Help Choose The Cover Subject For The 2010 Maple Street Press Annual
by Al Yellon on Dec 24, 2009 10:53 AM CST
Email
PrintAs most of you know, I am the editor of Maple Street Press' Cubs annual. There will be a number of articles in it by contributors to this site, and now I'm going to ask all of you for your help in choosing the photo to run on the cover of the annual.
Last year's cover subject was Carlos Zambrano. That was a pretty obvious choice given his no-hitter in 2008, and his importance to the pitching staff.
It doesn't seem to be so clear-cut a choice this year. Make your selection in the attached poll. I've left Ryan Dempster off the poll because I've already decided to feature Dempster on the back cover (last year's back cover photo was of Geovany Soto, another fairly easy choice given his Rookie of the Year season).
Thanks in advance for helping out. If your choice isn't in the poll, leave it in the comments.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
85 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I gotta go with DLee.
Both to honor his fantastic 2009 season and in light of the fact that 2010 could be his last season as a Cub.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Randy Wells
A great 2009 rookie season plus ushering in the new crop of prospects who may be taking over positions in the next year or two.
you forgot DeRosa Al
/sarcasm
I too choose D Lee.
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
My vote went to Derrek Lee.
His performance last year was amazing considering that his slow start had many clamoring for Micah Hoffpauir. If he had started strong, he may have come close to his 2005 numbers. He actually had more RBI last year than in ’05, amazingly enough.
"I have the time and hatred but not the knowledge." ~Madison Cub Fan (Aug. 25, 2009)
I think the only options are
DLee, Wells, and Lilly. I think it’s pretty difficult to argue otherwise.
why isn't BLOU
an option?
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer
by DartmouthCubsFan on Dec 24, 2009 11:52 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
rec'd
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
We'd like to sell some annuals....
… not have the bookstores burned down.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
crikey AL
if BLou is on the cover of the guess hack annual with stories about genius jh and his backloading of conracts, it can only help. you can call it the pound sand annual or kool aid drinking 101
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I'm assuming that one of the articles in the annual deals with the new owners.
If so, having Tom Ricketts (or the Ricketts family if that’s more appropriate) on the cover is the logical choice.
More so than any player or coach, he is going to have the most impact on the Cubs in 2010 and beyond.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
True, but...
… would a photo of Tom Ricketts (or the family) sell the annual? Or would a player photo?
I think a player photo would be better.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
A player would be much better
I would say Theriot or Fuld.
Lee, Zambrano, Aram, and Soriano are already on many covers.
I would make it look like you were digging a lttle deeper.
OK, but...
… if you’re a casual fan, do you buy an annual with Sam Fuld on the cover, or do you say, “Who’s that?”
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
True-then maybe Theriot.....
You got to sell to everyone, I understand, but to the REAL cub fan, a cover like that would be cool.
not.
you can’t get much by that #$%@ ballhawk -- LT
by Emelie on Dec 24, 2009 3:20 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
i went to buy the MSPA with theriot on the cover
but the i double-clutched after juggling it and decide not to.
Lee or Rami
well if you're going for the most impactful player...
…it’s gotta be Milton Bradley – only with one of those red circle with a slash superimposed over him. And I’m only half-kidding…
Otherwise, if it’s the cheesecake factor you’re after, it’s gotta be Lilly or Soto. You should probably redo the poll and only count the female votes… ;-)
But I still think Ricketts is the best choice. Second place goes to Lou if you have an article about him in there playing up the “Last Chance for Lou?” angle.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
player photo with a mini Ricketts in the corner?
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I thought it was Mini Ditka.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
maybe we can sign mini Ditka for CF
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
oh man, the ultimate matchup just flashed through my mind...
Ditka vs Ted with special guest referee, Chuck Norris.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
we all win
since that is the most amazing grouping of special forces ever
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Curtis Granderson and Brian Roberts
I think I speak for everyone here when I say, "Wait, what the hell are you talking about?"
No Capps?
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Dec 26, 2009 4:11 PM CST up reply actions
For the cover: Cubs fans
A tribute to Cubs fans, whose loyalty over these past 100+ years without a World Series title speaks for itself.
Loyalty or stupidity, I forget which… ;)
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
Need any proof: read some of these stories...
