We should be almost two months into the baseball season. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 restrictions still in place, sports, like most things, have been paused.  Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field are empty, and plans for the 2020 MLB season are still in flux. While we wait for baseball to return, let’s take a look at some of the magical players who played a significant role in the history of Chicago’s two iconic baseball franchises. First up at bat, the Chicago Cubs with three players from the mid 20th century who left their stamp on the game.

Ernie Banks: Whether you prefer to call him “Mr. Cub” or “Mr. Sunshine,” Banks is considered baseball royalty to the highest degree. Signed by the Cubs in 1953, Banks was the team’s first black player. Immediately upon his arrival to the Friendly Confines, the shortstop showed he was here to win. In 1955 Banks hit 44 home runs, a single-season record for shortstops at the time. In 1958 and 1959, Banks took home back-to-back MVP awards. The 14 All-Star appearances, Golden Glove Award, and numerous accolades all come down to something beyond skill and talent in terms of Banks’ legacy: It was the man’s passion.  His unbridled enthusiasm for the game drove his success and made the shortstop/ first baseman a legend.  The legend retired in 1971 and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. In 2015, Banks passed away from a heart attack. Banks’ legacy is forever stitched into the tapestry that is the Chicago Cubs. Let’s play two!

Ron Santo: One of the greatest to play third base, Santo played for the Cubs from 1960 to 1973. In that span of time, the Cubs legend recorded 2,254 hits, 342 home runs, and a batting average of .277. From 1961 to 1968, Santo led the league in assists. In 1964 Santo received the Golden Gloves Award and proceeded to win it for the next four seasons. Upon retiring from baseball in 1974 (after a short stint with crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox), Santo returned the Cubs as a broadcaster in 1990. Battling diabetes since a teenager, Santo remained heavily involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since 1979. In 2003, the Cubs retired the nine-time All-Star’s No. 10 jersey. In 2010, Santo passed away from complications of diabetes and bladder cancer. Sadly the beloved Cubbie was gone before his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. Still, his legacy will always loom large at Wrigley Field and beyond forever. 

Ryne Sandberg: The star second baseman came to Cubs from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982. His power and speed led the 1984 Cubs to the postseason for the first time since their 1945 World Series appearance, leading the league in runs and triples with a batting average of .314. That same year Sandberg became the first Cub since Ernie Banks to win the National League MVP award. The rest of the 80s and early 90s saw Sandberg collect 10 All-Star appearances, nine Golden Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and he was the National League home run leader in 1990. Sandberg retired for good in 1997 as a Cub. The second baseman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and had his No. 23 retired in 2005. Fans will always cherish Sandberg’s devotion to the team, hard-working habits, and unselfishness, letting his play do the talking.

Tomorrow we will look at some of the more recent great Chicago Cub players who have endeared themselves to fans with their incredible skill and jaw-dropping play on the field.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Wow! After a month with 8 inches of rain in the first 3 weeks, the Chicagoland area is finally seeing some warmer and hopefully drier weather. We may be spending more time in our backyards this summer with travel probably limited so we should do some cleaning. It’s a great idea to pick a sunny day and get to work.

The deck is the most obvious to start with, as it is undoubtedly filthy after a long winter. The first thing to do is to inspect the deck up and down. Check the ledger and the flashing where the deck meets the house. If there is any sign of rot, soft crumbly wood, contact a licensed contractor to repair. It is a safety hazard. Loose nails and screws you should be able to handle. Remove all the furniture. If it is too heavy, move to one side. Sweep the deck thoroughly, and don’t forget about under the deck also. Lay down tarps, although this is not necessary if below the deck is concrete. 

Oxyclean is your best cleaner for the deck. It is powerful and environmentally friendly. Mix 1 cup in 2 gallons hot water. Work in sections. Spread the Oxyclean solution on a section and let sit for 5 minutes. It will bubble as it is working. Scrub stains with a stiff brush. Rinse thoroughly at least twice. Repeat with the rest of the sections as well as railings and stairs. Let dry before moving furniture as heavy items can gouge wet wood. 

