Burt Hooten

On this day in 1972, Cubs pitcher Burt Hooton threw a no-hitter in one of his first career starts. I remember watching that game (Channel 9) on my parent's black and white basement television. I was nine years old at the time.

I didn't know it then, but I have since discovered that before he came to the Cubs, Burt Hooten was a big star at the University of Texas.

After searching for two years I've been unable to come up with any video of his no-hitter, but lookee here, there is a video about his college days at Texas.

Jackie Robinson

On this day in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

How did the Cubs react when they played him a few weeks later? Not well.

That story is here.

They're everywhere, they're everywhere!

I was tuning around the radio dial yesterday, and the same people kept showing up: Tom Ricketts and his siblings. Then, during the game, they showed up on the TV broadcast singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and hung out with Len & Bob.

Melissa Isaacson has more on the Ricketts' busy day.

I know I'm just one person, but I'm thrilled that the Cubs have such hands-on owners now. That could only mean good things for the future.

On the other hand, I heard they hired a team psychologist. Let's hope that's not a bad omen, because P.K. Wrigley did the same thing back in 1938.

Cub Fans

This is a great piece in Salon by Robert J. Elisberg. Thanks to "DE" for pointing it out to me. It's called "Okay, so it's been a bad century."

There are several great lines written by this fellow Cub fan in the piece, but here's my favorite: "People marvel that there are so many Cubs fans - but they miss the point.  The amazing thing isn't that there are so many Cubs fans.  It's that there are any."

There are a few more gems in the piece. Check it out, fellow Cub fans. It gave me a chuckle.

We're #1!

I know it's been a rough start of the year for the Cubs, so this news should cheer you up. The Cubs do lead the league in something according to the latest stats.

This year they have the highest non-premium ticket prices!

We're #1!

Don Zimmer

On this day in 1960 the Cubs acquired an infielder named Don Zimmer, who would go on to manage the team nearly 30 years later.

Read all about the trade and why it didn't turn out so well for the Cubs.

Book Review: The Man with Two Arms

When I received "The Man with Two Arms" by Billy Lombardo and read the synopsis of the story, I put it in my very exclusive "to read" pile.

That pile is usually filled with non-fiction books; research for my websites and my own books. Very few novels make the pile because I just don't have enough hours in my day to read for fun.

I am so happy I made this novel, "The Man with Two Arms," the exception to the rule.

It's a story about the first switch pitcher in the major leagues, which was enough of a hook for me to put it in the "to read" pile. But it's much much more than that. It's a love letter to baseball. It's a beautifully told father-son story that will touch the heart of any father or son (I have three boys). It's a love story that is told with the kind of sensitivity and care you simply don't find in novels...especially those targeted to men.

It's wish fulfillment to the nth degree, especially for Cub fans (some of the most touching baseball moments occur at Wrigley Field).

I can't recommend it highly enough. I was literally smiling the entire time I was reading it. It was that joyous of an experience.

This is how deeply it touched me. On opening day when Jason Heyward hit a home run in his first major league at bat to beat my favorite team, the Cubs, I was cheering for him. They showed his father in the stands being surrounded by his friends. His father who was filled with such pride and euphoria that the tears couldn't be contained, and I'll admit it. I couldn't contain mine either.

It's a moment all of us would love to experience...as either the father or the son. If you read "The Man with Two Arms" you actually will experience it.

Are you a man that wells up every time the movie "Field of Dreams" comes on? Do you "get something in your eye" when Kevin Costner says "Dad, you wanna have a catch?" Is the highlight of your day the moment your own son wants to play catch or talk baseball with you? If you answered yes to any of those questions, read this book.

In addition to being a great story, it's simply beautifully written. Billy Lombardo is a heck of a talent.

I'm totally jealous.

That's the highest praise one writer can give to another.