maximum performance from his players. Hmm, those happen to be Baker's strong points...

 

Baker remarked that keeping Rothschild rather than replacing him with his own guy (something the Cubs insisted on) was the best move he could have made: the pitchers trust Rothschild.

 

Wendell Kim (subjected to some boos at the opening ceremony but the recipient of more polite treatment here) was asked how tall he is. "Tall enough!" he quipped immediately. Kim prepares for a series by checking the scouting reports on the arms of the different members of the other team, and for a game by reviewing the health status of every Cubs player with the trainer. He said his goal is a 98% success rate -- an admirable goal, but it doesn't even sound possible, and I daresay he fell a bit shy of it last year...

 

The Sarge will work with Alex Gonzalez to cut strikeouts and bring his average up to a .265-.280 range. He stressed the need for Alex to get off to a good start -- though since Gonzo's a hot starter anyway, that shouldn't be too hard...

 

Dick Pole said the things he's learned from Baker are the importance of patience with your players, straightforwardness, and candor.

 

Although every major league clubhouse features an impressive spread of food, Baker periodically goes to the supermarket and buys food for the players and coaches. He tends to bring in foods that reflect the cultural diversity of his players: he'll bring in Southern food, Dominican food, etc., and have everyone eat. He believes it helps make his players a tighter group.

 

While I had an almost Ronnie Woo-Woo-free Convention (I passed him in the hall once, quickly hustling out of earshot when he started up), Smiley was not so lucky: Ronnie was present in force at "The Skipper and His Crew". Apparently his act got a little out of hand: per Rich, WGN Radio's Steve Cochrane, emceeing the session, eventually had to quiet Ronnie down to proceed with the session.

 

A few more observations about the "Meet the New Cubs" session, which I attended as well:

 

(1) I think we as fans (and writers) are really going to like the Todds, Walker and Hollandsworth. They will keep the clubhouse loose. One fan asked Walker, why he gave up guaranteed money and a starting position to come here, and his response was dead-pan, "to win man, what else is there?" Another asked Hollandsworth to predict the winners of the 6 divisions in 2004, and he said, "well, the Cubs are going to win the World Series, so who gives a damn about the other 5 divisions."

 

(2) Derrek Lee is just cool. No other adjective to describe him. I talked to him after the session as he was heading out, and you can just tell that his dad has planted Cubs seeds in him. He can't wait to put on the "blue uniform, run the bases with the ivy in the background, hit a building across the street, and make diving plays in the field with 40000 screaming fans." He sounds ready.

 

(3) Nothing else to to add on Barrett or Hawkins tangibly in terms of what Mark and his friend Smiley already told you, other than LaTroy got the largest ovation when Dave Otto introduced each of the 5 new players, a clear sign that most fans in the room recognized building the bullpen as a key thing this offseason. I was sitting reasonably close to the front, and got a good look at each players eyes, as they were introduced. They all seemed thrilled with the crowd response, but LaTroy seemed especially mesmerized. That surprised me a bit considering he was raised in Gary, and grew up as a Cubs fan, the response really overwhelmed him. Again, a couple of Hollandsworth-isms: I heard him say after the session that when more people show up in January for a Cubs convention than people show up in July at Pro-Player Stadium, it's no wondr that players want to come here; second, when a fan asked him if the Marlins had a convention, he said, "oh yeah, it would be you and me."

 

Later,

Hoops

[Jon]

Hoops, their excitement over the convention was one of the reasons I wanted to go to that session. I sat more towards the back, so I wasn't able to see their faces too well, but they all seem pumped about being with the Cubs and being in that hotel.

 

By the way, did anyone else see the Santo film?

[mlpeel]

A few more observations about the "Meet the New Cubs" session, which I attended as well:

 

(1) I think we as fans (and writers) are really going to like the Todds, Walker and Hollandsworth. They will keep the clubhouse loose. One fan asked Walker, why he gave up guaranteed money and a starting position to come here, and his response was dead-pan, "to win man, what else is there?" Another asked Hollandsworth to predict the winners of the 6 divisions in 2004, and he said, "well, the Cubs are going to win the World Series, so who gives a damn about the other 5 divisions."

 

(2) Derrek Lee is just cool. No other adjective to describe him. I talked to him after the session as he was heading out, and you can just tell that his dad has planted Cubs seeds in him. He can't wait to put on the "blue uniform, run the bases with the ivy in the background, hit a building across the street, and make diving plays in the field with 40000 screaming fans." He sounds ready.

 

(3) Nothing else to to add on Barrett or Hawkins tangibly in terms of what Mark and his friend Smiley already told you, other than LaTroy got the largest ovation when Dave Otto introduced each of the 5 new players, a clear sign that most fans in the room recognized building the bullpen as a key thing this offseason. I was sitting reasonably close to the front, and got a good look at each players eyes, as they were introduced. They all seemed thrilled with the crowd response, but LaTroy seemed especially mesmerized. That surprised me a bit considering he was raised in Gary, and grew up as a Cubs fan, the response really overwhelmed him. Again, a couple of Hollandsworth-isms: I heard him say after the session that when more people show up in January for a Cubs convention than people show up in July at Pro-Player Stadium, it's no wondr that players want to come here; second, when a fan asked him if the Marlins had a convention, he said, "oh yeah, it would be you and me."

