Tag / Wrigley Field

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Preparing For Stars

Before kicking off the second half of the season Friday night, the Cubs unveiled the logo for the 2027 All-Star Game, planned to be played at Wrigley Field next July 13.  The logo incorporates iconography of both the Wrigley Field marquee and the stars from the Chicago flag.

The game has been played at Wrigley Field three previous times, and each was honored as part of the ceremony.  Phil Cavaretta’s niece stood in for him for the 1947 game, with Billy Williams representing the 1962 game and Andre Dawson and Shawon Dunston representing the 1990 game.  Each installed a base with their game’s logo before the new one was unveiled at home plate.

Of course, the giant elephant in the room is the labor uncertainty thanks to an all-but-certain lockout coming following this season that threatens to interfere with the 2027 season.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #2

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.

Today, we have our penultimate entry with the artist I’ve listened to the second most over the last 13-ish years.  Formed in Liverpool, England in 1960, I present to you the Fab Four, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.  Collectively known as The Beatles.

#2: The Beatles
iTunes stats: 2147 plays
Previous ranking: #2

Arriving on US shores in early 1964, The Beatles put together what is today considered a catalog of thirteen studio albums and one compilation.  Those releases are the core of the 99 tracks that make up their 2147 plays, for an average of 21.7 listens per track.  Their counts would be even higher, but their totals were reset in 2009 when I replaced the original CD releases from the 1980s with a remastered box set.

While the band broke up four years before I was born following the release of 1970’s Let It Be, I have managed to see Paul McCartney in concert twice, first at Wrigley Field in 2011 and then again at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in 2017.  His touring band puts on quite a show and I’m sure I’d be interested if and when he comes back through town again, assuming the price was reasonable.

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Looking Ahead To 2027

Returning to their traditional day after the All-Star Game release, Major League Baseball released their tentative 2027 earlier this week, one which hopefully will not be impacted by a prolonged work stoppage.  For the fifth year in a row, MLB is keeping with a balanced schedule, playing 52 games against division opponents, 64 games against non-division opponents in the same league, and 46 interleague games, with series against every team in the opposite league.  With both Chicago teams heading into the second half in line for a postseason appearance for the first time since 2008 and the All-Star Game coming to Wrigley Field in July, the 2027 season looks like it could be an interesting one on both sides of town.  So, for one day, at least, let’s turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season on the road in the Midwest on March 25, scheduled to be the earliest North American start in league history, facing the Tigers followed by a series against the Royals.  They open up their home schedule against the Brewers on April 1.

Aside from the Brewers, the interleague schedule sees the White Sox staying home to face the Marlins, Phillies, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Padres, while travelling to see the Pirates, Reds, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Rockies, and Nationals.  The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field coming out of the All-Star break in mid-July followed by three games at Rate Field the first weekend of August.

The White Sox wrap up the 2027 season in September at home, with a final series against the Tigers before ending the year with three against the Padres.

On the north side, the Cubs kick off their season at home against the Guardians and Cardinals before heading out on the road in early April.  Aside from the Guardians, the Cubs will host the Mariners, Orioles, Red Sox, and Royals while travelling to battle the Angels, Twins, A’s, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Tigers.

The Cubs open September with eleven straight against their NL Central rivals, but finish the month, and the season, on the road to face the Phillies and the Mets.

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Fitbit 12 – Week 24

Despite the excessive heat warnings, it was another great week, finishing with my highest weekly total in nearly two years, multiple days above goal for the first time since January. and pushing my 40,000-step streak to three weeks.  Afternoon baseball at Rate Field on Sunday started the week off on a high note, finishing with 7600 steps.  Monday dropped down a bit, falling 28 steps away from 5200.  The overbearing heat arrived on Tuesday, so an early morning walk helped push me to 6200 steps.  A trip to Wrigley Field on Wednesday again pushed me over goal, ending the day with 8400 steps.  An appointment for blood work followed by a car wash left me with 5500 steps on Thursday.  A morning walk on Friday pushed me up to 6200 steps.  The week wrapped up on a high note on Saturday, using another morning walk to finish with 6700 steps.

Total steps: 45,941

Daily average: 6563

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Relief Pitchers Part 2

Originally founded in 1869, the Chicago Cubs became a charter member of the National League in 1876.  Over the next 150 seasons, the Cubs have played more than 22,000 games, scored over 103,000 runs and recorded more than 200,000 hits, more than any other team in baseball history.  Nearly 2,300 players have worn a Cubs uniform, earning eight division titles, 17 NL pennants, and three World Series championships.

