WELCOME TO THE JUNE EDITION OF CUBS WORLD CHATTER
Hello Cubs World! Well, it seems our Cubbies are riding through some turbulent times. However, we should all keep something in mind. True Cubs fans know how to fan the flames of hope better than anyone!
As they say, it's a long season and baseball is strange. Anything can happen. And will! GO CUBBIES!
As they say, it's a long season and baseball is strange. Anything can happen. And will! GO CUBBIES!
ON DECK FOR CUBS WORLD
WATCH PARTY
Saturday, June 20th
Gators in Brownwood
Gathering time 1:30 pm.
JULY MOVIE NIGHT
"MAJOR LEAGUE"
Tuesday, July
WATCH PARTY
Saturday, June 20th
Gators in Brownwood
Gathering time 1:30 pm.
JULY MOVIE NIGHT
"MAJOR LEAGUE"
Tuesday, July
ATTENTION CUBS WORLD! It's that time again when we all wear our badges to enter the Epic Theatre in Lake Sumter for a FREE screening of a baseball class as chosen by our membership. If you've never seen this comic gem (or even if you have) it's really something special!
We have a special date for this event...TUESDAY, JULY 14! This way we have a little distance from the busy 4th. Another reason for the date is the fact of auditorium limitations. Some big hits have surfaced all of a sudden and this makes me happy being the "life-long" film student that I am.
One thing to remember! Please wear your Cubs World badge. It is your ticket and you must have it with you to attend. See you at the movies!
We have a special date for this event...TUESDAY, JULY 14! This way we have a little distance from the busy 4th. Another reason for the date is the fact of auditorium limitations. Some big hits have surfaced all of a sudden and this makes me happy being the "life-long" film student that I am.
One thing to remember! Please wear your Cubs World badge. It is your ticket and you must have it with you to attend. See you at the movies!
RED WORD TIME
by Wayne Richards
There's no doubt about it. People love the RED WORD game! For those of you who are new members, we know you'll love it too.
Here's how it works. Somewhere in this newsletter you will find a word printed in red. When you do jump for joy and write it down on a piece of paper or a speeding ticket.
Bring it to the EPIC THEATRE screening on July 14th and place it in a jar for a drawing just before the film begins! BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!
by Wayne Richards
There's no doubt about it. People love the RED WORD game! For those of you who are new members, we know you'll love it too.
Here's how it works. Somewhere in this newsletter you will find a word printed in red. When you do jump for joy and write it down on a piece of paper or a speeding ticket.
Bring it to the EPIC THEATRE screening on July 14th and place it in a jar for a drawing just before the film begins! BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!
OUR CUBS WORLD FAMILY IS GROWING!!!
A BIG WELCOME FROM THE CUBS WORLD FAMILY TO THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS...
BOBBY AND CARLA BOLT
SUSAN KASEL
ED AND GENIE POLHORSKY
BOBBY AND CARLA BOLT
SUSAN KASEL
ED AND GENIE POLHORSKY
BEAN BAG BOFFO!
by Dan Marx
Our membership meeting, June 1st was different. We didn’t have any “zoom” speakers, we didn’t have any in person speakers. We did something totally out of the box. We played beanbag baseball. This is one of the fastest growing games in The Villages. Jerry Leidel and his wife were there to teach us the game and 48 of us were there to have a great time playing it.
Picture 8 chairs facing 8 chairs lined up with 2 random teams. These players are tossing underhand little beanbags that are made to look like baseballs. Unlike “cornhole” the boards are not a gradual slope on the floor. The boards are almost straight up and have nine holes in them. The smallish holes are for a single, a double, a triple, and a homer. There is also a long hole for a foul ball.
If you miss the holes 3 times, then you are out, and the next player on your team tosses the beanball. You go through all 8 players on your team, and then the other team is “up to bat”. If you should score a run, you had better touch home plate or the “umpire “will tag you out!
The game was played throughout the room and lasted over an hour. The game that I was playing in went to the top of the 9th when we were down 4 runs. We scored 5 runs and were quite nervous when the other team had their last at bats but did not score a run and we held on to win.
