6/23/2010
Written By: Mike Rickord
Category: Open Mike  

Ryne Sandberg graces the front cover of our 12th annual baseball edition of the Iowa Sports Connection as he spends the 2010 baseball season as the skipper of the Iowa Cubs.  “Holy Cow”! as the late great Harry Carrey used to bellow, could the Chicago Cubs use an injection of energy as the baseball season approaches the All-Star break. However, I believe that this season in Des Moines is precisely what Ryne Sandberg requires as he polishes his managing skills in preparation for the ultimate achievement for Ryno. Opening day in Wrigley 2011 will be a memorable homecoming for Ryne Sandberg should he walk into the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field where he performed so spectacularly for his beloved Chicago Cubs and be introduced to 41,000 strong as the new manager. Pat Hughes and Ron Santo will recall the magic on the radio for Cub fans of the magic Ryno provided when Harry and Ronnie were on the WGN Cubs radio network and all of us Cubs fans worldwide will have a new sense of hope for another century old dream of a World Series win for the boys on the north side.
  

I know I am a bit premature with this prediction for 2011 as it’s just late June but I am a Cubs fan and with the Club under .500 we are always looking for signs of optimism that we can hold onto in our blind passion for the loveable losers with the most loyal fan base on the planet. I developed my love for the Chicago Cubs in 1996-1997-1998 when I was employed in the sales and marketing department of the Iowa Cubs. I was a lifelong Yankee fan when the “Cubs Curse” infected me after my first trip to Wrigley and the interaction between the players from Iowa that were in the constant pursuit of that “cup of coffee” in the bigs, that that one shot at playing successfully in Wrigley securing a permanent view of the ivy in the outfield of the “Friendly Confines”. 
  

I have unfortunately passed on this plague to my sons and we have had many family memories in Wrigleyville with a family winning percentage of just under .500 for the games that we have attended. That is the beauty of Wrigley, as that regardless of the outcome of the game it is amazing how much the fans still enjoy the day. The rich tradition of the stadium getting your family pictures in front of the statue of Harry Carrey and of course the front entrance of Wrigley Field as my son Ben and I did last year. 
 

The move of Ryno would be a shot in the arm in 2010 but I am not certain that it would translate into any additional success. I implore you if you live in Iowa get to the “Friendly Confines” of Principal Park and watch Ryno and the future of the Chicago Cubs play a spectacular level of baseball in arguably the finest park in all of AAA baseball. I relish the few times a year that I am able to sit in my season tickets right behind first base and the glorious golden dome of the state capital over center field and the Des Moines skyline directly in front of me over left field. This view is spectacular at sunset and you mix some superb baseball in with the upgrades made to the park and next to Wrigley it’s a Cub fans paradise.     
  

The year is half over and man is it flying by with the 2009-2010 Iowa high school sports season winding down with boys baseball and girls softball winding down in the next three weeks. However, this fall season actually begins on August 20th with the first football games literally kicking off the 2010-2011 high school sports year. This upcoming fall we will expand our Friday Night Live coverage further than any year in our 12 year history. The Iowa Sports Connection Radio Network with 26 affiliates across Iowa reaches all 99 counties and this year will include our 4 TV partners into our real live scoring partnership with WHO TV HD-13 and the radio and TV broadcasts will parallel each other for 6 hours every Friday night during football season. In addition, the 12th anniversary PigSkin Preview will be out on the stands on August 16the with every team that puts on the pads in Iowa included from the 8-man high school teams to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The Pigskin Preview will also be available in our digital format to examine al season long as your source for Iowa high school football. I thank you for taking the time to pick up our 12th anniversary baseball edition of the Iowa Sports Connection.  Have a Championship month! God Bless You and God Bless America!