Right about the time the first pitch would have been thrown, a persistent day-long drizzle gave way to a bombardment of snow that was more chunky than flaky.

I hope the system drained itself before moving east. Bad enough that it cost us a game here in Des Moines without forcing postponement of today’s game between the Cubs and Astros in Chicago.

The I-Cubs will get started tonight and have re-scheduled Thursday’s rainout as part of a day/night twinbill tomorrow when the local forecast calls for sunny skies and temps in the high 60’s!

Sean Marshall is slated to start for the I-Cubs after his less than impressive, late-spring audition for the Chicago bullpen landed him in Triple A for the time being.

Micah Hoffpauir, who tore up the Cactus League this spring and the Pacific Coast League most of last summer before getting sidelined, will open the season on the disabled list after sustaining a tweak of the oblique in Tuesday night’s exhibition game against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

Hoffpauir awakened yesterday with soreness after feeling a twinge on his last swing in the seventh inning Tuesday night. The good news for Micah is that his rehab will happen in Arizona at EXST. He’s expected to be out for a couple of weeks…MW

The club was holding tryouts for national anthem singers this morning. Rendition after rendition filtering into the front offices through the PA system provided a promising but monotonous soundtrack while Ben inked his app. Most of the shivering patriots while we were there were young girls turning shades of red, white and blue in the chilly Easter Eve temps here in Des Moines.

The I-Cubs open on Thursday, April 3 at home with a matinee vs. the Round Rock Express. May the goosebumps that afternoon during the anthem have nothing to do with the temperatures. May the hometown team’s ‘lineup’ include a promising new batboy moving from the cheap seats to the dugout…MW

In the meantime, I just participated in a cool feature at View From the Bleachers, where they polled several different sites about the Cubs Top 10 Prospects, and then tallied the results. Here is what they came up with. For those interested, here was the top 10 that I submitted…

1. Geovany Soto
2. Josh Vitters
3. Sean Gallagher
4. Tyler Colvin
5. Jose Ceda
6. Josh Donaldson
7. Donald Veal
8. Tony Thomas Jr.
9. Kyler Burke
10. Jeff Samardzija

Chris Huseby was my #11.

Tony Gwynn was the keynote speaker at the luncheon on Friday that officially opened the festivities. On Saturday the most notable among the paid scribblers was Mike Schmidt.

For no extra charge both Gwynn and Michael Jack threw in some fond reminiscences about their respective exploits versus the Cubs.

Gwynn recounted how a column by the late Mike Royko and a big crowd waiting for the Padres at the San Diego airport when the team limped home from Chicago in a two games to none lurch in the ‘84 playoffs combined to fuel what at the time was an unprecedented post-season comeback.

Schmidt, ever the arrogant prick, waxed on immodestly about his four-homer game at Wrigley in April [yes, April] of 1976 that brought the Phillies back from an eleven-run deficit to win 18-16 and another classic slugfest I remember listening to on the radio in May of 1979 which the Phillies eked out by a score of 23-22. I was over at a buddy’s house getting high when the game began. The first inning took damn near an hour and ended with the score 8-7. We were giggling uncontrollably, but were eventually reduced to tears when the Cubs lost in ten after digging out of a 21-9 hole to send the game into extras.

There was a silent auction offering everything from pregame-used syringes to game-used jocks to postgame-used women’s telephone numbers.

Pat Pornstash was there representing as the I-Cubs’ new manager in waiting. Trivia question: when he won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1992, who was second in the voting? See answer below, written in Harry Caray.

Also there were all three of the MLB umps who are safe at home when they’re in town; Tim McLelland, Eric Cooper and Mike Everitt. This trio of squinting rodents, AKA ‘The Des Moines Blues’ surely combine to give our fair city the country’s highest per capita rate of big-league umpires. The caucuses may only come around quadrenially, but the umps are ours to keep!

Trivia answer: notfol ynnek…MW

The Iowa Cubs are slowly piecing together their annual January ‘Fanfest’. Tony Gwynn has been announced as the keynote speaker for the luncheon that kicks off the event that could just as well be called a ‘Fanfleece’. Big names are annually drawn, but only because hefty autograph fees are charged to make it worth their time and trouble.

