My favorite story
Derrek Lee’s emergence as the new Mr. Cub. Lee had one of the greatest individual seasons in Cubs history and handled himself with grace and class while answering the same questions over and over about whether he could win the Triple Crown or hit .400. It was a shame his brilliant year was overshadowed by an underachieving team.
Best interview
Ryan Dempster. No matter how bad things were going for the Cubs, Dempster always was available and frequently hilarious. Some of his teammates should pay close attention. Life is too short to be so disgruntled.
Best game I covered
Game 2, World Series. Watching White Sox fans hugging each other in the aisles after Paul Konerko’s grand slam was priceless. Everyone knew it truly was the Sox’s year.
Play of the year
Sox shortstop Juan Uribe’s deke of Derrek Lee in the Cubs-Sox series at Wrigley Field. A fitting metaphor for both teams’ seasons.
Most telling off-the-field moment
LaTroy Hawkins yelling, “Mind your own business,” at the clubhouse TV during the congressional hearings on steroids, then abruptly turning it off while two of his teammates were watching. Vintage Hawkins.
Road trip I won’t forget
Houston to Chicago to Los Angeles to New York to Los Angeles to Chicago in eight days, finishing the Cubs’ season, covering the Angels-Yankees playoff series and back home for the ALCS. The Angels obviously were on fumes by the time they faced the Sox. I know I certainly was.
I wish I had seen
USC-Notre Dame, the Game of the Century . . . for now.
To-do list
Interview Bartman (same as 2005).
Second-guessing myself
Cubs will be contenders. Reenergized Sammy Sosa will hit 30-40 home runs in Baltimore. What was I thinking?
Story line on my beat for ’06
Will Dusty Baker find happiness in Year 4? Is Juan Pierre the answer to the Cubs’ leadoff problems? Will the new bleachers retain the old flavor?
Funniest quote I got
“It’s uncomfortable to go there. I’m not saying I hate to play the Cubs. I hate going to Wrigley Field. Does that make me a bad man? Go ask the Cubs players if they like to play there every day. When they have to go and hit in the batting cages and there’s 20,000 rats running around.”
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on Wrigley Field.
