Cubs Convention Days Two and Three

It was ice-cold and snowing outside on day two of the Chicago Cubs Convention, but inside the Sheraton Riverfront hotel it was warm and exciting. While the weather kept me from venturing outside I did enjoy watching the snow fall onto Downtown Chicago from my room on the 31^st floor of the building. However, I couldn’t admire the flurries for too long as I had to get downstairs for the events of the day.

When I made my way down to the convention I got a chance to meet the newest member of the Cubs organization, Clark the Cub. The mascot which the team just announced earlier this week was taking pictures with fans of all ages and it took me back to my childhood in Baltimore where I would see the Oriole Bird.

One of the festivities was a display of all of the vintage jerseys which the Cubs will be sporting throughout the season. These will be worn on various sunday home games throughout the season to celebrate the centennial mark of Wrigley Field. Over the years the Cubs have had many classic looks and it was a personal highlight for me to get a sneak peak at which one the organization had chosen for the Throwback Sunday Series.

The oldest of the uniforms was that of the Chicago Feds from 1914. Others that the team will feature are from the ’29, ’37, ’42, ’53, ’69, ’78, and ’88 seasons. For the fans who get the fortune of seeing the Cubs play in these jersey will be in for a great experience and will be treated to a little taste of the past. In my opinion it is the small nuances like throwback uniforms that celebrate the history of the sport and truly make baseball America’s pastime.

On Sunday I had the privilege of being a panelist for the “Down on the Farm” seminar. I was joined at the dais by Senior Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting Jason McLeod, Director of Player Development Jaron Madison, and Cubs Pitchers Blake Parker and Justin Grimm. The host of the panel was former Cubs Pitcher Dave Otto, who pitched in Chicago in the 1994 season.

 

For the many people in the audience we expounded our knowledge about the current state of the farm system, the many teams in the organization, and gave them some perspective as to what it is like to be a minor league player. We also talked about the many young prospects the Cubs have and the future of them and the club.

 

It is always great to connect with the fans and I liked having the opportunity to share my expertise with people who don’t necessarily follow the minors regularly. It was the final session of the convention, there was an amazing turnout, and it was a great success.