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/12/17/1205606/what-is-your-most-memorable-cubs
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
Jim Hendry
With someone doing a retrospective on his tenure with the Cubs. Or maybe he can get the back cover.
“This is the Year?”
The WS
Hendry’s last year
I don’t know. It’s all Kool-Aid and Madness on the North Side.
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
Ricketts family needs to be on the cover..............
They have the ball………….so to speak.
2nd choice, Hendry.
DLee has to be the one.
He has become the face of this franchise.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Ted Lilly would DEMAND you to buy the annual
and COMMAND you to buy the rest of the stack!
you can’t get much by that #$%@ ballhawk -- LT
why not a split cover
with Dempster and Lee, and the website for each of their charities listed?
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Derrek Lee
It isn’t even close for me. He is the leader of this team and I hope he retires a Cub. My favorite player and person in sports.
2010 is OUR year.
Hmm maybe I can get my friends to stuff the ballot box for Fuld.
Let’s see Al, Me, his wife, his parents and his college coach, there are 5 copies sold. Maybe you can make a wholesale deal with the Stanford & Phillips Exeter alumni associations.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
Of course I picked Rami
But if I had a second choice, it would go to DLee. Or Lilly. Please don’t hurt me, Ted!
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I voted for DLee because
1. He had a great year last year.
2. He has been a great, but IMO under-appreciated, player throughout his career.
3. He is in a contract year, and thus could represent the closing of the “window” that Hendry created in 2007. Not sure if you just want to talk about the cover subject or use it as a segue into the team’s future.
4. He represents one of Hendry’s best trades.
5. He is a team leader.
"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007
I was leaning toward DLee.
It seems a plurality here agree, so I think that’s who it will be.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Cool - I think he's the best choice...
…for all the reasons DeRoMyHero states. Plus, let’s face it, he’s simply one of the most recognizable Cubs, which should help draw interest to the Annual from more casual fans.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
LIIIIND
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
by Musicdude10 on Dec 28, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
If only Al could've tracked down Eric Hanna to contribute an all-caps editorial.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
LMAO
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
That would have taken up a lot of space, too.
CAPITAL LETTERS TAKE UP MORE SPACE THAN LOWER CASE LETTERS.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
so its a fold out
ERICHANNA CAN BE THE CENTERFOLD
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Eric Hanna is a publisher's nightmare...
…but, like J.D. Salinger, there’s just a certain mystique about him.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
good call IMHO
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Soriano
He has the highest payroll and is the key to the 2010 team success. If he has another year similar to 2009, I don’t think this team can overcome his impact. Actually the future is Ricketts but the now is Soriano.
Marlon Byrd
United we stand and united we'll fall......down on our knees when we win it all!
by Bricks and Ivy on Dec 25, 2009 11:00 AM CST reply actions
hes an inevitable
United we stand and united we'll fall......down on our knees when we win it all!
by Bricks and Ivy on Dec 25, 2009 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
How about
a collage of Ramirez, Soriano, Soto, and Marmol. The resurgence/health of Ramirez, Soriano, and Soto are critical cogs to an offense that does not appear to be getting much outside help this year. Likewise, the ability for Marmol to consisently close out games…especially the 1 run affairs…will add 2010 stability to another weak area of the 2009 team.
"All I want is food and creative love" - Rusted Root
by TheRiot Police on Dec 26, 2009 10:43 PM CST reply actions
why not the bleachers or another section of fans
and give us kudos
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
The publisher wants a player photo on the cover.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
so whose call is it - the publisher or the editor?
If you have to go with a player, i.e. whatever the publisher wants, the publisher gets, then I’d agree Lee is the logical choice. But if it’s your choice, I still don’t understand why you’re not giving more consideration to Ricketts.
I’d be very surprised if there isn’t at least one big article in the annual about the new owners so having Tom or the family on the cover would be a natural extension of that. And I don’t buy your argument about having someone on the cover merely to “sell” the annual. If you’re really trying to sell based on the cover, why not just do a swimsuit cover with some of the players’ wives?
