Lord, the Rings!
Never far from the big leagues, Des Moines will feel like an especially reasonable facsimile during the brief five-game homestand that opens tonight.
Tomorrow night features a pregame ring ceremony where more of those gaudy World Series spoils will be awarded. Rob Zastryzny and Jake Buchanan are players on the swag roster and select I-Cub brass are included too.
The team’s principal owner is Michael Gartner who grew up here and did a stint as President of NBC News in New York before returning to this area and winning a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing on a small Central Iowa newspaper he acquired. I can’t think of and haven’t been able to discover any other Pulitzer winners who also snagged themselves a World Series ring.
Sam Bernabe is a minority shareholder and has been with the team since 1983, its GM since 1986. He has paid some dues and now is reaping some serious payback.
Gartner and Bernabe are great stewards of the game in these parts and have always been generous in granting me access to the I-Cubs’ playgrounds, so congrats to them both and whoever else cashes in tomorrow night.
Chicago‘s Director of Player Development Jarod Madison will be here to pass out the jewelry.
The following night, none other than Wayne (Home of the Braaave) Messmer will be in town to do the National Anthem honors.
Naturally, the weather forecast stinks for the entire series with the Colorado Sky Sox, deputies of the Brewers.
Getaway day on Monday calls for a noon matinee and I am holding out hope that the climate will have changed enough by then to warrant an afternoon off from work. Otherwise my attendance for this set may be limited to the pregame big league stuff, if that. The only thing worse than playing in 40-degree drizzles is sitting still and watching. Director of Player Development Jarod Madison Director of Player Development Jarod Madison Director of Player Development Jarod Madison
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