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We’re really excited here at Boys of Spring for the re-design of our website to launch later this week–just in time for the Cubs arrival! Besides the new look, you’ll notice features and changes that will keep you up to date on all things Cubs during the extended 7 week spring training camp here in sunny Mesa, AZ. If you live in AZ, or will be here for an extended stay during spring training, we have a few openings for you to be a part of the Boys of Spring team (don’t let the name stop you, females welcome). These are non-paid intern positions, (with some nice fringe benefits) so you must be a Cubs fan or willing to devote your time as such. We’re looking for creative types who like baseball and possess skills in writing, computers, or TV production. If interested send an email and summary of your skills to [email protected] . You needn’t be enrolled in school to apply.
With that bit of business done, I’ll address the recent A-Rod revelations – Don’t care! Whew, glad I could get that out of the way. Hey, we all do what we have to do to compete in today’s world. I smoke two packs of cigarettes a day to get that deep gravelly voice you hear at Hohokam Stadium. OK, so I’ve never smoked. Seriously, the point is that American society is set-up to “win at all costs” and with the kind of money that today’s players make, is it really shocking to hear that many like A-Rod do whatever it takes to help their performance? Do I agree with players doing this? No. Do I think baseball needs to clean up the use of performance-enhancing drugs? Yes. Rick Morrissey makes some interesting points on the subject in his article “This soap opera is beyond sordid, yet we still watch”. Kinda like a car accident. So, I say, let’s talk about some non-steroid using baseball players.
Randy Hundley the man who started it all
Which brings us to the Randy Hundley Cubs Fantasy Camp, where for only about $4 LARGE, you, too, can hit and run for a week with the Cubs Boys of Summer. That’s right. In January…in sunny AZ…a whole bunch of campers got to play ball with former Cubs Randy Hundley, Don Kessinger, Glen Beckert, Fergie Jenkins, Jody Davis, Leon Durham, Big Daddy, Lee Smith, Bob Dernier…and…well, you get the picture. The campers are coached by the former Major Leaguers while playing games against other campers during the week at Fitch Park. Then on Saturday, they face off against the coaches at Hohokam Stadium. I went to Hohokam for the big game and took some photos. You can read more about the Hundley Camp from one of the campers in this post at Bleed Cubbie Blue. Someday I’m going to do this Hundley Camp…Hey, a guy has to have dreams.
I just got off the phone with the hard working Cubs Spring Training Ticket Director Nancy Hunter who informed me that so far about 140,000 tickets have been sold for the 19 Cubs contests at Hohokam Stadium. That equates to about 56 percent capacity which at this point is on par with last season. The Cubs 2005 MLB spring home attendance record should be broken this season with the extra games on the schedule. Right now both the Cubs/White Sox games and the Cubs/Angels game on March 14 are about sold out. Nancy said that plenty of great seats are available for almost all the games at Hohokam, which are still much cheaper than tickets at the new Camelback Ranch were the Sox and Dodgers will play. In fact, I just checked for a friend about a ticket for the Cubs/Dodgers game on the 17th at Camelback Ranch thru the Dodgers website and WOW, talk about sticker shock…100 bucks plus a $4.50 convenience fee for a box seat. That’s not an EBay or a scalper price, that’s the Dodgers regular price for that seat. The most expensive ticket at Hohokam even on a “Premium game” is $29. The $7 lawn seat at Hohokam Stadium is still one of the best sports bargains around.
Jody Davis, that’s an aluminum bat…Will the performance enhancing ever end?
Lee Smith enjoys the Saturday game
Leon Durham in the AZ sun
Big Daddy looks on
Beckert and Kessinger together again
Not a Cub but one heck of a shortstop, Bert “Campy” Campaneris
Only in this game can you take a cell call in the on-deck circle…Hello Bob Dernier
Campers get the coveted autographs
Bobby D
Fergie and Jody Davis warm up
Willie Wilson always with a smile
Lee Arthur can still bring it
Joe Pepitone a Cub between 1970-73
Keith Moreland has a laugh in the dugout
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