Cubs Convention is over - Spring training is near

A friend of mine in Chicago just called me (as I now live in Sarasota and wintertime is not a usual time to call us who live in "paradise") but nonetheless he called.

While he has recently discovered my renewed interest with baseball cards and now in the world of blogging he was mostly calling to share with me that the Chicago Cubs just concluded their 24th annual convention, which unofficially is the kick-off to Spring Training and the upcoming season.

Twenty years ago we went to the Cubs Convention and remember shaking hands with all of our childhood stars and eating ball park food (though it tastes much better at Wrigley than in a hotel).

The memories are still there and I just reviewed the list of stars at this years convention which still include all my "heros" from the sixties and seventies; Banks, Williams, Beckert, Jenkins, Santo; stars from the eighties, nineties and current players galore.

The best thing about the Cubs Convention this year is that I am in Florida enjoying our "chilly" weather and that Spring Training is near. Cubs Home Opener at Wrigley is April 13, only 86 days from today. The Cubs will (ok might) shine in two thousand and nine.