Javier Baez - Chicago Cubs

1) #9 Javier Baez is an infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

2) Nicknamed "El Mago" (The Magician in Spanish), Javier Baez was selected ninth overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs and made his major league debut on August 5th, 2014.

3) In 2018, Javy had his breakout season and earned the starting nod in the All-Star game at second base and finished the season as the National League leader in RBIs with 111 and seventh in home runs with 34. 

Danny: What is your favorite baseball memory?

Javier Baez: Oooh. The home runs. The home runs in the playoffs.

Dad: Javi has had some big playoff home runs including NLDS Game 1 Win vs. the Giants , 2 HR in NLCS vs. the Dodgers , and this solo home run in Game 7 of the World Series . Which one was your favorite?

D's Follow Up: My favorite home run was the World Series home run against the Indians. This one is my favorite because the Cubs won the World Series.



Danny: What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?

Javier Baez: Strawberries.

D's Follow Up: Strawberries are one of my favorites and they taste so good. They are my third favorite fruit behind honeydew and mangoes.

Photo credit / Getty Images

On Wednesday, October 10th, Danny and I drove out to Bergie's Sports Card Dugout in Highland Park to meet Chicago Cubs superstar infielder #9 Javier Baez. Bergie's Dugout was sold out with Cubs fans excited to meet the Cubs young superstar and potential 2018 National League MVP. The event was jam packed and we were lucky to have a ticket to meet Javi.

The line was long but we eventually made our way in to meet Javi. Danny quickly started right in with his questions after they shook hands because the line was moving fast. Fortunately, Javi greeted Danny and was thoughtful to take his time to think about his favorite baseball memory and answer Danny's most often asked fruit and veggie question. 

Javi was as smooth in person as he is on the baseball field and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to meet another one of our Cubs favorites. We hope Javi can help bring another World Series to the North side in the near future and can build on his incredible 2018 season.

Alexa Bliss (Take 2) - WWE

1) Alexis Kaufman is a professional wrestler in the WWE performing under the ring name Alexa Bliss. Alexa is a three-time Raw Women's Champion, two-time Smack Down Women's Champion, and 2018 Money in the Bank Winner. Alexa Bliss has remained atop the women's division since making her debut on the Smack Down roster in July 2016.

2) Alexa played multiple sports growing up. She was involved in gymnastics, softball, track, kickboxing, and also was a Division 1 cheerleader at the University of Akron in the Mid American Conference.

3) Residing in Orlando, Florida, Alexa is an avid fan of Disney World and has been making visits to see Mickey Mouse since early childhood. She is also a big fan of cosplay which inspires her Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and Supergirl themed in-ring outfits.

Photo credit / wwe.com

D: What are your favorite healthy foods?

Alexa Bliss: Brussels Sprouts are my favorite. Bananas are my favorite fruit.

D's Follow Up: My Gramma tried to give me brussels sprouts once and I didn't want to try them. I like bananas but they are not my favorite like mangoes, strawberries and blueberries.

J: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

AB: Trish Stratus... and also Rey Mysterio.

J's Follow Up: I love Rey Mysterio a lot because of all the awesome moves he does jumping off of the top rope. I also love all of the masks he wears.

I never really saw Trish Stratus wrestle. She is back in the WWE again and I look forward to watching her wrestle Alexa at Evolution.

It was our second time meeting WWE women's superstar Alexa Bliss as she visited the Cricket Wireless store in Harwood Heights, IL on Monday, October 8th. It was Columbus Day for the boys and I, and apparently every other WWE fan in the Chicagoland area. We arrived an hour and a half before the signing and we barely made it in to meet Alexa before the 1 pm deadline with hundreds of fans still behind us. 

Alexa was happy to sign Danny's blue Money in the Bank briefcase and she was even more thrilled to sign Jordan's Women's Money in the Bank briefcase, which is exactly like the one she won back in June at the Allstate Arena. Jordan and I were in the building the night she won the briefcase and cashed it in later in the event during the Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey championship match.

It was a long day of waiting but it was worth every minute to meet our favorite women's superstar, Alexa Bliss.

Anthony Miller - Chicago Bears

1) Anthony Miller #17 is a rookie wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.

2) Anthony was the sixth wide receiver selected in the 2018 NFL Draft when the Chicago Bears drafted him in the second round (51st overall pick).

3) Miller attended Memphis University where he set school records for career receptions, receiving yards, career receiving touchdowns, and broke his own record for single-season receiving touchdowns and single-game receiving touchdowns. Check out his incredible Memphis senior year highlights HERE!

