ballhawk
Mar 15, 2008 Feb 15, 2012 56 18784
Chasing dreams and baseballs outside of Wrigley Field...
website: The 2008 Waveland Chronicles
email:
a fan of
Chicago Cubs
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Browns
Ohio St. Buckeyes
Georgetown Hoyas
Montreal Canadiens
Lee Trevino
Anyone who 'bumps' Jeff Gordon
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The Rickettsification of Wrigleyville has begun!
OT: Ryan Theriot - the gift that keeps on giving...
I try not to be that "pile on" guy. Really. But this was too good to pass up. This could be off the charts on the unintentional comedy scale. From John Fay, Reds beat writer:
–The Reds have had conversations with Ryan Theriot’s representatives. But nothing is close. "We’re trying to get a hitter first," Jocketty said.
Oh my god - they stole Ernie! Bastards...
Hockey, football, concerts... now snowmobiles???
Yep. Apparently there will be snowmobiling at Wrigley Field. Extreme snowmobiling. Flips, grabs and big-air tricks. Oh my...
Red Bull Fuel + Fury. This Saturday, Nov 5. 6pm. Parking lot at Clark & Waveland (where the ice skating rink usually is).
Last Out to First Pitch – The 2011-12 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest
by ballhawk on Oct 22, 2011 11:06 PM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
What a sports night, eh? Looks to be another exciting World Series game, the Blackhawks are on WGN, Ohio State did not lose today, I'm getting a good look at next year’s #1 NFL pick on ABC, and Notre Dame is losing to USC on NBC. And if that wasn’t enough, I’m dining on some deep dish pepperoni and sausage pizza from Art of Pizza. Almost makes up for having to listen to all that Buck McCarver blither and babble...
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And The Winner Is... (The 2010-11 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest)
by ballhawk on Oct 20, 2011 12:32 AM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
File this under "Better Late Than Never". Yep, I'm finally getting around to posting the results to the
Last Out to First Pitch – The 2010-11 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest.
What took me so long? Well, I could trot out the usual litany of excuses - new job, Cubs sucking, summertime fun, Cubs sucking, family health issues, Cubs sucking, general indifference, Cubs sucking, etc. And to a certain extent, those all were indeed factors, but insignificant ones at best.
Truth is, I did try a few times to tally the results and write something up. But every time I got to this event/prediction from the original list...
H ..... Cubs announce a reduced broadcasting role for Ron Santo.
...it felt like somebody had just punched me in the stomach.
(sigh...)
2011 Annual Cubs Meeting - March 3
by ballhawk on Feb 25, 2011 11:35 PM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
No, the Cubs did not IPO while you weren't looking and this is not a stockholder's meeting.
Got the following from the Alderman's office - apparently as part of the original night games deal, the Cubs have to face the music, or at least the community, once a year. I'm going to try and attend - if nothing else, just to see if anyone gets called "Sweetheart" during the Q&A session...
Wrigley Field Walkaround - 2/16/11 (Updated: now with photos)
by ballhawk on Feb 16, 2011 8:21 PM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
(Update 2/19/11: Sun came out today so I went back and took some pictures and inserted them in appropriate spots below, adding explanatory text where needed.)
Took advantage of the warmer weather and did a Wrigley Field walkaround today. Nothing too big going on so didn't really merit any pictures. But it was just nice to walk around outside with just a hoodie and see how the old gray dame is holding up. Here's what I noticed:
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Roster-Gate Redux - Rays do Cubs one better
According to their team website (link in title above), the Tampa Rays currently have 42 players on their "40" man roster.
42! The Cubs only had 41 for all those weeks. How in the world are the Rays getting away with 42?
Oh the horror! The pain! The tragedy!
Given the locale, I can only imagine that somehow Sweet Lou is behind this. From the comfort of his fishing boat, again he reaches out and taunts our very own Doggie...
AGonz trade aftermath - Padres Top 10 Prospects (BA)
For those still silently gnashing their teeth about not being able to pull off the AGonz trade... here's more food for fodder. ;-)
Could we have given the Padres a package that would end up being their #1, #2 and #4 prospects? Because that's how it ended up with what they got from the Red Sox, at least according to Baseball America.
Thanks to MLBTradeRumors for the initial heads up:
"Three of the top four Padres prospects on Baseball America's top ten list arrived in the San Diego organization in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Casey Kelly (1), Anthony Rizzo (2) and Reymond Fuentes (4) figure prominently into the list of promising young Padres."
How to build a bullpen NY Yankees-style
After signing a $15M/yr closer, sign a $11.5M/yr set-up guy.
MLBTR Transaction Tracker
This is cooler... ;-)
Last Out to First Pitch – The 2010-11 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest
by ballhawk on Oct 28, 2010 5:13 PM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
It's back! The most AMAZING!!??!!?!! contest ever... posted on BCB... on a Thursday afternoon... before a World Series Game 2... by a left-handed Bulgarian...
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Tucson waiting for player-union approval for Japanese spring training (Ballpark Digest)
Hmmm... the triumphant return of Matt Murton???
