Cubs leave Az

Talk about an extended stay, the Cubs have been in Sunny Az for about 2 months! After losing 2 of 3 in the season opening series against the DBacks, I’m sure the team is ready for a little home cooking!

All in all I think it was a good spring for the Cubs, with another record attendance at HoHoKam Park, a healthy Nomar, new contract for Aramis, and the Wood/Prior injury scare subsiding. Mark Prior will pitch tonight for the Iowa Cubs against the Albuquerque Isotopes and if all goes well, he will soon be back in the Cubs rotation.

If the temperature seemed cooler this spring here in Mesa, it was! I did a little checking and during the month of March 2005, the daily high temp was BELOW it’s normal daily average, 25 of 31 days! Quite the opposite of last March (2004) when the daily high temp was ABOVE the normal daily average, 25 of 31 days! March 2005 saw only 1 day with a high temp over 85 degrees, March 2004 saw 18 days with a high temp over 85 degrees. Enough of the weather report.

Some of the Cubs young minor leaguer’s in camp looked improved Ronny Cedeno, (see pic below) Felix Pie, and Brian Dopirak all flashed big time potential. Even though Cubs GM Jim Hendry is not afraid to make trades or sign free agents he and Andy MacPhail have not neglected the Cubs farm system. MacPhail, Hendry, and Oneri Fleita(Director of Player Development) have an eye for talent, in the next couple seasons look for a new wave of farm raised Cubs stars.

We continued extensive filming this spring for “The Boys of Spring” Cubs Documentary DVD and it will be ready for you to purchase June 1, 2005! The package includes, the 90 minute DVD Movie, the Music Soundtrack on CD and a Cubs Collectors Card, all for only $29.95. Remember that portion’s of the proceeds go to 4 separate charities! 2 charities have been selected and are listed on the “About” page of this website, 2 more will be selected by June 1st.

Starting in June we will be doing a DVD signing tour, traveling all over the Midwest during this baseball season, a new “tour”page on this website will soon tell you when and where the tour will be. I look forward to meeting and talking to as many Cubs fans as possible this summer! If you think we should stop in your town, let us know at [email protected]

This summer during the tour, along with this blog we will be adding a weekly video clip of my travels through the heartland. Talk to you soon. Go Cubs!
Tim

Ronny Cedeno after base hit, March 31st