Results tagged ‘ community affairs ’
Cubs Summer Camps return to Chicago
With summer just around the corner, registration for Cubs Summer Camps is now open to boys and girls ages 5-13. Beginning the week of June 24, there will be six one-week sessions running through the week of August 5 in Lake Forest, Riverside, Palatine, Niles, Naperville and Evanston.
“We offer a first class instructional experience to all our campers based on leadership and character development,” said Brendan Sullivan, director of Cubs Summer Camps. “The combination of on-field skill work coupled with the exclusive access we offer to the team make this a great experience for all that attend.”
In addition to on-field skill development and professional instruction, campers also have the opportunity to take a guided tour of Wrigley Field and either meet with a member of the 2013 Chicago Cubs or take an individual photo in the team clubhouse, depending on the schedule.
For the first time ever, Cubs Summer Camps will utilize video footage and analysis with older campers to further develop the ballplayers’ fundamental skills. The camps will also feature innovative instructional curriculum and differentiated practice based on each player’s age and skill level.
For more information, including Cubs Summer Camps enrollment forms, please visit the summer camp section online at cubs.com.
More from a beautiful Opening Day
Should Opening Day be a holiday? Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny thinks so:
“If you love baseball, when Opening Day comes around, it’s a great feeling. It’s awesome for us as players. I think of when I was younger. I was always excited because I would try to get out of school and run home as quick as I can to watch baseball the rest of the day. That was a fun time. It was almost like a holiday for me. It should be a holiday.”
Here’s the day in photos, from the lens of Stephen Green.
Cubs tickets are still available for April and May games. Grab your seat at Wrigley Field on cubs.com. And don’t miss out on Stephen Green’s photos in every issue of Vine Line. Get your insider’s pass by subscribing today.
Soggy night vs. Cincy
There’s no batting practice on the field today because of the Midwest’s continued rainy conditions. But tonight’s lineup will be all set to go:
Soriano, LF
Fukudome, CF
Lee, 1B
Hoffpauir, RF
Ramirez, 3B
Fontenot, 2B
Soto, C
Theriot, SS
Harden, RHP
Right-hander Micah Owings (0-1, 7.20 ERA) starts for the Reds.
We speak espaol
There’s a lot of excitement in the front office today for the Cubs’ first Spanish radio broadcast under a deal with station La Tremenda 1200 AM. The games also will be broadcast on the Internet for anyone with MLB’s Gameday Audio package.
A few of us at Vine Line got to listen to Carlos Zambrano, Geovany Soto and Carlos Marmol speak in their native language about some of their most memorable moments in a Cubs uniform, who they looked up to as kids, what’s special about Latino fans, and what it means to be a Chicago Cub. More than anything, you can tell the pride (orgullo) that the players have representing their countries (Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively). And they have a lot of enthusiasm for the Cubs’ Spanish-language efforts on loscubs.com, on the radio and in nearby Humboldt Park.
Caring for the community
The Chicago Cubs and the McCormick Foundation today hosted their annual Cubs Care grant award luncheon, distributing $1.06 million to non-profit organizations that aid those in the Lakeview community.
Left-hander Sean Marshall and TV broadcaster Len Kasper presented the checks to representatives from 41 different area organizations, supporting children with special needs, youth sports programs, victims of domestic violence and other charitable causes.
One such recipient was GiGi’s Playhouse, a local organization supporting families of children with down syndrome. Nancy Gianni accepted the Cubs Care check on behalf of GiGi’s Playhouse, and she gave some energetic and heartfelt remarks on what the Cubs’ support means and raising her daughter who has down syndrome. It was a moving speech that left those in attendance without a dry eye.
If you want more information on how to support Cubs Care, either through a donation or one of several Wrigley Field events, visit the fund’s page at cubs.com.
– Sean Ahmed
Inside a frigid Opening Day
Ah, Opening Day. No matter if it’s played on March 31 (like last year) or a full two weeks later, on April 13, that first game always seems to bring out the worst in Chicago weather.
But an impressive turnout of Cubs fans endured temperatures in the 40s and the constant misty rain, all after a one-hour, 12-minute rain delay. And they were treated to a great home opener:
? The crowd gave a standing ovation to National Guard Specialist Eunice Hernandez, an honored guest of the Cubs’ community affairs department. Hernandez, 22, became nationally known when, during the Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball, she answered President Barack Obama’s question of “White Sox or Cubs?” with “Cubs.” Hernandez was visiting the ballpark during her couple weeks in between tours of duty in Afghanistan.
? The Captain Morgan Club was at capacity the couple times I walked by in the late innings. And the crowd inside was as much a part of the Wrigley experience as any, joining “Sut” for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
? Ted Lilly took a no-hitter into the seventh inning despite the wet mist that wreaked havoc on pitchers’ command. He said after the game that he wasn’t thinking about maintaining the no-hitter but rather that the conditions forced him to focus only on making quality pitches. Lou Piniella raved about Lilly’s performance under tough conditions.
“It was a cold, raw day, and Lilly really mastered the weather,” Piniella said. “He threw strikes, changed speeds, got his curveball over … really an outstanding pitching performance.”
? General manager Jim Hendry was his typical, enthusiastic self after the game. Aside from a brief stop in the office last Friday morning before heading to Milwaukee, Jim hasn’t been in Wrigley Field for over two months. Glad we got this first one today.
– Sean Ahmed
