The Boys Who Would Be Cubs: A Year in the Heart of Baseball's Minor Leagues

In 1988 the Chicago Cubs had seven minor league teams; about halfway down in the hierarchy were the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League. Freelance writer Bosco, who spent that season with the Chiefs, here presents a lineup of the lower minors. We meet the players, one as young as 18 and most in their early 20s, all with the dream of playing in Wrigley Field but some without the drive to make it. There is the owner, flamboyant Pete Vonachen, who set an attendance record for the year, assaulted an umpire and sold the team at year's end. But above all there is manager Jim Tracy, who seems perfect in his job as father-confessor, psychologist, sociologist and teacher and who sheds tears of joy when his boys reach their season's goal. It's all here: playing in northern Wisconsin in April in 30 temperature and in Peoria in August when it hits 100, living on burgers and fries, suffering seemingly endless bus trips, dealing with groupies. This is an impressive slice of baseball life. Photos not seen by PW. (Aug.)