DJ Who?

So who was that kid in the double-flap college-style helmet with no name on his back that hit the 2-run walk off homer in the Cubs first televised game of spring training yesterday?

His name is DJ LeMahieu, and he's another former LSU guy. The Cubs drafted him in 2009 (2nd round) after he led the Tigers to the College World Series title.

He played for Class A Daytona last year and hit .314 with 73 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He looks like a pretty good prospect. He's a 22-year-old shortstop.

Cubs Hall of Famer: Ernie Banks

This week's featured Cubs Hall of Famer at Just One Bad Century just happens to be my all-time favorite player; Ernie Banks.

Read all about him here, and watch Ernie talk about his career in his own words.

This week in 1908, 1945

The last time the Cubs won the World Series was 1908. This week in 1908, Lawrence Welk (5), Henny Youngman (2) and Albert Einstein (28) celebrate birthdays, and Cubs manager Frank Chance has to get "the bulldog they train to fight badgers" to open up the trunk with the team uniforms, because he lost the key.

The last time the Cubs were in the World Series was 1945. This week in 1945, the Allies liberate Cologne, and the Cubs take a train down to French Lick Indiana to begin their spring training. Only three Cubs players show up.

Sights & Sounds

Friday is Sights and Sounds day at Just One Bad Century, which means we have some Cubs video and some Cubs audio.

This week the video is the recently deceased Hall of Famer Robin Roberts talking to the press just before signing with the Cubs (in the 1960s), and the audio is more classic Harry Caray.

Check it out here.

Phil Cavarretta

Today's Tale from a Bad Century is timely after what happened yesterday in the Cubs spring training game (see below).

In 1954, the Cubs did something even more shocking in spring training...they fired their manager. That's right, in spring training.

And he had been wearing a Cubs uniform for twenty years.

Read all about that story here.

In midseason form

Yesterday was only March 2nd, but lo and behold, the Cubs are already fighting in the dugout.

And it wasn't even Carlos Zambrano this time.

There must be an unofficial "craziest Carlos" award given out every year. Look out Zambrano. Carlos Silva is gunning for you this season.

A fan's guide to fun at Wrigley

A writer for Yahoo sports wrote a piece with her recommendations for enjoying Wrigley Field.

I agree with a lot of what she wrote, but I think everyone has their own preferences and routines.

As for me, I usually sit in the same seats (section 228, row 2, seats 5 & 6) because I share season tickets, but when I buy from a scalper, I'm looking for bleacher seats in the cold weather (every month except for July and August basically), and shady seats (just under overhang, in the first couple of rows) in the hot or rainy weather. If it's a beautiful day, I go for best seats available.

My regular seats are also by the two most important concession stands at Wrigley...the grilled hot dog wagon, and the Beers around the World stand. Why pay $6.75 for a Bud Light when you can get a Becks for $6.50? And those hot dogs with the grilled onions...mmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Those two concession stands are so important to me that I'm actually only going to one game this year before April 24th. You see, I'm giving up alcohol and meat for Lent this year, and can't have either of them before Easter on April 24th. (I call it "Extreme Lent"). I've watched a Cubs game without having a beer before, but I'm not sure I've ever gone to Wrigley without having a hot dog. I'm afraid I'll break out into a cold sweat.

By the way, if you're interested in getting a more detailed description of my Wrigley ritual (and boy am I a creature of habit), the main character in my first novel "$everance" goes through it in Chapter 29, starting on page 190.

Cubs poetry

This week's Tale from a Bad Century at JOBC goes back even further than a century. Today we feature Cubs Poetry from the 19th Century.

Read it here.

The Cubs are looking for a new PA announcer

And they're making a bit of a contest out of it.

The details are here.

In the fine print: you do need some prior experience as a PA guy, at least at the college level. Darn. I honestly thought about applying.

Hardrock

Tuesday is Great Nicknames day at JOBC, and this week we feature a man they called "Hardrock."

No relation to Coco.

Or Joe.

This "Hardrock" pitched for the Cubs in the 1930s.