Power washing is an alternative to scrubbing by hand, but be careful! Keep the pressure low, less than 1500 lbs/psi. Keep the nozzle moving and at least 3 feet away from the material. Even at low-pressure, power washing can damage soft or composite wood. Railing cleaning pressure should not exceed 1000 lbs/psi. Spray in overlapping strokes and keep the nozzle moving. Again, rinse thoroughly. Pressure washed decks should dry 2 days before moving furniture as the pressure soaks the wood deeper than hand scrubbing. 

Inspect the entire deck again when dry to tighten any screws or nails that may have worked loose during cleaning. Make a cocktail or grab a beer and enjoy that bright, clean deck.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

While the Chicago Blackhawks have been on a downward slope these past few seasons, the team was a dynasty in the early 2010s, winning three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Hopefully, the team can regain their championship pedigree once the NHL season starts again. While we wait (im) patiently for sports to come back, let’s take a look at the legends whose presence on the ice brought so much joy to Chicago hockey fans.

Patrick Kane: The star right-winger has spent over a decade earning a reputation as one of the best ever to play for the Blackhawks. With three Stanley Cup victories on his resume, Kane and his partner in crime Jonathan Toews formed a dynamic duo that blazed through the league raking up points and wins for Chicago. Selected as the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, the remarkably productive Kane has won the Calder Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award since becoming a rookie sensation. The player responsible for the game-winning goal in the 2010 Stanley Cup, which ended a 49-year championship drought for the Blackhawks, continually rakes up All-Star and MVP honors thanks to his slashing style of play. This past January, Kane scored his 1,000th point, becoming only the fourth player in franchise history to accomplish that feat. 

Jonathan Toews: Alongside Kane, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is one of the leading players responsible for the Blackhawks’ success of the early to mid-2000s. Selected third in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews won Rookie of the Year. The following season he became the second-youngest team captain in NHL history at the time for the team. The center, nicknamed “Captain Serious,” is more of a grinder than finesse player, earning the respect of hardcore Chicago hockey fans. His gritty style of play contributed heavily to the team’s three Stanley Cup wins. Strong at moving the puck with a deadly wrist shot, Toews no-nonsense style of play has made a lasting impression as he was voted as one of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time.

Bobby Hull: When more than one player on the opposing team is assigned to cover you, there is no doubt that you are a force on the ice. Such is the case for Hall of Famer Bobby Hull. Possessing uncanny speed and top-notch skills, Hull helped the Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup. The two-time MVP and three-time scoring leader owned a 118-mph slapshot and is considered amongst many to be the NHL’s greatest left winger of all time. His total of 604 goals scored for Blackhawks remains a team record to this day.

Stan Mikita: It’ll take Kane and Toews a lot more time to come close to Mikita’s record of 1,396 games played for the Blackhawks. The legendary center also just happened to score the most points in Blackhawks history with 1,467 and leads the list for all-time assists on the team with 926. Together with teammate Bobby Hull, Mikita helped the team win the 1961 Stanley Cup. The rest of the 60s saw Mikita leading the NHL in scoring four times. One of the greatest faceoff men in league history, Mikita was a nine-time All-Star and entered the Hall of Fame in 1983 after playing over 20 years in a Blackhawks uniform. 

Notable mention: Denis Savard, Chris Chelios, Steve Larmer, and Tony Esposito.

Tune in next week as we take a look at the greatest players throughout the history of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Our global pandemic has put us in a situation that no one has ever been in before. We are all used to working too many hours and having too many responsibilities at home that can lead to significant stress followed by burnout. Now the stress is tenfold, especially considering so many things are out of our control. Burnout is complete physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion brought on by prolonged stress. 

Many states and areas are still in quarantine. Many of us are into our 8th or 9th week of working from home while also dealing with homeschooling. This is a recipe for stress and burnout as we try to deal with ten Zoom meetings a day and remote learning. After many weeks of quarantine, many of our early ambitious plans of learning to bake and read the classics have morphed into just dealing with the difficulties of working at home and reluctant home learners. 

Realizing you are getting dangerously stressed out is half the battle. Are you cranky and snapping back at everyone? Do you find yourself shutting down entirely? Do you lack energy and feel unable to cope? You are burning out. You might want to detach from others, but you need to do just the opposite. Just because we need to socially distance does not mean no contact at all. Have a Zoom cocktail party, talk to neighbors over the fence. Stop by relative’s houses and chat from the sidewalk. But keep up the human connection. You can also check out online communities that might be sharing your struggles.  

