A very unscientific study of Cubs Fan Report subscribers:
Ryne Sandberg: 23%
Mark Grace: 11%
Ernie Banks: 10%
Ron Santo: 9%
Andre Dawson: 7%
Greg Maddux: 3%
Kerry Wood: 3%
Billy Williams: 2%
Derrek Lee: 2%
Sammy Sosa: 2%
Others: 28%
And don’t even get us started on your spelling…
Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Here are some of our favorite Cubs sources to keep you up-to-date on All Things Cubs:
cubs.com
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun-Times
Daily Herald
ESPN Chicago
CSN Chicago
A League of Her Own
Agony & Ivy
And Counting
Another Cubs Blog
Bleacher Nation
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Chicago Cubs Online
ChiCitySports
Cubbie Doctor’s Examiner
Cubbies Crib
Cubby-Blue
Desipio
Goat Riders of the Apocalypse
Kap’s Corner
Muskat Ramblings
Rooftop View
SB Nation
Tales from Aisle 424
The Cub Reporter
The Heckler
The Wrigley Blog
View from the Bleachers
Waxpaperbeercup
Too much for you? Imagine doing it every day…
Below is an extended version of the email we sent to Cubs Fan Report subscribers this morning.
Memories of Ronnie
Cubs Fan Report woke up to the sound of loud helicopters this morning. Never a good sign. Turns out they were circling Wrigley Field because Ron Santo passed away last night due to complications from bladder cancer. He was 70.
Given Ron’s continually deteriorating health, this probably shouldn’t be a surprise. I probably should have known the end would be sooner rather than later when he stopped going on long road trips with the team. Still, I find myself much sadder than I would have thought. Talk about bleeding Cubbie blue — Ronnie was the quintessential Cub, always optimistic, always sure things were going to come together next year. When the Cubs won, he was euphoric; when something bad happened, like Brant Brown dropping the ball back in ’98, his anguish was heartbreaking.
I met Ron once, years ago. I was doing a story on Wrigley Field for the Daily Herald, and I went up to him and said, “Hi Ron, I’m Joel Reese with the Daily Herald, and…” and he said, “Oh, that’s great!” as if I was approaching him just to tell him my name and how lucky I was to be writing for the Herald. Still makes me laugh. I asked him for his thoughts on Wrigley Field, and he went on and on like he was describing the Sistine Chapel. To him, there was probably no distinction. (I just wrote “there is probably no distinction,” then remembered I have to use the past tense.) Still hard to believe.
I wish the Cubs had won it for Ron while he was with us (can you imagine his elation?), and I wish the Hall of Fame had recognized he’s clearly deserving of Cooperstown. But I’m glad for the passion he brought, and for his never-ending enthusiasm. I’ll miss you, Ron. We all will.
We invite you to share your thoughts about Ron Santo on the Cubs Fan Report Facebook page.
In memory of Ron’s devotion to the Cubs, please consider a donation to his favorite cause, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Thank you.
Chicago Tribune: Ron Santo dead at 70
Photo credit: Elsa/Getty Images
Before his network debut on CBS’s “Undercover Boss” (airs Sunday night at 8pm CT), Cubs owner Todd Ricketts (aka, “Mark Dawson”) had no idea what went on behind the scenes at Wrigley Field. Oh, but he found out: Ricketts, who also owns Higher Gear bike shops in Highland Park and Wilmette, cleaned urinals, parked cars, and sold hot dogs at the Friendly Confines. He told us what that was like, why he’s optimistic about the team’s future, and how he was almost like Tom Selleck.
So how did you get hooked up with Undercover Boss?
They contacted the Cubs and said they were looking for a sports venue, and they intimated that, “If we had to pick just one sports venue, we’d want to do Wrigley Field.” We hemmed and hawed, but decided at the end of the day it was worth the risk.
Why did you hem and haw? It’s free publicity, right?
Well, the problem was that we were having a bad season, and people might think, “Oh, they’re having a bad season, but the owners are off doing reality TV. Clearly they don’t care about the team.”
Yeah, I’ve seen that point made a few times. What’s your response to that?
My response would be somewhere along the lines of, yes, I am left-handed, but my fastball isn’t what it used to be. So I wouldn’t have been much help to the team anyway. I’ve offered several times to play centerfield or first base, but Jim decided not take me up on any of those offers.
How long did the filming go on for?
It was about a week.
What did you do?
I cleaned the bathrooms, worked with the grounds crew, worked in the parking lot, and was a hot dog vendor.
When did you do the show?
We started shooting right after Andre Dawson ceremony [August 30]. So I was at Wrigley for that, but I wasn’t on field because I had the beard.
Did that bum you out?
Definitely. Andre Dawson is my hero. I was really disappointed not to be on the field with Andre Dawson.
So I heard you got fired. How did that happen?
Well, the guys who work on the washrooms – they keep a pretty good pace. I couldn’t keep up.
Have you ever been fired before?
Yeah, I was fired from a Safeway where I worked in Omaha. They wanted me to work Friday afternoons, and I didn’t want to. So they said, “Yeah, we don’t want you here anymore.”
Some people might be surprised that you worked at a Safeway — I think there’s a perception of your family as being born with silver spoons in their mouths.
Well, Ameritrade [which was founded by Todd's father, Joe] didn’t start to become successful until the ’90s. We were all out of college when Ameritrade started getting big. Growing up, we never had anything new. I never had a bike. My parents were very conservative in their spending. My parents didn’t get cable TV until 1990. I swear, we were the last people in the U.S. to get cable TV.
So after you got fired, how’d you get back into their good graces?