Mike Schmidt is coming this year. I wouldn’t take his autograph if HE paid ME! Besides the fact that he doesn’t think Ron Santo belongs in his company at the Hall of Fame, I can’t forget the giddy, girly, skippy dance down the first baseline that Schmidt went into when he hit his 500th homer. Very bush, I still think.

Any discussion of appearance/autograph fees always brings Bob Feller to mind. He has a ‘museum’ in his hometown of Van Meter, just a short drive west of Des Moines. I’ve never been there, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the place has pay toilets. There’s nothing ‘Bullet Bob’ won’t do for money and very little that he’ll do for nothing. At this stage of his game, the nickname should be ‘Bitter Bob’.

Guess I can’t really blame him for being miffed that he left the big league station before the gravy train rolled in. I just wish he didn’t take it out on  baseball fans of all ages.

On the other hand there’s Casey Blake who hails from Indianola [I swear that’s the name of the place] just south of here. At last year’s mid-winter campfire he signed a card for my son Ben FOR NOTHING!

Mighty Casey indeed…MW

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE:

1. Yovani Galladro, RHP (MIL)
2. Adam Jones, OF (SEA)
3. Billy Butler, OF-1B (KC)
4. Andy LaRoche, 3B (LAD)
5. Ian Stewart, 3B (COL)
6. Felix Pie, OF (CUBS)
7. Carlos Gomez, OF (NYM)
8. James Loney,1B (LAD)
9. Brandon Wood, 3B-SS (LAA)
10. Luke Hochevar, RHP (KC)
11. Jeff Clement, C (SEA)
12. Mike Pelfrey, RHP (NYM)
13. Edison Volquez, RHP (TEX)
14. Wladimir Balentien, OF (SEA)
15. Troy Patton, LHP (HOU)
16. Eric Hurley, RHP (TEX)
17. Billy Buckner, RHP (KC)
18. Chin-Lung Hu , SS (LAD)
19. Daric Barton, 1B (OAK)
20. Geovany Soto, C (CUBS)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

1. Justin Upton, OF (AZ)
2. Evan Longoria, 3B (TB)
3. Wade Davis, RHP (TB)
4. Johnny Cueto, RHP (CIN)
5. Brandon Jones, OF (ATL)
6. Reid Brignac, SS (TB)
7. Tyler Colvin, OF (CUBS)
8. Manny Parra, LHP (MIL)
9. Gio Gonzalez, LHOP (PHI)
10. Carlos Gonzalez, OF (AZ)
11. Mark Reynolds, 3B (AZ)
12. Chin-Lung Hu, SS (LAD)
13. Brent Lillibridge, SS (ATL)
14. Jonathan Meloan, RHP (LAD)
15. Max Scherzer, RHP (AZ)
16. Jo Jo Reyes, LHP (ATL)
17. Diory Hernandez, SS (ATL)
18. James McDonald, RHP (LAD)
19. Gaby Hernandez, RHP (FLA)
20. Alcides Escobar, SS (MIL)

1. Josh Donaldson, C
2. Jose Ceda, RHP
3. Tyler Colvin, OF
4. Geovany Soto, C
5. Eric Patterson, OF
6. Kevin Hart, RHP
7. Sean Gallagher, RHP
8. Sam Fuld, OF
9. Tony Thomas, 2B
10. Josh Vitters, 3B
11. Jake Fox, OF
12. Chris Huseby, RHP
13. Donald Veal, LHP
14. Mark Holliman, RHP
15. Rocky Roquet, RHP
16. Welington Castillo, C
17. Leon Johnson, OF
18. Robert Hernandez, RHP
19. Alberto Cabrera, RHP
20. Cliff Andersen, OF

The Top 10: Donaldson has the most power of any player in the Cubs minor league system and is a future Paul Konerko, Ceda is another Lee Smith he is a freakin beast and will be a dominating closer, Colvin might not walk much but will be a 30/30 man, Soto will be a solid MLB catcher with plus-power, E-Pat will be an outstanding MLB top-of-the-order offensive player and should be able to play CF, Hart added a couple of MPH to his fastball in ST 2007 and with that cutter he has he should be a fine MLB rotation starter (even as soon as 2008), Gallagher has plus-stuff and will also be a solid MLB rotation starter (probably by 2009), Fuld could play CF every-day and hit lead-off for a half-dozen MLB clubs right now, Thomas is a right-handed hitting version of Eric Patterson but is more aggressive and animated, and Josh Vitters has outstanding bat speed.