Fans have witnessed generations of unforgettable players, from historical heroes like Joe Tinker, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams to more recent stars like Ryne Sandberg, Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, and Anthony Rizzo.  The team has called Wrigley Field home for 110 of those 150 seasons.

To celebrate this milestone, the Cubs are holding a fan vote to select the franchise’s anniversary team.  Each week, we will go through the provided options for each position and declare who should, and, if different, who will, win the fan vote.  We continue today with the final eight selections for relief pitcher.

Carlos Mármol was signed by the Cubs as a catcher/outfielder in 1999 but was converted to pitcher in 2003.  He debuted in 2006, working mostly as a starter in place of the injured Kerry Wood.  Marmol resurfaced in 2007 as a setup man and helped the Cubs capture back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008.  Over those two seasons, Marmol battled Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood for the closer spot, getting his opportunity in both years thanks to injury to the incumbent.  In 2009, he finally replaced an ineffective Kevin Gregg as closer, holding down that position for the remainder of his Cubs tenure.  Marmol’s strength was in his ability to strike out opposing batters, averaging 16 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, setting the record for highest K/9 ratio by a pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched.  Things started to go south in 2011, when he tied for the major league lead with ten blown saves.  The following year, he was designated for assignment in June after continuing to struggle.

Randy Myers spent just three seasons with the Cubs, from 1993-1995.  In 1993, he set a then-NL record with 53 saves.  His most infamous moment came in a late September game against the Astros in 1995, when a fan jumped onto the field and ran to the pitcher’s mound to attack Myers after he gave up a go-ahead home run.  Myers used his martial arts training to drop the attacker to the ground and then held him down until security could get there.  He led the NL in saves twice in his three years with the Cubs and was a two-time All-Star.

Phil Regan was traded to the Cubs in late April 1968.  He excelled at the back end of the Cubs bullpen, leading all of MLB with 25 saves and earning the Sporting News Reliever of the Year award.  A run-in with an umpire on August 18 in his appearance versus the Reds saw Regan accused of throwing doctored balls, with fourteen pitches deemed illegal by the home plate umpire despite no evidence of any foreign substance on the balls.  While later cleared by the NL President Warren Giles, Regan’s reputation was sullied for the remainder of his career.  Unfortunately, he was never able to repeat that dominance and found his usage decrease each season he remained with the Cubs until he left in June of 1972.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #5

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.

Today, we break into the top five as we approach the top of our chart.  Born out of the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 and the subsequent breakup of Nirvana, our next entry is the Dave Grohl solo project that turned into the real live band known as Foo Fighters.

 

#5: Foo Fighters
iTunes stats: 1249 plays
Previous ranking: #5

Adding listens to an additional six songs, pushing them up to 54 tracks, helped the Foo Fighters raise their total by nearly 22%, leaving them static in their spot on the charts.  Their most popular song, a live version of My Hero from a concert in London’s Hyde Park in 2006, clocks in with 68 listens, while twelve different tracks bring up the rear with only a single play.

I’ve managed to see the band in concert twice: first in 2005 and again in 2015.  The first show was an indoor affair at the Allstate Arena, where they were touring with Weezer, who got things started by mixing a cover of Big Me into their set.  Once the Foo Fighters came out, they mixed in old hits with selections from their new album for a fun, 16-song set.  They also managed to break down some of their hits with elongated guitar solos that gave the audience an opportunity to thrash themselves as much as humanly possible.

Ten years later, I saw them for the second time at Wrigley Field.  Having broken his leg over two months earlier, Dave Grohl spent the show sitting in an electric throne that could bring him out into the crowd thanks to an extended stage.  The band wasted no time in getting things started, blowing out Everlong and Monkey Wrench straight out of the gate.  Over 2 and a half hours and 21 songs later, they closed down the joint with a rousing rendition of Best of You.  In between, they put on a hell of a show, featuring their own hits along with some snippets of hits from Van Halen, Yes, and Alice Cooper.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Relief Pitchers Part 1

Originally founded in 1869, the Chicago Cubs became a charter member of the National League in 1876.  Over the next 150 seasons, the Cubs have played more than 22,000 games, scored over 103,000 runs and recorded more than 200,000 hits, more than any other team in baseball history.  Nearly 2,300 players have worn a Cubs uniform, earning eight division titles, 17 NL pennants, and three World Series championships.