Texas Rangers to receive $3 billion in new 20-year TV deal (USAToday)
Here's the money (no pun intended) paragraph (my bold):
"It is the highest TV package for a team that doesn't own its own channel. And yes, that's $150 million a year before even playing a game, plenty enough to re-sign ace Cliff Lee, bring in free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford, or whoever else they wish."
Given the current state of the economy, the magnitude of this deal surprises me, but maybe the length (20 yrs) makes it an attractive gamble for Fox Sports Southwest.
Regardless, this just reinforces in my mind the need for Ricketts to have the Cubs network in place as soon as current local tv contracts expire - or even sooner if there's a way to get out of those deals.
OT: Dave Matthews Band at Wrigley Field - Concert Thread(s)
by ballhawk on Sep 17, 2010 6:38 PM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
♬ ♪ So much to say, so much to say, so much to say.... ♫ ♬
...so I figured it be easier to say it all in one fanpost rather than spread it through previews, game threads, and recaps the next couple days.
I walked around Wrigley this week and took a few pictures during the setup and pre-concert activities. See slideshow after the jump. And I'll probably go back there tonight and check it out again - maybe try to catch some drumsticks flying out of the park onto Waveland...
And The Winner Is... (The 2009-10 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest)
by ballhawk on Sep 15, 2010 6:09 PM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
Remember this FanPost? UPDATE: The 2009-10 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest, the first line of which was... "Remember this FanPost? Last Out to First Pitch – The 2009-10 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest"
Well, the results are finally in and we have our winners. I know, I know... this should have been posted a long time ago. What can I say - I started it several times, got sidetracked, distracted, road trips, busy, etc. Guess I'm just a procrastinating elephant. I keep putting things off and off and off... but I never forget.
Anyway, before we get to the results, a little recap to refresh your memory...
OT: "Ballhawks" movie encore showing Thursday, 9/16
Title link above takes you to official trailer for documentary.
Saw this for the first time over the weekend (missed the Chicago premiere earlier this summer) and have to say two things:
1) Camera does not add 10 pounds - it's more like 20, and...
2) Hate the sound of my own voice... chalkboard city! ugh...
Aside from that, I thought it was pretty good. So did enough other folks that it's getting an encore showing on "Awards Night" of the United Film Festival this Thursday, 9/16, at the Music Box theatre, just a few blocks west of Wrigley Field.
Showtime is at 9:30pm. I know that's kinda late for a school night, but it's only 74m long. Plus there will be a little Q&A session afterwards if you want to find out if ballhawks really would knock over their grandmothers to get a ball... If nothing else, at least you get a chance to see what Wrigley Field looked like before the bleacher expansion - lots of action footage from both inside and outside the park.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online here or at the Music Box theatre box office.
And finally, here's something that will probably be in the "outtakes" section of the DVD when it comes out.
over 1 year ago
ballhawk
20 comments
1 recs
Operation "Carry Harry" is underway...
by ballhawk on Aug 26, 2010 1:22 AM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
About a week ago, the Cubs announced the Harry Caray statue, currently located outside of Gate D (Addison & Sheffield), would be relocated to outside the bleacher entrance (Waveland & Sheffield), to make way for the new Billy Williams statue, which will be unveiled and dedicated on September 7. (link to Muskat writeup)
As I walked by Wrigley on Tuesday, I noticed that work had begun in both locations. As you might expect, those larger-than-life bronze statues and their stone bases are a little bit on the heavy side, so it's no small task. I checked back again yesterday and they'd pretty much dug all around Harry, as well as prepared his new resting place.
One of the workers told me the actual move is supposed to take place Thursday, i.e. today by the time you read this. He joked that all they'd need is a couple of guys, some straps and a furniture dolly. Not sure how they're going to do it but I suspect a big crane and perhaps a flatbed truck will be involved, though I'm still holding out hope the Budweiser Clydesdales will come up and just drag Harry over.
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Kids Say The Darndest Things (Alternative 7/2/10 Game Recap)
by ballhawk on Jul 3, 2010 12:32 AM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
After further review...
Ok, even though I still think Macbeth's words fit today's game perfectly (especially the "dusty death" part), I realize that relying on Shakespeare was kinda lame, especially since I've used that passage before on BCB. Please forgive me for falling into the Jay Mariotti School of Hack Column Writing trap.
So, I'll try to make amends by sharing with you a little vignette that happened near the end of today's game. I tweeted about this but obviously the 140 character max limits things a bit - a fanpost allows me to add more context, not to mention increase the chances dtpollitt will read it. Anyway, it may sum up the Cubs season - or at least today's game - even better than Macbeth.
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Cubs object to rooftop bars' game-day sales
Things are starting to get interesting...
From the article:
Cubs President Crane Kenney sent a letter last week to rooftop operators last week reminding them that game day sales violate a City of Chicago ordinance governing the rooftop businesses. The letter was obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
Kenney also said in the letter that it has come to the team's attention that rooftop seats are being sold by ticket brokers and other third parties, another code violation. Only businesses with special club licenses granted by the City of Chicago are allowed to sell admission to their rooftops.
That third party reference - I'm wondering if that's Groupon?