11-20: I still like Fox’s raw power and can see him being a platoon corner OF or back-up C-1B-LF-RF-RHPH in the big leagues, Huseby is developing into a stud rotation starter but is still at a very low level in the pipeline and needs to prove himself at Peoria next season, Veal throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a rotation starter but I believe he would make an excellent late-innng reliever (set-up man or closer), Holliman should eventually be an MLB back-end of the rotation starter or (more likely) a solid MLB middle-reliever, W. Castillo is VERY raw but he has an outstanding arm and solid bat and looks like he can develop into a front-line MLB catcher (in the mold of the Flying Molina Brothers), Leon Johnson is a fine lead-off hitter (he has plus-speed and is an outstanding base-stealer, he can bunt, and he will take a walk, he should be able to hit 8-10 HR, and he’s also an EXCELLENT defender with a plus-arm), Hernandez has tremendous poise for an 18-year old and has the arsenal of pitches required of a future MLB rotation starter, Carbera has a plus fastball and slider but had a sore shoulder at the end of the ‘07 season, Andersen could be another Jim Edmonds if he can cut-down his K-rate, and C. Perez (like W. Castillo) is another catcher in the mold of the Molina brothers, but he’s further down the

1. Jay Bruce, of, Sarasota Reds
2. Cameron Maybin, of, Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers)
3. Jake McGee, lhp, Vero Beach Devil Rays
4. Wade Davis, rhp, Vero Beach Devil Rays
5. Johnny Cueto, rhp, Sarasota Reds
6. Carlos Carrasco, rhp, Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)
7. Ian Kennedy, rhp, Tampa Yankees
8. Deolis Guerra, rhp, St. Lucie Mets
9. Jose Tabata, of, Tampa Yankees
10. Austin Jackson, of, Tampa Yankees
11. Chris Volstad, rhp, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)
12. Alcides Escobar, ss, Brevard County Manatees (Brewers)
13. Tyler Colvin, of, Daytona Cubs
14. Josh Outman, lhp, Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)
15. Adam Ottavino, rhp, Palm Beach Cardinals
16. Brett Sinkbeil, rhp, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)
17. Frank Cervelli, c, Tampa Yankees
18. Eduardo Morlan, rhp, Fort Myers Miracle (Twins)
19. Jeff Samardzija, rhp, Daytona Cubs
20. Rhyne Hughes, 1b, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)

1. Clayton Kershaw, lhp, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
2. Travis Snider, of, Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays)
3. Brett Anderson, lhp, South Bend (Diamondbacks)
4. Gorkys Hernandez, of, West Michigan (Tigers)
5. Hank Conger, c, Cedar Rapids (Angels)
6. Carlos Triunfel, ss, Wisconsin (Mariners)
7. Jose Ceda, rhp, Peoria (Cubs)
8. Gerardo Parra, of, South Bend (Diamondbacks)
9. Josh Bell, 3b, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
10. Drew Stubbs, of, Dayton (Reds)
11. Tyler Herron, rhp, Quad Cities (Cardinals)
12. Omar Poveda, rhp, Clinton (Rangers)
13. Jeff Manship, rhp, Beloit (Twins)
14. John Whittleman, 3b, Clinton (Rangers)
15. Juan Francisco, 3b, Dayton (Reds)
16. Drew Miller, rhp, Fort Wayne (Padres)
17. Kasey Kiker, lhp, Clinton (Rangers)
18. Sean O’Sullivan, rhp, Cedar Rapids (Angels)
19. Trevor Cahill, rhp, Kane County (Athletics)
20. Tyler Robertson, lhp, Beloit (Twins)