I got to work with the same guy, Darryl, in the scoreboard. And we were able to get squared up. I think I redeemed myself a little.
Didn’t it seem strange to everyone who worked at Wrigley Field that there were these cameras following you around?
Well, I was this roofer who had applied to be in a casting call to be in a reality show working at a sports venue. It’s believable enough that everyone believes it.
Did the work and filming go on for a long time?
Sometimes I did a full shift, sometimes I did 3/4 of a shift. But yeah, the filming took a long time – there was the work, the there were the interviews. It ended up being 12-14 hour days.
What was the hardest moment?
Definitely in the washroom cleanup… it’s just not very fun. You have these huge firehoses you use to spray down the bathrooms.
What was the best moment?
Well, you’ll see at the end — I can’t say, because it’s a spoiler. It’s going to be good. It’s the thing every Cubs fan would want to be.
What was it like, when they were filming at your house?
At one point, they were filming my daughter Daphne playing the violin, and when she does that, I swell up with pride. The, one of the producers pulled me aside and said, “We can see you in the background. Don’t look so serious.” I was like, I feel really proud, I don’t feel serious. She’s eight!
But most of the time, I wasn’t home — I was staying at apartment in one of the rooftops across the street. Part of the show is taking you out of your boss lifestyle. It was a bit odd – they really want you out of your luxurious lifestyle. It does work. You do want to go back to your house, not some dingy apartment that’s not yours.
Are you still friends with some of the people you met?
I think so – I became friends with everyone I worked with. Rocco wasn’t happy with me when I worked for him, I think he’s over it.
Onto the team: What would you say to fans who are dreading next year, saying the team is going to suck?
I would say, at the end of the season, the young talent showed they have more ability than they showed at the beginning of the season. I think Castro and Colvin will have a better year than last year. I think we have decent pitching, and we haven’t even tried to sign anybody yet. And I think Mike Quade is the right guy for the job. I’m really optimistic.
Something we’re trying to do is, we’re trying to develop the farm system. We want to bring in as few free agents as possible, to have a nice balance. I’d like to think of it as, we’re looking to build a long-term winner, not just trying buy a World Series like the Diamondbacks or Marlins. I don’t know if that’s what people want, but that’s what we’re going to do.
I’m really optimistic about some of the guys we have coming up. Soto, Colvin, Castro, Cashner, Berg, Coleman, Brett Jackson… that list is longer than two guys. Chris Archer. And there’s a guy named Junior Lake who looks promising. If we can get three or four of those guys to turn into everyday players, that helps your team a lot.
One last question: How did you feel about growing a pretty solid beard and mustache?
I didn’t think it looked half-bad. The sad part was, I had to shave it all once. I would have done it in phases – first the lambchops, then a goatee, then a fu Manchu, then the Tom Selleck mustache. That was the sad part – that I had to destroy it at once.
The season’s almost over, but we’re not calling it a day. Cubs Fan Report will keep sending updates this offseason — expect one or two emails per week of Cub-related goodness. It’s our first offseason, so we’re a little nervous, a little excited. Kind of like the first time… never mind. We’ll definitely publish when there are big events — the announcement of the new manager, Cubs Convention, Carlos Zambrano winning Humanitarian of the Year. So stick around, spread the word, and cross your fingers for some big offseason moves. Go Cubs!
We’ll be announcing the next edition of the Fan Report shortly. Hint: anyone a hoops fan?
Carlos Marmol in September:
• 15 appearances
• 14.2 innings pitched
• 2 hits
• 0 runs
• 10 walks
• 25 strikeouts
• 0.00 ERA
• 13 saves (13 for 13)
Impressive. Congrats on earning a nice raise for 2011, Carlos.
Well, sort of. Over the past 3 days, we’ve had our emails opened in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, and Thailand. Cubs fans all over the globe. We love it!
We’re big fans of our email provider MailChimp, but they switched to a new version today and appear to be experiencing a variety of difficulties. If you haven’t received your email, or you can’t get through to the website links in the email, we encourage you to visit Today’s Report on our site to get your daily Cubs fix.
We always try to provide status updates on our Twitter page so be sure to check that out if you’re ever having problems. We also post each day’s Report on our Twitter and Facebook pages for your viewing pleasure.
Thanks for your patience. We promise you won’t have to wait 102 years for your emails!
Let us say “thank you” for your support of Cubs Fan Report.
Join us at the Newport Bar & Grill (1344 W Newport Ave) on Thursday, September 23 at 6:00pm for a Cubs-Giants Game Watch Party.
Most importantly, your first drink is on us for the first 25 fans in attendance! There will be 22oz. stadium cups of Goose Island 312, Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale, Budweiser, and Bud Light for just $5 (with $3.50 refills). Also, $4 pints of Sierra Nevada and $2.50 PBR cans.
Please save the date and tell your friends. Let’s share a few drinks, watch some baseball, and rant together about the 2010 Cubs season. You can RSVP now on our Facebook event page.
The Newport Bar & Grill is just steps away from the Southport Brown Line, and a short walk from the Southport stops of the #77 Belmont or #152 Addison CTA buses. Metered street parking is available on Southport and we’ll even have some guest parking passes if you’re forced to park on a zoned residential street.
Thanks again for supporting the launch of Cubs Fan Report in 2010 (and get ready for the announcement of the next Fan Report…)
We’re not sure if this video has been used by the team all season or if it was released to coincide with the start of the Southern League playoffs on Thursday (the Tennessee Smokies are the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A affiliate in Knoxville), but we’re digging these Smokies fans who really want to be like Beyonce. Our favorite line: “It’s easy to see why we’re number one, we’ve got a chicken run!” Classic.
