Welcome to the neighborhood

12:30 PM: It might have been raining cats and dogs outside, but there was no raining on this Cubs parade.

Five or six photographers stood outside the Captain Morgan Club in the Wrigley Field concourse awaiting the Ricketts arrival to the press conference.

If Quentin Tarantino had captured the moment, it surely would have been in slow motion. The four Ricketts--Peter, Todd, Laura and Tom--did their best "Reservoir Dogs" impersonation walking side by side, looking like a quartet of gunslingers.

They just bought the Chicago Cubs. They should feel confident!

Tom discussed everything from payroll, tickets, the "Triangle" Building, Wrigley Field, naming rights, Lou Piniella....The entire press conference went off without a hitch. Well, almost.

As she started to add to a comment made by Tom, Laura Ricketts' microphone shut down. Being the nice brother that he is, Tom--who was wearing a clip on mic--snuggled up next to his sister, who used the clip-on to finish her statement, to the laughter of the media and ancillary audience. I was standing next to Comcast SportsNet producer Bob Albrecht and I remarked:

"Wouldn't it be great if she planted a nice kiss right on her brother's face right now?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Bob said.

Though she didn't, the moment made for a very good photo-op.

The siblings discussed how each had come to be a Cubs fan, despite growing up in Omaha.

All had gone to school in Chicago and found themselves caught up into Cubs mania. Peter, who currently is the only sibling living in Omaha, recalled his college days.

"I came to Chicago in 1982 to attend the University of Chicago," said Peter, who lived above Sports Corner on the corner of Addison and Sheffield. His brother Tom came to live with him. "By 1984, it was hard not to get into the Cubs. I lived with my brother, and he slept overnight in line to get bleacher tickets."

Sister Laura came and stayed with her brothers one summer and got hooked as well.

"I became immersed in the culture of Wrigleyville," Laura said.

After the press conference and an interview immediately following, Tom is whisked away for even more appointments. He still looks relaxed and poised.

"How are you holding up," Cubs President Crane Kenney asks.

"Good. Real good," Tom replies.

"Well, hang in there. It's a marathon." In baseball, no truer words have been spoken

That's probably good considering the Ricketts family have said on numerous occassions that they are in it for the long haul. That's good news.

Hey, Cubs fans! Welcome to the family.

--Mike Huang

To subscribe to Vine Line, visit http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/vineline.jsp