One Helluva Sports Weekend for Chicago Fans (Warning: Shameless Movie Plug Included)
by ballhawk on May 27, 2010 3:43 AM EDT
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
Man, what a weekend we’ve got coming up for Chicago sports fans. First and perhaps foremost, Cubs obviously have a big series with the ahem, 2nd place Cardinals coming to town. Too early to call this a "do or die" series, but a sweep or even winning 2 out of 3 would definitely make a statement to the rest of the division. Of course, losing 2 of 3 or getting swept would make a statement as well, but we’re not going to go there...
And for those of you who realize sometimes there is more to life than baseball, we’ve got Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup finals on Saturday night (Game 2 on Monday) with the Blackhawks hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. I’m sure Kaner, Niemi, Dustin & friends will make sure the United Center is a No Fly(ers) Zone all weekend.
Stretching the sports envelope a little further... Lady & Gentlemen, start your engines! The Indy 500 will come roaring into your living rooms on Sunday. And the NBA playoffs continue, though of more importance to Bulls fans will be the continual countdown on the LeBron watch.
OT: NCAA Conference Tourney Game(s) Thread
by ballhawk on Mar 12, 2010 12:08 PM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
Okay, in the Big Ten, we got Ohio State - Michigan tipping off in just a few minutes - as soon as I'm done with this, I'll get over to espn360.com and fire up that game. Yes, I have a rooting interest in this game. If by chance, the Wolverines beat my Buckeyes, then Zeke, you can go ahead and use your Michigan moniker in here and I won't object a bit...
After that will be the big game for many folks here - Wisconsin v. Illinois (tipoff approx. 1:25p). Later today will be Purdue v. Northwestern, followed by Michigan St v. Minnesota.
Anyway, I figured rather than clutter up the Cubs game threads today with basketball stuff, feel free to deposit all your trash talking in this post.
Wrigley Walkabout - 03/05/10
by ballhawk on Mar 6, 2010 11:55 AM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
Took advantage of the nice weather in Chicago yesterday to do another Wrigley Walkabout - any excuse to get a Big Gulp... Had the camera with me this time so I was able to take some pictures.
Click here to see the entire album (21 photos) but I think I can embed a slideshow, so we'll try that after the jump.
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UPDATE: The 2009-10 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest
by ballhawk on Jan 31, 2010 4:06 AM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
Remember this FanPost? Last Out to First Pitch – The 2009-10 Offseason IT'S HAPPENING!!!??? Contest
Well, 8 out of the original 15 possible events listed have been resolved one way or the other, so I figured now would be a good time for a scoring update.
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Ever wonder what Ballhawks do in the winter?
76 days till the home opener but the Ballhawks are ready!
I've been fortunate to be involved in a documentary about the Wrigley Field ballhawks, titled appropriately enough, Ballhawks. Filming took place a few years ago, before the bleacher expansion. Editing, promoting and getting MLB approval has taken up most of the time since then.
The film's in the can now and it's being shopped around but no guarantee it will ever see the silver screen. Still, it's made it as far as getting an entry in IMDB and has been submitted to several film festivals, among them SXSW, Sundance and Tribeca. And with Bill Murray doing the narration, it's got some star power, so who knows...
Anyway, the title link above (and here) should take you to a somewhat humorous trailer for the movie. Thankfully, we got it done in one take...
about 2 years ago
ballhawk
51 comments
8 recs
This is why we
hatedislikedon't care aboutare amused by the media.Same player, same news conference, same quotes... two completely different headlines.
Pujols is open to idea of entering free agency (STL Post-Dispatch)
Pujols ready to talk contract, hopes to finish career in St. Louis (StL Globe-Democrat)
Something to do while waiting for the next chapter of the Milton Bradley saga...
by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 10:00 PM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
As we sit around waiting for Milton Bradley to be dealt (or not), it's obvious some of us are anguishing, some of us are seething, some of us are laughing, some of us are drinking... well, you get the idea. And whenever a name is bandied about as a possible return in a trade, invariably somebody here throws up a little in their mouth.
So in honor of Bob Barker's upcoming birthday (he'll be 86 on December 12), I thought a little "The Price Is Right" game could help put things in perspective. Of course, this will be a little tough to do in a two-dimensional blog, so you'll have to use your imagination. But here goes...
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This ought to end any MB for Wells talk...
...but I know it won't. ;-)
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick polled 20 ML GM types, asking them eight questions about current hot-topics in baseball. The whole article is a pretty good read, but Question #8 ought to get your attention.
8. Which player is more difficult to trade -- Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley, because of his reputation and other baggage, or Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells, because of his contract?
And the responses REALLY ought to get your attention...
over 2 years ago
ballhawk
3 comments
1 recs
OT: Big-Ten, Vista-Demolition, Bad-News-Bears, Anything-Goes-on-a-Weekend Game Thread
by ballhawk on Nov 7, 2009 10:56 AM EST
on Bleed Cubbie Blue
"Take this thread to Cuba!"
Greetings all! I figure rather than hijack the latest main thread (especially since it's already at 400+ comments) for some Big Ten smackdown on this fine Saturday, might as well just do a game thread of our own.
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