My 2 cents: The curse is a joke and the way you win a WS is to put together a team that works so beautifully together (ie. the Red Sox).  The Cubs give me hope this year, but then again, what the hell is new?

And yes, I do have too much time on my hands today since we're essentially snowed in here.  

They deserve to be honored.  Spirit of '08!

I understand very few people around now remember these players, but the Cubs have a long history and it should be recognized better than it has been.

As old as my father was (he was 53 when I was born), he lived his entire 90-yr life w/o being alive - let alone seeing - Cubs WS title. He played against Phil Cavarretta when he was at LakeView high and Phil was at Lane Tech.

I honor Billy, Ryno, Ernie, Ronnie, Fergie, Randy, DonK, Milt and many others since they were premier players for the Cubs over the years.

Retiring numbers has some gray area. Where is the line drawn for accomplishment? It's a tough call. There can be a case made for 10-20 guys who's number isn't retired...yet.

Take a look at all the teams in this city, a case can be made for at least a handful of players, who's number isn't retired, to retire it soon.

For the Cubs, Jenkins will get his 31 almost by default because of another guy (what's his name again?) who may be playing his last season in 2008. My guess is one "31" will go up the LF foul pole for Fergie and another "31" will up the RF foul pole for Maddog; in the not too distant future.

My problem is putting a statue of an announcer outside the stadium who was announcer also for the Cubs 2 biggest rivals.

Brickhouse interviewed many newsmakers in his peer group back in the 50's and 60's strictly as a news reporter. I distinctly rememeber some archival footage of him interviewing the future President Kennedy, prior to the 1960 election.

Of course, Caray talked with newsmakers too...but usually it was in a baseball context. Brickhouse would step outside the confines of sports, and from all I have read and seen, was very good.

And, the White Sox could claim Brickhouse as one of their own, too. WGN was the exclusive home of both teams, until the early 1970's. Jack's "Hey-Hey" rang out for Moose Skowron's home runs at Comiskey Park.

As an aside here -- I'm looking at a Hamms' Beer "1969 Cubs and Sox TV Schedule." 124 Cubs Games were televised, as opposed to 122 White Sox games. (Only one game of a DH was televised, says the schedule....somehow, I don't remember that)
Anyway, Brickhouse did the majority of those games...traveling with both teams.  Fellow WGN broadcasters like Lloyd Petit and Vince Lloyd and others would fill in when Brickhouse was on the road, with either team.)

Brickhouse worked the 1959 World Series with Vin Scully, for network TV.  
Brickhouse is more than a Cubs icon -- he's a true Chicago icon.

My sole source of 1908 knowledge is from Golenbock's "Wrigleyville", which certainly made me appreciate the drama of the 1908 season.  Recommended reading for any Cubs fan.