The night started with a baseball menu when we all had the king-sized Costco hot dogs, pizza slices and apple turnovers. Yum, yum.
A fun night was had by all!
by Dan Marx
Our membership meeting, June 1st was different. We didn’t have any “zoom” speakers, we didn’t have any in person speakers. We did something totally out of the box. We played beanbag baseball. This is one of the fastest growing games in The Villages. Jerry Leidel and his wife were there to teach us the game and 48 of us were there to have a great time playing it.
Picture 8 chairs facing 8 chairs lined up with 2 random teams. These players are tossing underhand little beanbags that are made to look like baseballs. Unlike “cornhole” the boards are not a gradual slope on the floor. The boards are almost straight up and have nine holes in them. The smallish holes are for a single, a double, a triple, and a homer. There is also a long hole for a foul ball.
If you miss the holes 3 times, then you are out, and the next player on your team tosses the beanball. You go through all 8 players on your team, and then the other team is “up to bat”. If you should score a run, you had better touch home plate or the “umpire “will tag you out!
The game was played throughout the room and lasted over an hour. The game that I was playing in went to the top of the 9th when we were down 4 runs. We scored 5 runs and were quite nervous when the other team had their last at bats but did not score a run and we held on to win.
The night started with a baseball menu when we all had the king-sized Costco hot dogs, pizza slices and apple turnovers. Yum, yum.
A fun night was had by all!
BEAN BAG THOUGHTS
by Wayne Richards
At first, arriving at Colony, the sight of the theatre room being so empty was a bit of a shock! It looked like a bowling alley with a podium in the middle.
But looks can be deceiving! We had a great turnout for our first BEAN BAG BASEBALL night! Judging from the positive comments and smiles, I can report that the event was a bigtime success!
Jerry Leidel (the ringmaster of this circus) is called the COMMISSIONER due to the fact that he has been hosting these games throughout the Villages for many years.
It was a few of our Cubs World members that explained to me just how much fun it is. Having played it, I now understand why it is so attractive to folks.
While playing the game I managed to get one home run and nothing else. I then realized that this experienced mirrored my entire little league career. Some things never change!
Another reason I liked this game is that we had no ABS! The game never stopped to contact NEW YORK about a play! It never once rained in the room! There were no bench clearing brawls! The voices singing "TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME" sounded pretty damn good!
At the end of the evening, I had a little conversation with the COMMISIONER suggesting that an event should be scheduled where CUBS WORLD could play another baseball club! He said that it could be arranged so I think we will do just that in the future!
By the way, during the course of the evening you might've noticed a happy-go-lucky photographer snapping our photos both individually and collectively. He is working on a big story about the origins of our club to be featured in the VILLAGES MAGAZINE sometime in the near future. keep your eyes peeled! AND SMILE!
But looks can be deceiving! We had a great turnout for our first BEAN BAG BASEBALL night! Judging from the positive comments and smiles, I can report that the event was a bigtime success!
Jerry Leidel (the ringmaster of this circus) is called the COMMISSIONER due to the fact that he has been hosting these games throughout the Villages for many years.
It was a few of our Cubs World members that explained to me just how much fun it is. Having played it, I now understand why it is so attractive to folks.
While playing the game I managed to get one home run and nothing else. I then realized that this experienced mirrored my entire little league career. Some things never change!
Another reason I liked this game is that we had no ABS! The game never stopped to contact NEW YORK about a play! It never once rained in the room! There were no bench clearing brawls! The voices singing "TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME" sounded pretty damn good!
At the end of the evening, I had a little conversation with the COMMISIONER suggesting that an event should be scheduled where CUBS WORLD could play another baseball club! He said that it could be arranged so I think we will do just that in the future!
By the way, during the course of the evening you might've noticed a happy-go-lucky photographer snapping our photos both individually and collectively. He is working on a big story about the origins of our club to be featured in the VILLAGES MAGAZINE sometime in the near future. keep your eyes peeled! AND SMILE!