 

Later,

Hoops

 

Thanks for your notes, Hoops! Dang, I wish I could have squeezed in there; but the crowd was spilling into the hallway by the time I made it...

[HoopsCubs]

A few more observations about the "Meet the New Cubs" session, which I attended as well:

 

(1) I think we as fans (and writers) are really going to like the Todds, Walker and Hollandsworth. They will keep the clubhouse loose. One fan asked Walker, why he gave up guaranteed money and a starting position to come here, and his response was dead-pan, "to win man, what else is there?" Another asked Hollandsworth to predict the winners of the 6 divisions in 2004, and he said, "well, the Cubs are going to win the World Series, so who gives a damn about the other 5 divisions."

 

(2) Derrek Lee is just cool. No other adjective to describe him. I talked to him after the session as he was heading out, and you can just tell that his dad has planted Cubs seeds in him. He can't wait to put on the "blue uniform, run the bases with the ivy in the background, hit a building across the street, and make diving plays in the field with 40000 screaming fans." He sounds ready.

 

(3) Nothing else to to add on Barrett or Hawkins tangibly in terms of what Mark and his friend Smiley already told you, other than LaTroy got the largest ovation when Dave Otto introduced each of the 5 new players, a clear sign that most fans in the room recognized building the bullpen as a key thing this offseason. I was sitting reasonably close to the front, and got a good look at each players eyes, as they were introduced. They all seemed thrilled with the crowd response, but LaTroy seemed especially mesmerized. That surprised me a bit considering he was raised in Gary, and grew up as a Cubs fan, the response really overwhelmed him. Again, a couple of Hollandsworth-isms: I heard him say after the session that when more people show up in January for a Cubs convention than people show up in July at Pro-Player Stadium, it's no wondr that players want to come here; second, when a fan asked him if the Marlins had a convention, he said, "oh yeah, it would be you and me."

 

Later,

Hoops

 

Thanks for your notes, Hoops! Dang, I wish I could have squeezed in there; but the crowd was spilling into the hallway by the time I made it...

 

I was looking for you, Mark. I had some seats saved for you and Smiley.

[mlpeel]

I was looking for you, Mark. I had some seats saved for you and Smiley.

 

Oh, rats! But I couldn't get out of the Wood-Prior talk after asking my question: I started edging out about 5 minutes before it ended but couldn't navigate my way through all the autograph hunters waiting to pounce. "New Cubs" was a good 5 minutes along by the time I arrived.

[imb]

Mark, Hoops and everyone, thank you so much for posting all of this info.

[ZipDog]

Thanks to everyone for your information and shared experiences and humor in this thread! I am really enjoying it!

[ace1025]

thanks for all these recaps; makes me want to go next year!

 

a quick, not really that important question:

is luke mcknight (sp?) the cathcer from libertyville? or am i mistaken?

[mlpeel]

is luke mcknight (sp?) the cathcer from libertyville? or am i mistaken?

 

Yes, Lukas McKnight is from Libertyville, IL. Still lives there, I think.

[Mushimus]

So then his team will face the question of whether to post him next offseason to get something in return, or risk losing him for nothing the following offseason.

Correct. When faced with a similiar situation, both the Giants (Hideki Matsui) and the Lions (Kazuo Matsui) elected to hang on to their superstars rather than post them.

 

1908 there was a possibility that Tadahito Iguchi would get posted this year, obviously it didn’t happen, when will Iguchi be a free agent? He sure would look nice at second and batting leadoff in 05. :o

[1908]

1908 there was a possibility that Tadahito Iguchi would get posted this year, obviously it didn’t happen, when will Iguchi be a free agent? He sure would look nice at second and batting leadoff in 05. :o

He'd need to be posted for that to happen. The soonest we could see him in MLB otherwise would be 2007 -- a bit late, IMO. If he doesn't get posted this fall, I don't think you'll see him in the majors.

[Mushimus]

1908 there was a possibility that Tadahito Iguchi would get posted this year, obviously it didn’t happen, when will Iguchi be a free agent? He sure would look nice at second and batting leadoff in 05. :o

He'd need to be posted for that to happen. The soonest we could see him in MLB otherwise would be 2007 -- a bit late, IMO. If he doesn't get posted this fall, I don't think you'll see him in the majors.

 

Thanks 1908.

[Laura]

Hello all! My apologies for failing to file a report from the convention -- I had a laptop, but we had problems getting the dialup connection going from the hotel (one problem being that we were being charged an outrageous hotel rate long-distance fee for a local call). I returned home Sunday evening to discover the power was out, so I had to relocate someplace warm last night. What misadventures!

 

I'll thoroughly review the information that the others have posted and add any further observations after work tonight. I will say that I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Mark and talking his ear off for a good hour or so -- thanks for letting me pick your brain, Mark! I'm sorry that I missed meeting others that were there -- I wandered around where I thought the meeting place would be Saturday, but I was about 15 minutes late due to the overly-crowded convention sessions. We will be more organized next year.

 

More later!