Hairston Here in Chicago

Yesterday the Cubs announced the signing of outfielder Scott Hairston. The Cubs have added another outfielder after mentioning the possibility at last weekend's Cubs Convention. Jed Hoyer had discussed the need of depth in the outfield. It seems that the Cubs did not delay in signing.


Last season Hairston hit 20 homers and posted a .263 average with the Mets.

The deal was made for 2 years and now only depends on a physical.

Scott Hairston is the newest addition to the Cubs roster.

Hairston will hopefully be a good addition, but some might be wondering where he will play. Soriano is in left, DeJesus is in center, and Schierholtz is in right. So where does that leave Hairston?? Well the Cubs and Hoyer have said that with Soriano now 37 they would like to give him some time off. Soriano says that the Cubs said the same thing last year, but he played the most games since coming to  the Cubs. It seems likely that Soriano will retain his position in left along with DeJesus in center. I would expect to see Schierholtz take  turns with Hairston.

If the name Hairston sounds familiar to you, it should. Scott is the younger brother of Jerry Jr. who played for the Cubs from 05-06.

To be honest, I do see the value that Hairston can bring to the Cubs, however I am a little scared that he could just be another at most average player. His numbers are not terrible but they certainly are not anywhere close to being great, or even good. I hope that Scott can bring better numbers than last year, and in the following season, because the Cubs did sign him for two years. I wish him the best of luck with his time with the Cubs.

The Power of 12

Sorry this is late, but...
As you know yesterday was December 12, or better written as 12/12/12. With this unique date, I'll look back at some Cubs who have worn 12 on their back.

Dusty Baker

During his first year with the Cubs, he proved to be a huge success. He had a great team, but a large amount was thanks to Dusty. He led the team the 2003 NLCS where they fell short to the Marlins. I remember how excited my Mom was when she went down to Miami for those games, yet she came back devastated. Baker was able to coach some good players such as, Wood, Prior, Sosa and Moises Alou. Sadly, Baker was never able to take the Cubs to the playoffs again. In 2006 the Cubs added manager Lou Piniella, and Dusty headed off to Cincinnati where he has since done quite well. I would have liked to have kept Dusty around, but maybe it just wasn't right for the team. I am glad to see that he is doing well because he was such a nice guy. I had the privilege to "meet" him a couple a times. Once at a Cubs-Sox game at the cell, I had first row seats right next to the Cubs dugout. Dusty gave my siblings and I each a ball and was very friendly. Overall a great man.

Shawon Dunston
Right out of high school, he was selected number one by the Cubs in the 1982 draft. Dunston would spend three years in the minors before beating out Larry Bowa for his starting spot for the Cubs 1985 season. Shawon did not preform up to expectation and was sent back down. He came back later that season and stayed. He quickly became better and was named an All-Star with his buddy on the field, Ryne Sandberg, during the 1988 and 1990 seasons. Dunston put up good numbers in 1989, contributing to a division title. He remained with the Cubs up until the 1995 season. After that he joined San Francisco and a couple of teams after that. I am too young to have been able to remember Dunston play, however from what people say and the videos I have seen, his ability to perform double plays was quite unique.

Alfonso Soriano

Now, a current player. Soriano signed with the Cubs back in 2007, an eight year contract worth $136 million. During his first two season he got off to a slow start, and injured himself in 2007. He would come back and help the Cubs win their division in '07 and '08. The following season was extremely productive for Fonzie. He started the season off by belting a homer on the first at bat. Soriano did well before undergoing surgery later in the year. In years to follow his statistics dropped at the plate and in the field. However, this past year his fielding increased dramatically. Throughout his career he has been named an All-Star seven times, won a Silver Slugger four times, and won a title twice. I know that there are a lot of Cubs fans that dislike Soriano, however I cannot find myself in that position. Sure, there are plenty of times where the guy gets me ticked off but I think he does his job. However, I am not even going to get started on what the Cubs pay him. This past season Soriano stepped up and improved his game, which hopefully he can continue to do, if he stays with the Cubs that is. 

Thee number 12 has seen some good moments, but more importantly some good people to wear it on their backs. 

2013 Cubs Convention

If you are a true Cubs fan, this is the place to be. The convention is an annual event hosted by the Cubs, where various coaches, executives, announcers, and players, current and former, come out for a weekend filled with fun and entertainment. The Cubs have changed the location to the Sheraton towers for this year. The convention will take place January 18th through 20th. This is a great opportunity to get autographs, attend conferences, and visit many great vendors. I have been attending the convention since I was young and have always had a blast. Some of the notable attendees for this year are Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney, Anthony Rizzo, and Alfonso Soriano. Whether you have attended before or not, I would highly recommend going. It is a great experience that has something for all Cubs fans. For more information visit  http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/community/convention.jsp
I would get your passes and hotel rooms asap because they sell out fast!