By the way, during the course of the evening you might've noticed a happy-go-lucky photographer snapping our photos both individually and collectively. He is working on a big story about the origins of our club to be featured in the VILLAGES MAGAZINE sometime in the near future. keep your eyes peeled! AND SMILE!
NOTE...
Cubs World would like to hear your comments about this event. Do you like the idea of playing other teams? If we play the Cardinals would a world war break out?
In conclusion, I thought you should know that the fine photographer stayed the entire night to watch us play Bean bag baseball. He didn't have to but was having a tremendous time! Judging by the smiling faces of our membership, you all had a great time!
NOTE...
Cubs World would like to hear your comments about this event. Do you like the idea of playing other teams? If we play the Cardinals would a world war break out?
In conclusion, I thought you should know that the fine photographer stayed the entire night to watch us play Bean bag baseball. He didn't have to but was having a tremendous time! Judging by the smiling faces of our membership, you all had a great time!
In our membership column last month, the topic was to mention a single game that was a springboard that made you sit up and pay attention to a Chicago athlete who had just showed off his tremendous capabilities. My example was Gale Sayers’ 6 touchdown game against the 49ers. Gary Koca brought up Kerry Wood and his 20 k game against a very talented Houston team. Also mentioned was Ken Holtzman’s no hitter, and Kyle Schwarber’s grand slam. These all fit the category. I was a little surprised that nobody mentioned Michael Jordan’s 63 point playoff game that gave us a glimpse of the greatness that he would share with us in Chicago for the rest of his career.
So, here’s one you probably didn’t think of. Tuffy Rhodes. April 4, 1994 was the opening day game at Wrigley Field against one of the top 2 or 3 pitchers that the Mets have ever had, Dwight Gooden. The odds of Rhodes doing that against Doc Gooden were astronomically high. What did Rhodes do? Oh, he just hit 3 straight homers against Gooden. Did we have a budding superstar on our hands? Spoiler alert- Rhodes finished the season with 8 homers and finished his MLB career with 13 home runs and a .224 batting average.
But what about that budding career? He seemed like just another journeyman.
2 years later, he went on to play professional ball in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan,and was SPECTACULAR in that league. He played ball there for 13 years.
Rhodes was the all-time NPB home run leader among foreign born players and is 13th overall with 464 homers runs. In 2001, he hit 55 homers which tied him for the all-time single season mark by Sadahura Oh. So, if we would have had just a little more patience……….
So, here’s one you probably didn’t think of. Tuffy Rhodes. April 4, 1994 was the opening day game at Wrigley Field against one of the top 2 or 3 pitchers that the Mets have ever had, Dwight Gooden. The odds of Rhodes doing that against Doc Gooden were astronomically high. What did Rhodes do? Oh, he just hit 3 straight homers against Gooden. Did we have a budding superstar on our hands? Spoiler alert- Rhodes finished the season with 8 homers and finished his MLB career with 13 home runs and a .224 batting average.
But what about that budding career? He seemed like just another journeyman.
2 years later, he went on to play professional ball in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan,and was SPECTACULAR in that league. He played ball there for 13 years.
Rhodes was the all-time NPB home run leader among foreign born players and is 13th overall with 464 homers runs. In 2001, he hit 55 homers which tied him for the all-time single season mark by Sadahura Oh. So, if we would have had just a little more patience……….
BLEACHER BUM REPORT
by Jack Herbon
The Chicago Cubs are actively looking to upgrade their pitching staff as they approach the mid-summer trade deadline. Because their position player group is deep, the Cubs are heavily focused on dealing from their prospect surplus—such as Jefferson Rojas and Kevin Alcántara—to land impact starting pitchers.
Top Trade Targets
by Jack Herbon
The Chicago Cubs are actively looking to upgrade their pitching staff as they approach the mid-summer trade deadline. Because their position player group is deep, the Cubs are heavily focused on dealing from their prospect surplus—such as Jefferson Rojas and Kevin Alcántara—to land impact starting pitchers.
Top Trade Targets
- Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers): Skubal remains the top prize on the trade market, and the Cubs are frequently cited as a logical destination for the ace if the Tigers make him available.
