Every year, I try and get Cubs Convention tickets for Dave, since he’s such a huge Cubs fan, but every year I find out that it’s sold out. This year, Dave’s coworker was able to score some tickets and we were psyched! I gave Dave my quick tutorial on what to do at conventions (being a comic book convention vet myself) like wear comfortable shoes, bring something to read while you wait in line, bring things for them to sign, make sure you read up on who is going to be there and what sessions are available, bring food, etc.
It was a pretty cold day, but we had our Cubs gear on. Dave’s dad was wearing his Cubbie blue pullover, Dave was in his Prior jersey (which he will be removing the letters on before the next season starts), I had on Dave’s Zambrano jersey (because I don’t have my own :-() and Ben had on his warm Cubbie pajamas. He looked like a little Cub clown.
We got to the Hyatt downtown and it was PACKED with people in Cubs gear. Dave had dropped us off in the front of the hotel, so we waited in the lobby for him. While we were waiting, a man was walking through and people were asking him for autographs. He looked familiar to me, but I wasn’t sure who he was. Then I heard someone whisper to someone else, “It’s Jim Hendry!” (the general manager of the Cubs). He was actually standing right next to Dave’s dad signing autographs, and looked right at me, smiled and had a look of, “Anything you need signed?”. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. Since Dave had all the stuff to sign, all I had on me was my convention pass. I gathered up my wits, took off my pass and handed it to him, which he smiled and signed. Then he walked off or something like that because I really don’t remember.
As I said before, there were tons of people there. The two coat checks were full so I decided to take our coats and let Dave, his dad and Ben go off and start enjoying themselves. I went downstairs to check our coats and there was a long line for even the coat check. When I near the front of the line, I saw the sign that said, “$2 per coat”. Oh snap! I didn’t even think to bring any cash with me. So I started digging through my pockets, looking for cash. By the time I got to the front, I only had four dollars. “Um, I only have four dollars, so I can only check in two coats…” I said. Part of me was hoping the lady would take pity on my, wink, and say, “It’s alright hon, I’ll put two on a hanger…” But no….she said, “So which two is it gonna be?” I started lifting the coats to see which one wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to bring around, and I made one last effort, digging deep into my pockets. Then my Cubs miracle happened - two more dollars at the bottom of my pocket! Hallelujah! No coat left behind!
The convention was a ton of fun, though I have to admit, my comic conventions were a little better organized. Dave was hoping to get his bat signed by his childhood favorite, Bill Buckner, but the lines for him were crazy. He then decided to get into Ron Santos line, because the person right after Ron was Cubs hall of famer Billy Williams. So we decided to part ways while Dave waited in the HUGE line for an autograph.
The lines for autographs were CRAZY!
Ben, Dave’s dad and I headed out to some of the sessions. The first one we went to was a session with Cubs manager Lou Piniella. He talked a little bit about last year’s team and the team to come. What I enjoyed the most was the Q & A session. There was an older woman who came up to the mic and said something like, “I’ve been a lifetime Cubs fan (all questions seemed to start like that) and I want to ask Lou one question - Why do you keep pitchers in even after they’ve sucked for a couple innings?” Everyone laughed and went, “Ohhhhhhhh!” Lou said that sometimes he had to keep them in because he had to give time to the bullpen. Then she said, “You know sometimes I just want to throw my chair at the television! You need to get them out!”, to which Lou replied, “Listen, I’ll give you my cell phone number, and when you start feeling like you’re going to through the chair at the TV, you give me a call and I’ll take out the pitcher!” Lou was very charismatic and very quick witted when replying to the questions, yet pretty honest. I didn’t take notes so I don’t remember anything else.
Lou and his coaching crew (Lou has the blue shirt on)
Dave came back a little frustrated, saying that he had waited so long in line for Billy Williams autograph, and about 30 people before him, Billy’s time slot was over and Steve Trout and Les Lancaster took over. They’re still great players and Dave had them sign a baseball, but he was really hoping to get that bat signed! I think that’s one complaint I have, though I know that there are space restrictions - Dave waited so long in line for a specific person, but he got someone else. That would just not fly at a comic book convention - If I was in line for Jim Lee and got Rob Liefeld instead, I’d be pissed! At the comicon, they have one line per artist, and the last person in line has a sign that says, “I’m the last person in line”…the artist signs for everyone in their line. Take note, Cubs convention organizers!