Photo credit / Jonathan Daniel Getty Images

D: What's your favorite NFL memory so far?

Anthony Miller: My first touchdown. Did you see my dance?

D's Follow Up: His first TD catch was cool as he beat the Seahawks DB in the corner of the end zone. His dance was a little bit like Hype from Fortnite. I wonder if he's ever played Fortnite against Tarik Cohen?

J: What are your favorite healthy foods to eat before a game?

Anthony Miller: I'm not going to lie, I eat what I want. But bananas are good before a game and so are peanuts. Water is best for you too.

J's Follow Up: I love bananas because every time my Dad or Gramma buy them, I eat about 3 or 4 of them. Peanuts are not my thing though, I don't like them.

Photo credit / Joe Murphy Getty Images

J: What's your favorite part about living in Chicago?

Anthony Miller: I don't really have one yet but I do like the vibe of the big city.

J's Follow Up: A lot of players say that the food is their favorite part about Chicago. I like visiting Chicago but I like the suburbs too. My favorite part of the city is the skyscrapers and all of the fun things to do.

On Monday, October 1st, J and I drove out to Bergie's Sports Card Dugout in Highland Park to meet Chicago Bears star rookie, Anthony Miller. The Bears ended their Sunday with a huge 48-10 win against the Buccaneers heading into the bye week and Anthony Miller came to Bergie's to meet with his fans. The boys and I have been talking about Anthony since the day the Bears drafted him, so J and I were excited to meet him in person.

Jordan came prepared with questions and he even brought the pair of gloves Anthony wore at his Fanatics photo shoot. We won them in an online auction and we have been looking to get them signed ever since. Anthony was even surprised to see them saying, "Are these my gloves? I guess they are, they are even my size too." 

Anthony was as awesome as we'd hoped he would be and he was excited to take J's questions and answer them. We hope Anthony can make a quick return from his shoulder injury and get back out on the field soon so he can get back to making plays for our Chicago Bears. Miller is a big play guy and we'll be rooting for him and his teammates each week as they look to make the playoffs this season. We'll also be cheering for Anthony in person from the sideline on October 28th as we attend the Play 60 game at Soldier Field against the Jets!

David Bote - Chicago Cubs

1) David Bote #13 is an infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

2) David made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on April 21, 2018. Bote has filled in for the injured 3B Kris Bryant for much of the 2018 season.

3) Bote hit a pinch hit, two-out, two-strike ninth inning walk-off grand slam on August 12, 2018 against the Washington Nationals, which had not been done since 1979.

Photo credit / Getty Images

J: What's your favorite baseball memory?

David Bote: My major league debut.

J's Follow Up: Making it to Major League Baseball is probably the most special moment for most players. I feel like it would have been the grand slam if it wasn't his debut.

D: What is the toughest team you've ever played against?

David Bote: Honestly, I have no idea who was the toughest.

D's Follow Up: The guy right next to him was laughing and said the Chicago White Sox, probably because they beat them before he came to see us. I think the St. Louis Cardinals, Brewers, Dodgers, and Yankees are tough teams.

Photo credit / Christian Peterson Getty Images

On Sunday, September 23rd, we drove out to Bergie's Sports Card Dugout in Highland Park to meet Chicago Cubs rookie phenom #13 David Bote. Bergie's Dugout was filled with Cubs fans on a Sunday night at 6:30 to meet the Cubs young superstar. The event was sold out with more than 155 tickets sold and we were lucky to have one of them.

David and the Cubs had just defeated the Chicago White Sox a few hours before and he still made his way out to Highland Park to meet with fans. The boys and I had a fun night hanging with other Cubs fans and asking David a few questions. We hope David continues to make a big impact on the Cubs down the stretch and guides them to the top of the division and another World Series title in 2018!

Dennis Rodman - Chicago Bulls

1) Dennis Rodman is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

2) Dennis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and finished out his NBA career with 5 NBA championships (2 with the Detroit Pistons and 3 with the Chicago Bulls) and led the league in rebounding for an astounding seven seasons in a row from 1992-1998.

3) Dennis Rodman is know as "The Worm," a nickname given to him by his mother as he twisted and turned like a worm while playing pinball as a child.

J: What is your favorite memory of your time with the Chicago Bulls?

Dennis Rodman: Probably winning the three championships with the Bulls.

J's Follow Up: I don't think there's anything better than that. Winning a championship is a special thing that doesn't happen often. I bet playing for the Bulls was his favorite.

Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler/ Getty Images

J: What was your favorite part about becoming a professional wrestler?

Dennis Rodman: Wrestling with Hulk Hogan against the Macho Man at Sturgis. That was fun.

J's Follow Up: That sounds fun. I'm gonna try and see if I can find a way to watch it. I like Macho Man for sure and I'd like to meet Hulk Hogan and ask him if he remembers wrestling in that match.

D: Who is the toughest player you've ever played against?

Dennis Rodman: Probably Shaquille O'Neal.

D's Follow Up: Shaq is a really big guy and he was really good at basketball. He blocked shots and dunked a lot.

D: Did this move hurt when you saved the ball?

Dennis Rodman: No, that didn't hurt. I practiced that move a lot in practice, so no it didn't hurt.

D's Follow Up: That would hurt me for sure. It looks like he was playing really hard.

On Sunday August 19th, we made the short trip to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills to meet Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis "The Worm" Rodman. My Fan Cave, located on the lower level near JC Penney, hosted the signing with the NBA great and our entire family got to take part in the fun. There were over 100 in attendance to meet one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

We were ticket number three and we were VIP for the afternoon, which meant we got to take a posed picture and also receive an autograph from "The Worm." By basketball terms, Dennis was of average height at 6' 7", but when we came face to face, he was larger than life and towered over the four of us. Dennis was upbeat throughout the event and happy to answer the boys' questions. 

Danny was up first and forgot his original question...then the next time up Dennis asked him if he remembered his first question. The two laughed about it and we all thought it was a cool moment between them. Jordan loves wrestling and wanted to make sure he asked him about his time in the WCW. We recently watched his match against Karl Malone and Jordan was mesmerized. 

Of course, we were not surprised by his response when he said Shaq was the toughest player he ever played against. At 7' 1" and 326 pounds, Shaq was one of the most physically dominating and imposing players to ever play the game. It was always entertaining to watch the two of them go head to head.

It was a rare appearance in Chicago for Dennis and we were so fortunate to meet him so close to home. The '96, '97, and '98 Bulls were my favorite teams of all time and I'm grateful to have been there with my family to meet one of my favorite players of all time.

Marcus Childers - NIU Huskies

1) Marcus Childers is the starting quarterback for the Northern Illinois University Huskies football team who play in the Mid-American Conference.

2) Marcus was selected as the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2017 by league coaches.

3) Marcus Childers attended Adairsville High School in Adairsville, Georgia where he passed for more than 1,000 yards and ran for over 1,500 yards in two seasons as starting quarterback. Marcus also led the Adairsville Tigers to the most points in a season in school history with 499 points in 12 games. 

Photo credit Sean King/ Shaw Media

J: What other sports did you play besides football in high school?

Marcus Childers: I played everything. Basketball, baseball, track. I just wanted to show coaches that I was versatile.

J's Follow Up: He's so good at football because he played all those sports in high school.

D: Who is the toughest college team you have played so far?

Marcus Childers: Probably Duke to open up last season but I would say Toledo is a close second.

J's Follow Up: I think Duke and Toledo are both really good. I think Toledo will probably the hardest game this year too but Utah and Iowa are good.

D: What is your favorite vegetable?

Marcus Childers: Broccoli.

D's Follow Up: Broccoli is my second favorite veggie behind carrots. Almost all players say they love broccoli.

On Saturday, August 4th, the boys and I made our way back to Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb for NIU's family day and the first practice of summer camp. While at camp, the boys and I hoped to go face to face with our favorite college QB who runs the show for our favorite college football team, the NIU Huskies. 

Photo credit Kurt Steiss/ The Toledo Blade

We waited in line in hopes to talk to Marcus, take a photo, and J and D were hoping he would sign the cleats that they had just purchased at the first ever NIU gear sale. The cleats are just like the ones that the Huskies wear during practice or on game days. Sure enough, the boys were able to get up close and personal with the redshirt sophomore QB who will help lead the Huskies into Kinnick Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes to kick off the 2018 season. Marcus was friendly, signed their cleats, and happy to answer their questions. They talked about him all the way home.

It feels like we've waited forever for football to be back and we are so excited that the day has finally arrived. We look forward to cheering Marcus Childers and his teammates on and we hope they can knock off the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten in their season opener. We'll see Marcus in person next week at Huskie Stadium as our Huskies battle Utah in the home opener. These Huskie Pup Club members will hope to high five Marcus before the game and I'm sure they'll be on the lookout for him after the game to say hi. Thanks to Marcus for the cool experience and we wish him a great season ahead!