This week the Major League Baseball Owners Meetings will occur in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 14-15. In addition, the big travel buses from all over the Midwest will come rolling down Michigan Avenue in Chicago carrying die-hard Chicago Cubs fans for the 30th Annual Cubs Convention. The convention begins Friday and runs through Sunday (January 16-18). Although it is officially sold-out. fans may still find some tickets available through ticket brokers.
On January 15, Thursday evening, Cubs slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo will hold his annual Laugh-Off for Cancer charity event at the American Junkie in Chicago's River North neighborhood from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. General admission is $150, and attendees must be at least 21 years old.
Finally, the Cubs have to conduct some financial and team business this week as well. The offers for arbitration-eligible players are due Friday, January 16. The Cubs have seven arbitration-eligible players all looking for raises: pitchers Travis Wood, Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop, and Felix Doubront; infielder Luis Valbuena; outfielder Chris Coghlan; and catcher Wellington Castillo. The biggest winner projects to be Arrieta, who had a break-out year in 2014, compiling a record of 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA in 25 starts. He made the league-minimum $500,000 in 2014, but he projects to command a very hefty raise as he has made himself a front-line starter in the Cubs' rotation, now led by ace Jon Lester.
Spring Training is still more than a month away, and the season more than two months, but Cub fans still have plenty to look forward to even this week.