Can spring be that far away? It always seems that the Cubs Convention is on the coldest weekend in Chicago , and that proved to be the case once again. With the wind-chill in the negatives, getting to the convention was a bitter challenge, but once inside the Hilton, the weekend fun began. Thousands of fans gathered in the grand ballroom to officially kick off the gala. Radio announcer Pat Hughes served as the emcee by welcoming everyone and then introducing Cub players from the past and present. As they were introduced, each player gave a wave to the crowd and some threw down a baseball cap. The three day convention had plenty of fun events and sessions to participate in such as Cubs Bingo, Cubs Jeopardy, hitting clinics, and a huge exhibit floor with tons of souvenirs, shirts, and other Cubs memorabilia to purchase.

Perhaps the most fun was getting to meet your favorite Cub player to get their autograph or a picture with him. There was plenty of Cub players at stations waiting to meet the fans. Some of the players from the past that attended were Jody Davis, Bill Buckner, Rick Sutcliffe, Bill Madlock, and Jose Cardenal. Many Cub legends also were ready to give autographs like Andy Pafko, Milt Pappas, Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, and Mr. Cub himself Ernie Banks. You could also get up close and personal with many 2008 Cub players like Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot, and their manager Lou Piniella.

The excitement was in the air, the smell of hot dogs was lingering, and it seems like the fans cannot wait, ‘cause the 2008 Cubbies will be great!