Buy the book!

Today marks 27 days until the return of Major League Baseball. It also marks the release of “Wrigleyworld” in paperback, so if you’ve been holding out waiting to save a few bucks — I admit I’ve done it, too — now is the time to strike. Click here to buy the book at Amazon.

If you’ve already bought and enjoyed the book? Well, pass the paperback news onto a friend. I’ve received so many nice e-mails over the past year telling me they heard about the book at a party or received it as a gift from a friend. That has been one of the nice side benefits of publishing “Wrigleyworld” — hearing how people knew that certain friends or family members would really enjoy reading the book because of their love for the Cubs.

So, yes, 27 days until real baseball. Until then, warm your self up with another round of “Wrigleyworld” and think of what the spring and summer has in store. (Hopefully a better season than the 2005 campaign.)

As I write this, it’s about 15 degrees in Wrigleyville and there’s about a foot of snow on the ground. I recently received this e-mail from Toronto and thought I’d share. Perhaps thinking of summer can make all this snow go away, at least for a little bit.

Kevin,

Mike F. Toronto, ON

When I first started writing “Wrigleyworld,” I didn’t really think of the endgame. I was just looking for a fun summer and hopefully a fun, quick read that people could enjoy over a few days. Nothing more, nothing less.

Then “Wrigleyworld” ended up in Sports Illustrated. That by itself was pretty cool and it also helped me land my current job as a sports columnist at The Northwest Herald. (Wondering where I’ve been, haven’t you?)

Then came word today that you can buy “Wrigleyworld” at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I could never sell another copy of the book and I’d die happy. One of my works in the Hall? Put me to bed …

I found out about this from an e-mailer named Ty Nowell. He’s near the end of a 56-day road trip to all 30 stadium. You can find him at his website (majorleagueroadtrip.com). A lot of people always write to say they were jealous of the summer I had in 2005, but I think this is one of the first times where I’ve shot the jealousy right back. Ty’s e-mail is below …

Kevin,

Ty Nowell

Things have been a bit hectic around here lately. That’s what happens when you actually need to produce the bucks and not live off the advance of a publishing company. Perhaps my plan should have been for three or four years in Wrigleyville.

Anyways, two good reviews of “Wrigleyworld” ran yesterday. One in the St. Petersburg Times and the other in the Fredericksburg Freelance Star. Check ‘em out.

(More to come this week.)

I look out my window and all I see is rain. Seems an appropriate welcome back for the Cubs, who are coming off the success of a 1-8 road trip. The team is 2-9 in May and ain’t that just a head shaker?

Regardless, I have bleacher tickets today. I intend to use them. Two cousins I don’t see much are coming into town and we’re going to have a cookout, crack a few beers and mutter once the rain comes and refuses to stay away. I bought the tickets off craigslist yesterday, at face. Some of you might think that signals an end to my scalping day but that’s hardly the case. I just didn’t want to mess around with getting four tickets on the street. It’s more stress than it’s worth.

(Though we would have undoubtedly made out on a rainy day like today.)

It’ll be interesting to see how the fans react when the Cubs take the field. The Tribune seems to think there will be a lot of booing and I think that’s probably right. Even if they win, a 3-9 record in May looks, as Larry David would say, pretty, pretty, pretty bad.