- Joe Ryan (Minnesota Twins): A long-rumored target for Chicago, Ryan is highly valued because he is under team control beyond the 2026 season, making him a major rotation piece.
- Seth Lugo & Michael Wacha (Kansas City Royals): The Cubs have been linked to these veteran arms in mock trades as a way to secure proven, stabilizing rotation depth
- Jefferson Rojas (SS): Regarded highly in the farm system, his path to the majors is blocked, making him a premium trade chip.
- Kevin Alcántara (OF): A surging outfielder with high potential, often floated as a key piece in trades for elite pitching.
- Matt Shaw (3B): Finding limited playing time, he is drawing interest from rival teams as a young talent on the move.
- Matthew Boyd (LHP): In the final year of his contract, the Cubs could look to flip him for younger assets if the team opts to sell rather than buy.
PLEASE SPEAK YOUR MIND!
by Dan Marx and Wayne Richards
Its hard to believe that the All Star game is very close already! Here is a question for you and we'd love to hear your responses.
Which Chicago Cub deserves to be in the ALL STAR GAME? I'm picking Pete Crow because at least he's showing signs that his spark plug is kicking in a bit.
What's your opinion?
WHAT CHICAGO CUB DESERVES TO BE IN THE ALL STAR GAME? Also, just to add a little something extra, if you've voted in the past, who was it?
by Dan Marx and Wayne Richards
Its hard to believe that the All Star game is very close already! Here is a question for you and we'd love to hear your responses.
Which Chicago Cub deserves to be in the ALL STAR GAME? I'm picking Pete Crow because at least he's showing signs that his spark plug is kicking in a bit.
What's your opinion?
WHAT CHICAGO CUB DESERVES TO BE IN THE ALL STAR GAME? Also, just to add a little something extra, if you've voted in the past, who was it?
Actually, I have several messages for you.
Firstly, I'm very proud of Cubs World and have been since the day I took office. You're an amazing group of people!
Secondly, I'm proud of the members of my board. Every individual is dedicated to keeping our club special.
Thirdly, in our efforts to keep CUBS WORLD operating, we always invite folks to join us for our meetings, which are held on the third Monday of every month. In fact, we have "AT LARGE" positions open if you feel you can contribute. We welcome such possibilities.
If you're interested in observing a board meeting, please contact me at [email protected]
You may also communicate via www.cubsworld.org
I also accept messages from carrier pigeons.
One other thing you might be interested in doing is to share some ideas about things you'd like to see in our programs in addition to interesting speakers. What kind of events should we consider adding into the mix? We are always open to suggestions.
Many thanks to the wonderful people who already lend a helping hand at times when needed. This reminds me that soon it will be time to give out this year's ALL-STAR AWARD to one of our Cubs World family members who go beyond the call of duty to make this club a true 'STAND OUT"!
In the meantime, let's all think positive thoughts about the rest of this year's Cubs season. GO CUBBIES!!!!!!
Firstly, I'm very proud of Cubs World and have been since the day I took office. You're an amazing group of people!
Secondly, I'm proud of the members of my board. Every individual is dedicated to keeping our club special.
Thirdly, in our efforts to keep CUBS WORLD operating, we always invite folks to join us for our meetings, which are held on the third Monday of every month. In fact, we have "AT LARGE" positions open if you feel you can contribute. We welcome such possibilities.
If you're interested in observing a board meeting, please contact me at [email protected]
You may also communicate via www.cubsworld.org
I also accept messages from carrier pigeons.
One other thing you might be interested in doing is to share some ideas about things you'd like to see in our programs in addition to interesting speakers. What kind of events should we consider adding into the mix? We are always open to suggestions.
Many thanks to the wonderful people who already lend a helping hand at times when needed. This reminds me that soon it will be time to give out this year's ALL-STAR AWARD to one of our Cubs World family members who go beyond the call of duty to make this club a true 'STAND OUT"!
In the meantime, let's all think positive thoughts about the rest of this year's Cubs season. GO CUBBIES!!!!!!
As always, YOU have the last word or words in this newsletter. Got something on your mind? Need to rant? This is the place to let loose! Let's hear what you have to say.