I would hope that one of the objectives for the MSP Annual is to educate, entertain and inform both casual and serious fans about the Cubs in 2010. Let the other annuals do the usual slap-together-a-bunch-of-lame-articles, some-wildass-predictions, and of course, the proverbial in-depth analysis-of-the-100+-year-“curse”. I just think MSP would want to showcase what is easily the biggest Cubs story of the coming year.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I agree with your reasoning, up to a point.
Personally, I don’t think a photo of a guy in a suit would attract as many casual readers as a photo of one of the Cubs’ best players. I’m assuming that the serious fan would likely buy it anyway for the content.
Have a look at all of MSP’s covers. Apart from a couple that depict college coaches (including Charlie Weis), all of them feature player photos.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Is it too late
to do a computer generation of an improved Wrigley Field and include an article detailing what is possible, should happen, has been mentioned about its future?
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
Meant to add
For me the Cubs are more recognizable by Wrigley Field than by any player I can think of on the team. I haven’t been in a Chicago bookstore in a while, but I wonder how many magazines with players on them will be on the racks.
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
Well darn
No wonder it sounded like such a good idea.
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
Nevermind
Ignore what I just typed I see below you mentioned the articles. I would like to see Ricketts on the cover, but I doubt anyone would recognize who he was and that would definitely not help sales.
One baseball game, he came to the plate and heard a woman in the crowd shout to the pitcher, "I'll make you a chocolate cake if you strike out that 'so-and-so'!" Says Strong: "I hit that ball out of the park. Then I looked at her like, 'Do I get a cake now?' "
Mr. Lee
Though if we haven’t signed or traded for a Cfer by mid-Feb, Sam Fuld becomes the key to the Cubs 2010 season.
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Dec 27, 2009 4:01 PM CST reply actions
I think the most eye-catching would be Marmol
Most Cub fans love him, but there’s also that rush of adrenaline that comes because he’s a wild closer. Plus, he’s got the distinctive motion, ears, and expression when he stares into the catcher.
DLee is the most “feel-good” photo idea.
Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"
Angel Guzman and Marmol together would be a good one
but that could be a little too close to the Prior/Wood SI years ago
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I went with Lilly
Jokes aside, he was a great asset and the team’s only All Star last year. I think that needs to be mentioned. His unique curveball and his fan club (at least on this site) I think deserve mentioning. D Lee was solid and I would take that production every year and deserves a great article praising him. Cover worthy? Maybe. Lilly is a definite yes
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
Scales, Fox, Blanco
come on, give them some love
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Dawson/Santo/Smith
the guys snubbed from the HOF
or Sandberg if there is a write up about his moving up the ranks of managerial positions in the organization
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Unfortunately...
… there’s no articles about any of those topics, so a cover like that would be misleading.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
would have been a hell of a cover
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
speaking of articles...
…can you share yet what the articles are going to be in this year’s annual?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Sure.
The usual team preview, NL Central preview, minor league articles including top prospects and two profiles; player profiles of Ryan Dempster and Koyie Hill; stat-oriented pieces about Z and Soriano; some looking-ahead articles about the Ricketts, and a couple of features that I’ll let everyone find out about later. You are mentioned in one of them.
And, to go with the “how a Cubs media member does his job” articles I’ve had the last two years from Bruce Miles and Len Kasper, Pat Hughes wrote such an article for 2010.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
"You are mentioned in one of them"
See? Now THAT’S how you sell a magazine! ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I picked a player....
but I tend to agree with the Ricketts idea…..this isn’t just any guy in a suit…..potentially and hopefully he’s the kind of owner most fans would want for their team. This is supposed to be a huge turning point for the Cub organization and most of us want to know more about Ricketts, or as much as is available. As a (I think) typical fan, I would read anything about him in the hopes of getting a further glimpse of what his plans are. ….not arguing a point here, just an opinion…
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."--Rogers Hornsby
Day late and a dollar short
LOU PINELLA. Last year of his contract possible last chance with this core, GM, etc.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Marlins agree to unretire No. 5 for Logan Morrison, who will honor his father’s favorite player
- Weatherman Derek Holland does Dallas TV
- Ask Alex: Will Julio Teheran or Matt Moore win rookie of the year?
- Ku Klux Klan, umpires and bowling: Why the minor leagues tossed out Jim Evans academy
- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
