I think it's safe to assume we will enjoy a few days of Cubs news, or at least PR, over the next few days. That is what the Cubs Caravan and Convention are all about. Dusty Baker will give ten interviews about sitting down with Sammy Sosa man-to-man. Henry Blanco, as the only new guy guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster, should have been invited so he could explain what a thrill it will be to play at Wrigley every day. Second-year guys like Barrett and Rusch will get a lot of face time with the media, and Ryno and a bunch of '84 team players will compete with '69 mainstays for nostalgic affection. Enjoy the buzz while it lasts, because it will be a lot quieter in early February.

Note that the Herald and Sun-Times articles today are virtually the same as the Tribune articles, but I include them because they don't require a password. Also, one of the Herald pieces mentions some non-roster invitees for spring training: Jimmy Anderson, Angel Echevarria, and a few others whose names hadn't emerged yet.

Tribune (Reg. Req.)
Baker: Priority No. 1 is Sosa talk (van Dyck)
Garciaparra optimistic after pain-free off-season (van Dyck)
Mr. Cub eager as ever to go to bat for team (Mitchell)
Cubs win neighbors' support on concerts (Washburn)

Herald
Baker seems set to handle Sosa situation (Miles)
Garciaparra says Achilles OK (Miles)

Sun-Times
A strong lineup of Sammy questions (De Luca)
Hawkins may get another shot (De Luca)

From around the country
First-day ticket sales for Cubs spring training games totaled 29,000, compared with 14,000 last season, according to USA Today.

Finally, in the Associated Press' daily baseball roundup (appearing here in the San Francisco Chronicle and many other papers), Pedro Martinez is quoted saying that in addition to trying to help the Mets recruit Carlos Delgado, "I've also talked to Sammy Sosa, and he told me that it would be an honor to play with me in New York."