:: ball talk ::

Arizona's East Valley Tribune has an interesting article today about some unique Cubs memorabilia that's floating around.

First off is the work of panoramic photographer Rob Arra, whose photos of Wrigley Field are a hot seller in the desert:

Don Robinson of Stone Man Framing in Phoenix knows how much Wrigley Field means to Cubs fans. He has sold quite a few of the 13-by-39-inch panoramas -- Batter Up is a night game vs. the Atlanta Braves, Friendly Confines shows daytime action against the Colorado Rockies -- to Valley residents.

"It's one of the most popular pieces we sell, especially during spring training," Robinson said. "With all the Chicagoans and former Chicagoans here, they still love Wrigley Field. They have a good team that got so close last year and, with the addition of Greg Maddux, many people think they have a great shot at making that next step to the World Series this year. Arra's pieces are state-of-the-art panoramic photography."

I did a bit of poking around, and you can view Arra's Wrigley images here. The photos are pretty cool, but for me there is something rather un-Wrigleyish about them; panoramic photography lends itself well to conveying a feeling of great space, but the vastness implied in Arra's images fail to convey the intimate nature of the stadium. It's the friendly confines, after all.

Of equal interest in the article are the baseballs signed by Ronnie Woo, available on ebay.

So, it seemed like a possible prelude to the Apocalypse when several dealers put balls signed by [Ronnie] Wickers in eBay auctions. They were signed during the destruction of the Steve Bartman "cursed" ball, Feb. 26 at Harry Caray's Restaurant in Chicago.

OK. Seeing baseballs signed by Dutchie Caray, Harry's widow, is one thing. But, Ronnie Woo?

Surprisingly, two of the balls sold. To the same bidder. One for $9.95, the other an amazing $20.95 after three bidders.

"There was a lot of people at the 'destroy the ball,' " said seller Cliff Lemaster of Orland Park, Ill., whose ball sold for $9.95. "Ronnie is known for the Cubs, so I put it up to see if it would sell, I guess as a whim."

I certainly understand the desire to get a famous person's autograph. I have a couple autographed balls, and as a kid got a large handful of hand-drawn "cards" signed by some of my favorite players. But celebrity is a strange beast, and it certainly is amusing to see someone cash in on the autograph of someone who is known only for being a vocally "gifted" fan.

Of course, I don't see any bidders yet.

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