Since we had front row seats in the always-packed grand ballroom, we decided to just chill there for the rest of the day, listening in on whatever sessions were up. The next session we watched was definitely the most fun - Win Lose or Draw. It pitted some Cubs legends - Tim Stoddard, Bill Buckner, Doug Dascenzo and Bob Dernier - against the current players - Bob Howry, Ryan Dempster (who looks 10 years younger in normal clothing), Michael Weurtz and Scott Eyre. Two lucky fans were put on the teams, as well, who ended up being ringers because they were so awesome at the game. It was cool to see the players so relaxed and having fun with each other. When the current players came up to the lightning round, 2 points behind the legends, Dempster came up to draw, to which someone in the crowd yelled, “Don’t mess this one up!”. We laughed. Howry, Eyre and Weurtz laughed, and Dempster shook his head.
Ryan Dempster draws for his team
The cool thing is after Win Lose or Draw, several of the players stayed behind to sign autographs. There was a throng of people trying to get things signed, and the players (mainly Bob Howry and Michael Weurtz from my vantage point) patiently signed as many as they could.
Bob Howry signs autographs for the masses
Dave got lucky a couple times and got signature from several of the players. Having Ben is an advantage in times like this!
Dave and Ben get a signature from Scott Eyre
In between sessions, I walked around the convention looking to see if I could find Zambrano to sign my jersey, or at the very least, to take a picture of him. Unfortunately, the session he was in was closed because of the capacity limit so I didn’t get to see him. I did get to take some awesome pictures of other players, since I didn’t have to wait in line if I just wanted to take a picture. Look in the gallery link at the end of the post for some nice pictures of players. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t always great and the rooms were pretty big, so I had to convert some to black and white.
Hall of Fame newbie Ryne Sandburg
Easy-on-the-eyes pitcher Sean Marshall
The next session up was all about 8-8-88 - the day the lights were turn on at Wrigley. I loved the way that the old players spoke about their time at Wrigley, and listening to their interactions with each other. Even after so much time apart, it’s obvious that they still enjoy each other’s company. I felt like an eavesdropper as they recounted stories from the times they were Cubs. Rick Sutcliffe was a great storyteller, complaining about how Ryne Sandburg always teased his toll booth skills. Andre Dawson recounted an at bat with Sutcliffe when he was with the Dodgers, and Sutcliffe almost ripping Dawson’s mustache off with a bad pitch. Ryne Sandburg talked about hearing the announcer say his name, then Wayne Messmer interrupted with, “Um, *I* was the announcer for that game” which became a little joke for the rest of the session since Ryne had forgotten that Wayne has been the announcer for the team.
Rick Sutcliffe tells one of his crazy stories
The last session of the day had some legendary players, like Mr. Cub Ernie Banks and Ron Santo and some new players, like Scott Eyre and Mark DeRosa come and talk about the Cub mystique - what it’s like to be a Cub, and what it means to them. Ernie Banks made a very touching speech about the energy in the ballpark, the quality of the fans and how playing with the Cubs is an honor. He truly IS Mr. Cub…he had the whole room (which was more than filled to capacity - even the balcony was packed) clapping and cheering. DeRosa had some great stories about when he was still playing for the Atlanta Braves, and the Cubs would be in town. He would come out to play, and more than half of the stadium was in Cubbie blue - it was as if it were a Cubs home game. He thought to himself, “Man, I wish I was playing with the Cubs!” Scott Eyre had a similar story, going to Atlanta with Mark as part of the team. They had decided to play catch before the game, and went out onto the field. There were tons of Cubs fans there, super early, and there was a loud cheer that filed the air as the guys went out - just to play catch. Then the Braves players came out - the home team - and….nothing. Crickets! Mark talked about how during the division championships last year, how he could hardly hear himself think - that’s how loud Wrigley was, and how proud he was that he was the person up to bat, and he was so overwhelmed he even thought about taking a time out (which he thinks he should have) and how disappointed he was to hit into a double play.
It was heartwarming to hear these guys talk about their team, what the Cubs mean to them, and to talk with the fans about their experiences. They appreciate the support we give them, not just at Wrigley, but the Cubs fans that are scattered all over the country, filling up seats in empty parks and cheering on their team. It was a nice way to end the day!
Ernie Banks makes me proud to be a Cub fan
Mark DeRosa talks about having the home team advantage at other parks
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