Set aside time in your calendar for yourself. Your work meetings and remote learning are scheduled, so should some leisure time for yourself. Do whatever calms and de-stresses you. Take a bath, read, or have a power nap. Your mental health is important too. We all want to be Superman, but that is not realistic. Be selective and prioritize! It is ok to say no sometimes. Try it, it is exhilarating! Sometimes, something as small as a change in the environment can help boost your mood. Move to a sunnier room or take a walk around the block. Moving your body is most important now to improve your physical and mental health. Even 15 minutes a couple times a day can improve your mindset. 

We all have fears and anxieties that swirl through our heads in these scary times. It is good to do a brain dump and get them down on paper. Naming your fears and thinking of strategies to solve them can give you some control in a world where we have extraordinarily little right now. 

Try out some of the above methods when you are feeling burned out to help alleviate the everyday stressors due to the pandemic. By doing so, we can all get through this with our health and sanity intact.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Weekends are all about getting out and having a good time with family and friends. Unfortunately, we are still unable to do that. And one of the best ways to stay connected with some semblance of reality is to continue having a good time but virtually. So, this weekend let’s take a trip visiting some of the nation’s zoos!

Many zoos are offering live feeds of a variety of animals during this time when they are publicly closed. Here’s your opportunity to visit other zoos you usually wouldn’t get a chance to and learn about the animals’ habits, watch them get fed, and enjoying their interaction with each other. Are you ready?

Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL) Lincoln Park Zoo will be offering new virtual experiences allowing you to engage and interact with the Zoo like never before. Most of these events will take place via Zoom. Here’s what’s on May’s agenda: Virtual Meet-and-Greet (Saturdays, May 16 & 30 at 10 a.m.); Virtual History Tour with Adam Selzer of Mysterious Chicago (Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m.); and Virtual Breakfast with the Animals: Great Apes & Primates (Sunday, May 24 at 10 a.m.)!

Atlanta Zoo Check out their Panda cam plus other virtual events along with Learn at Home educational activities, Keeper Stories, and Panda news!

Cincinnati Zoo The Zoo offers Home Safari Facebook Live daily at 2 p.m. (CST), where they highlight one of their amazing animals and include an activity you can do at home!

El Paso Zoo Offers web cams of meerkats, orangutans, giraffes, sea lions and siamangs (do you know what a siamang is)!

Houston Zoo Enjoy a live look at animals who call the Houston Zoo home. Watch a herd of Asian elephants wander through their enormous habitat, or see rhinos roll in their mud puddle. Other live webcams include gorillas, giraffes, Leafcutter ants, and chimpanzees!

Maryland Zoo Visit these following live view cams: see penguin activity including feeding times at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. every day at the Penguin Coast cam; see activity from female lioness Zuri and male lion Hassan at the Lion Overlook cam; see goats eating, enjoying enrichment, and climbing on their Goat Castle at the Goat Corral cam; and others!

Memphis Zoo Hippo, elephant, and panda cams are available for viewing!

National Zoo (Washington, D.C.) Animal cams of cheetah cubs, lions, elephants, giant pandas, and naked mole-rats are available for viewing!

Oakland Zoo View webcams of black bears, sun bears, condors, and elephants!

Pittsburgh Zoo Check out the Zoo’s webcams of cheetahs, penguins, and virtual wild encounters; their One Wild Place podcast; and some additional fun and educational programming including Animal Tracks Program, Veterinary Care Videos, PPG Kids’ Corner Activities, and more!

Reid Park Zoo (Tucson, AZ) The Zoo offers cams of giraffes, grizzly bears, lemurs, lions, and elephants. The elephant cam in Expedition Tanzania allows you to watch the active elephants from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. However, this camera may be offline at times as Semba, and her newborn calf, introduce themselves to the rest of the herd!

San Diego Zoo Live cams include apes, baboons, burrowing owls, condors, elephants, koalas, polar bears, tigers, and others. Amazing videos such as Kids Corner, Tiger Cubs, Wolf Organizer, Zany Zebra Puppet, and many other activities and games are available for enjoyment!

So, how many zoos and animals will you visit this weekend?

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago