Who are these $#@!ing guys?!

As followers of World Series Dreaming, you’re probably wondering who we are.  Valid question!  WSD writers are a diverse lot, so without further ado…

Anno Catuli

You can follow Anno at the official World Series Dreaming twitter account @WSDreaming_Cubs.  Anno is the creator and owner of World Series Dreaming.

I have been following baseball for most of my life, and have been attending games since before I even knew the rules of the game. I come from a short line of Cub fans to be honest, my Grandfather was a White Sox fan :hangs head in shame: but he wound up raising an entire family of Cub fans…. go Grandma!

Growing up, I watched the game and fell in love with the boys in blue, but two players always stood out as my favorites. Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson. The Ryno and the Hawk played the game with heart, and actually had the talent to make them Hall of Fame players.

Our blog (World Series Dreaming) started in 2008, all because I was frustrated and wanted a way to get my thoughts out. I have always enjoyed writing, so one thing led to another. I started out on MySpace (remember that old relic) and eventually moved to Facebook and started posting on MLBlogs.com. I think my page there is still up if you want to do a search. That is where World Series Dreaming got new life. With the help of my hard working friends, we created our very own web page and never looked back.

Rice Cube

Rice is originally from California, following the local favorites in the Giants and A’s.  In 1998, Rice discovered Sammy Sosa and has been a Cubs fan ever since.  Though his hometown teams have achieved ultimate postseason success within his lifetime, sadly the Cubs have not, but still he perseveres as a fan of the boys in pinstripes and blue.  As a non-Chicago native, Rice puts ketchup on his hot dogs and does other things that will irk “true” Chicagoans.  Rice was finally coerced into joining Twitter and can be followed at @CubicSnarkonia.

Mauricio Rubio

Mauricio is an avid baseball fan, a freelance media guy, a lover of the arts, and an admirer of the not so serious. He enjoys the lighter side of all things, including the based ballz. #Derp disciple, #beard enthusiast, slowly starting to rock the #DADHAT.  He believes that Starlin Castro‘s swing writes poetry. Not inspire it, but write it. Thus Castro is his favorite Cub.  Mauricio can be found on Twitter at @MRubio52.

Ivy

Ivy was raised in the Western Suburbs and was introduced to baseball by her Father. She attended her first baseball game at the age of 5 at old Comiskey Park, and she instantly fell in love with baseball. When she “discovered” the boys in blue, her passion for the game only grew. Her favorite Cub is the great Ron Santo, and she has a shameless obsession with Geovany Soto, and hopes that one day he’ll return to where he belongs. Sports are her passion so she also enjoys the Blackhawks, Bulls and Bears, but the Chicago Cubs are definitely #1.  You can find Ivy on Twitter at @Sweet_Loops.

Dabynsky

Dabynsky is a teacher by day and writes blogs by night.  He does both poorly.  Whether jokingly or otherwise, he has a deep love for Mark Bellhorn and can be found on Twitter at @dabynsky.

Crazy Cubs Fan

Our resident devoted meatball fan.

Originally from the Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg area in the Northwest suburbs.  I was of course raised as a Cubs fan by my father and have never lost my passion for this team, even through a couple of work stoppages. I even have a tattoo on my left upper arm of the main logo/patch that is on the Cubs home uniform.  I attended my first game at the Friendly Confines when I was approximately 6 1/2 years of age back in 1972 and my first baseball hero was Joe Pepitone.  I think what drew me to Pepitone was his apparent rebel nature. I lived through the heart break of 1984 and watched the other playoff appearances.  I was also disappointed in 2003 like the rest of Cubs Nation however, I have never blamed Steve Bartman.

I started sending out emails to some of my friends with my rantings about the team and their struggles that actually lead to a column in the Bleacher Banter.  The Bleacher Banter was the independent newspaper for Cub fans by Cub Fans.  Unfortunately the woman who was the publisher and editor got sick and passed away in June of 2010 and missed seeing a World Series title as well.  I some how found World Series Dreaming and talked with both Rice Cube and Anno Catuli and now I am part of World Series Dreaming.  I do not blog as much as some of the others here however, hope that I create lively conversations about what I may rant on.

Ryno4ever

Heather McAlvey adds devoted fandom and romanticism to the blog.  You can follow her on Twitter at @hmcalvey.

Ryno4ever here! My blood turned Cubbie Blue in 1984. I can remember the MOMENT it happened… the first time I walked up the stairs of the concourse of Wrigley Field and, just like Dorothy in the Land of Oz, the green blindsided me and my blood turned blue. As a multi-generational Cub fan, I have passed my passion for the team on to my son, as well. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that 28 years after my first trip to Wrigley Field, that my dad, son and I would be chosen out of 40,000+ fans on Opening Day in 2011 to throw out the first pitch ON Wrigley Field! Aside from the day I had my son, that was probably the best day of my life!

My favorite all time players would include Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Jody Davis, Mark Grace, Todd Walker, Mark DeRosa, and DLee. I wish I had been able to see Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams in their playing days, but I still have to consider them in my “favorites” because I have to respect their love and passion for the team since their retirements from the game.

As far as me, my passions, besides this team, are writing, photography, the Blackhawks and Bulls, and just spending time with my teenage son (when he lets me!).