Happy 100th Wrigley!!

So Wednesday (4/23) was the 100^th birthday for Wrigley Field.  The Cubs organization decided to celebrate, in part, by bringing back a few former Cubs.  I didn’t pay close attention to all the festivities since it was a day game and I had other commitments to attend to during the day.

I did notice they lost (natch) and I did see a picture posted on FaceBook showing Ferguson Jenkins, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Randy Hundley and Andre Dawson on the field.  Kind of cool.  Except Jenkins, Banks and Williams are ALWAYS at Wrigley.

400^th anniversary of the organ Frank Pelico played?  Jenkins, Banks, Williams.

Lights for the first time at Wrigley?  Jenkins, Banks, Williams.

Special Celebration Day for Ron Santo NOT making the Hall of Fame (again)?  Jenkins, Banks, Williams.

There were missing players and personnel.  One that was not missing was the jackass that wore #21 for 13 years.  All day long on sports talk radio the following day was the great debate as to whether Sammy Sosa deserved to be invited back.

NO!!!  That arrogant, roided-up, corked bat sorry excuse for an outfielder does not need to be invited back to Wrigley.  I may be in the minority on this one as other may say “Let by-gones be by-gones.”  I can’t do that.  In fact, I have a relatively comprehensive list of players who should have been invited back well before Senor Sosa.

Bill Buckner – He was (and still is) my all-time favorite Cub.  Growing up watching him waggle his bat in the lefthand batter’s box right before he laced another double to the gap was a joy.

Dave Kingman – For two years I loved watching him hit homer for the Cubs rather than against them. Yes, he spent “Dave Kingman Day” on his boat on Lake Michigan rather than at Wrigley Field.  And he gave a reporter a shoe box with a dead rat in it, but he still deserves to come back before Sosa.

Steve Bartman – This is a no-brainer.  The only problem is had he come back, then the story was Bartman and not the 100^th birthday of Wrigley.  But Bartman needs to be invited (and he needs to accept) looooong before Sosa is addressed.

Ed Lynch – Understand I HATE (REALLY HATE) Ed Lynch.  He massively sucked as the Cubs GM and he may have been a better GM for the Cubs than he was a pitcher.

Larry Himes – Was integral in having our future Hall of Fame secondbaseman retire (for the first time) too early.  And yet I would invite him back before SS.

Steve Ontiveros – Spokesman for the hair replacement company while he was “patrolling” thirdbase.  Still don’t forgive him for ending the magical game against the Phillies the Cubs lost 23-22.  His weakass, game-ending groundout ruined any chance for another comeback.

Lee Elia – Give him an open mike and a seven second delay.

Dallas Green – Architect of 1984.  Where was he on Wednesday?

Dusty Baker – Absolutely ruined our chance for glory in 2003 and yet I would rather see him walk on to the field to celebrate than Sosa.

Andy Pafko – Is he still alive?  If so, he should have been there.

Mick Kelleher – He hit 545 fewer homeruns than Sosa as a Cub.  He should have been there to make the girls swoon once again.

Andy McPhail – Couldn’t do much right for the Cubs after taking the Twinkies to the Promised Land twice.

Anyone, anyone would be better than Sosa.  Milton Bradley, Michael Barrett, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Smalley who never met an error he didn’t like.