Fans have witnessed generations of unforgettable players, from historical heroes like Joe Tinker, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams to more recent stars like Ryne Sandberg, Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, and Anthony Rizzo.  The team has called Wrigley Field home for 110 of those 150 seasons.

To celebrate this milestone, the Cubs are holding a fan vote to select the franchise’s anniversary team.  Each week, we will go through the provided options for each position and declare who should, and, if different, who will, win the fan vote.  We continue today with the first eight selections for relief pitcher.

Paul Assenmacher, acquired for the stretch run in 1989 as the team was looking for their second NL East title, spent parts of five seasons as a member of the Cubs and was a perfectly reliable bullpen arm for most of that time.

Rod Beck spent less than two seasons with the Cubs.  Signed in 1998, he led the NL in games and games finished while saving 51 as the Cubs won their first NL Wild Card.  He made one appearance in the NLDS, giving up three earned runs in less than two innings of work.  Injuries combined with ineffectiveness the following year led to him being traded to the Red Sox in August.  He was re-signed by the team in 2003 while recovering from Tommy John surgery but was released before being added to the big-league roster.  Following his 2007 death, he was buried wearing his Cubs uniform.

Joe Borowski spent parts of five seasons with the Cubs, from 2001-2005.  His best year came in 2003, when he was named the closer.  He saved 33 games as the Cubs won their first division title in over a decade.  He gave up just one earned run across five games in the postseason, as the Cubs famously lost the NLCS to the Marlins in seven games.  Injuries marred his remaining time on the team, and he was designated for assignment in 2005.

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Fitbit 12 – Week 22

A great week, as I pushed past the 40,000-step mark for the first time in a month and extended my streak of weeks over 30,000 steps to nineteen.  The week got off to a nice start on Sunday, as I used a long walk through the neighborhood to finish a single step shy of 6700.  Monday kept the good times going, ending with 5600 steps.  A very small drop on Tuesday left me with 5500 steps.  Wednesday was the low point of the week, as a busy workday limited me 4300 steps.  Thursday saw a nice bounce back, falling 27 steps shy of 5900.  The Juneteenth holiday on Friday, spent getting a haircut followed by a Cubs rout of the Blue Jays at Wrigley Field, surpassed my daily goal and ended up 39 steps away from 8400.  The week wrapped up on a good note on Saturday, ending with 5400 steps despite a graduation party taking up the afternoon.

Total steps: 41,861

Daily average: 5980.1

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Starting Pitchers Part 3

Originally founded in 1869, the Chicago Cubs became a charter member of the National League in 1876.  Over the next 150 seasons, the Cubs have played more than 22,000 games, scored over 103,000 runs and recorded more than 200,000 hits, more than any other team in baseball history.  Nearly 2,300 players have worn a Cubs uniform, earning eight division titles, 17 NL pennants, and three World Series championships.

Fans have witnessed generations of unforgettable players, from historical heroes like Joe Tinker, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams to more recent stars like Ryne Sandberg, Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, and Anthony Rizzo.  The team has called Wrigley Field home for 110 of those 150 seasons.

To celebrate this milestone, the Cubs are holding a fan vote to select the franchise’s anniversary team.  Each week, we will go through the provided options for each position and declare who should, and, if different, who will, win the fan vote.  We start today with the final eight selections for starting pitcher.

Rick Reuschel, a native of central Illinois, spent parts of twelve seasons across two stints with the Cubs, from 1972-1981 and again from 1983-1984.  From 1975-1978, he was teammates with his brother Paul, also a pitcher.  His best season came in 1977, when he won 20 games, made his lone All-Star team as a Cub, and finished third in Cy Young award voting.  After being traded in 1981, he returned to the Cubs in 1983 following a rotator cuff injury.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Charlie Root spent the majority of his major league career with the Cubs, from 1926-1941.  In 1927, he led the National League with 26 wins, 48 games, 309 innings pitched, and, unfortunately, 117 walks.  In the 1932 World Series, Root was on the mound for Babe Ruth’s infamous called shot home run, though he would dispute the account.  Overall, he appeared in four World Series as a Cub and received some MVP support in five of his sixteen seasons.  He is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame.

Bob Rush debuted with the Cubs in 1948, spending ten seasons on the north side.  A two-time All-Star, he led the NL with 20 losses in 1950.  He was a steady, if unspectacular, mainstay of the Cub rotation during the fallow period following their final World Series appearance of the 20th century in 1945.

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