On May 6th, the Cubs hosted the 1st Ever Charity Bowling Tournament to benefit children and their families at Nemours Children's Hospital. This was my first ever charity bowling tournament as well! The entire team was present as well as most of the Cubs office staff. The team and fans packed the Bellair Lanes Bowling Alley!
I'm sure for some of the players, it was the first time they ever bowled. Each team consisted of a player/coach and fans/staffers. I couldn't bowl due to a finger injury, but I was able to assist with the drop ticket raffle, where attendee's could purchase raffle tickets and drop them in a cup that corresponded with the prize they wanted. There were ton's of great items including wine packages, golf outings, fitness center memberships, camping gear, a "Big Green Egg" grill./smoker and of course, sports memorabilia.
Being a collector of autographed items, you know where my tickets went! There were items sent from the Chicago Cubs which included signed Darwin Barney and Jeff Samardzija jersey's, a bat signed by Starlin Castro, and a ball signed by Wellington Castillo. Other items includes balls signed by Lee Smith, Rollie Fingers, Gaylord Perry and .... Albert Pujols. (I have a simple rule about buying autographed items. I don't do it, unless it is for a charity auction. I have a bit of a problem with people making selling autographs to line their own pockets. Dealers have made it so much more difficult for personal collectors because most players don't want their signatures to be sold without them benefitting. But that's another rant to be reserved for a different time.) To continue, I dropped my donation into the pot and threw nearly all my tickets into the Pujols cup, along with all the other tickets. There were 2 signed balls to be raffled off and when they pulled the last ticket number, it was mine!!!
As for the bowling, it seemed like everyone was having a great time. I had a lot of fans and players tell me they had a lot of fun and hoped this would be a regular event. The tourney was the brain child of our Manager, Dave Keller. He wanted to do something different from the normal golf outings, so that more people could be involved. He wanted something that would allow the players and the fans to mix and that would instill the idea of charitable giving in the players. All in all, it was a huge success! The proof is in the pic!
As for the on-field play.... Well I still have hope. We have had some recent player transactions that include Arodys Visciano, being sent up to Tennessee and Daytona has acquired Zack Godley from Kane County and one of my 2013 favorites, Zeke DeVoss, from the Smokies. Losing Ardoys may hurt a bit, as he has been solid, but he certainly deserves the promotion. I predict he will be in Chicago before long. Zeke should help with the team chemistry. He is such a likable guy and a great presence both on the field and in the clubhouse. Time will tell how the team responds, but regardless, me and my cowbell will be there cheering them on!
Till next time....Go Cubs Go!
